diff --git a/Assets/dll/ares64.wbx.zst b/Assets/dll/ares64.wbx.zst
index 7a228052ba..8b77c9623f 100644
Binary files a/Assets/dll/ares64.wbx.zst and b/Assets/dll/ares64.wbx.zst differ
diff --git a/waterbox/ares64/BizInterface.cpp b/waterbox/ares64/BizInterface.cpp
index 9ff179d9b4..a15cfb5cd8 100644
--- a/waterbox/ares64/BizInterface.cpp
+++ b/waterbox/ares64/BizInterface.cpp
@@ -845,10 +845,13 @@ ECL_EXPORT void SetInputCallback(void (*callback)())
 
 ECL_EXPORT void PostLoadState()
 {
+	// fixme: make it so we can actually use this approach (there's various invalidation problems with the recompiler atm)
+#if false
 	ares::Nintendo64::cpu.recompiler.allocator.release(bump_allocator::zero_fill);
 	ares::Nintendo64::cpu.recompiler.reset();
 	ares::Nintendo64::rsp.recompiler.allocator.release(bump_allocator::zero_fill);
 	ares::Nintendo64::rsp.recompiler.reset();
+#endif
 }
 
 ECL_EXPORT void GetDisassembly(u32 address, u32 instruction, char* buf)
diff --git a/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/ares/memory/fixed-allocator.cpp b/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/ares/memory/fixed-allocator.cpp
index ee92ac771e..db5c2ff7b8 100644
--- a/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/ares/memory/fixed-allocator.cpp
+++ b/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/ares/memory/fixed-allocator.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ namespace ares::Memory {
 FixedAllocator::FixedAllocator() {
 }
 #else
-alignas(4096) u8 fixedBuffer[128_MiB] ECL_INVISIBLE;
+alignas(4096) u8 fixedBuffer[8_MiB];
 
 FixedAllocator::FixedAllocator() {
   _allocator.resize(sizeof(fixedBuffer), 0, fixedBuffer);
diff --git a/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/cpu/cpu.cpp b/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/cpu/cpu.cpp
index 956c0ec479..b8e97ec9eb 100644
--- a/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/cpu/cpu.cpp
+++ b/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/cpu/cpu.cpp
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ auto CPU::power(bool reset) -> void {
   context.setMode();
 
   if constexpr(Accuracy::CPU::Recompiler) {
-    auto buffer = ares::Memory::FixedAllocator::get().tryAcquire(64_MiB);
-    recompiler.allocator.resize(64_MiB, bump_allocator::executable | bump_allocator::zero_fill, buffer);
+    auto buffer = ares::Memory::FixedAllocator::get().tryAcquire(4_MiB);
+    recompiler.allocator.resize(4_MiB, bump_allocator::executable | bump_allocator::zero_fill, buffer);
     recompiler.reset();
   }
 }
diff --git a/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/cpu/cpu.hpp b/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/cpu/cpu.hpp
index 722c2af5f4..6b02685900 100644
--- a/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/cpu/cpu.hpp
+++ b/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/cpu/cpu.hpp
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ struct CPU : Thread {
     auto emitCOP2(u32 instruction) -> bool;
 
     bump_allocator allocator;
-    Pool** pools = alloc_invisible<Pool*>(1 << 21);  //2_MiB * sizeof(void*) == 16_MiB
+    Pool* pools[1 << 21];  //2_MiB * sizeof(void*) == 16_MiB
   } recompiler{*this};
 
   struct Disassembler {
diff --git a/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/rsp/rsp.cpp b/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/rsp/rsp.cpp
index 76598cf55d..534b74fbc1 100644
--- a/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/rsp/rsp.cpp
+++ b/waterbox/ares64/ares/ares/n64/rsp/rsp.cpp
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ auto RSP::power(bool reset) -> void {
   }
 
   if constexpr(Accuracy::RSP::Recompiler) {
-    auto buffer = ares::Memory::FixedAllocator::get().tryAcquire(64_MiB);
-    recompiler.allocator.resize(64_MiB, bump_allocator::executable | bump_allocator::zero_fill, buffer);
+    auto buffer = ares::Memory::FixedAllocator::get().tryAcquire(4_MiB);
+    recompiler.allocator.resize(4_MiB, bump_allocator::executable | bump_allocator::zero_fill, buffer);
     recompiler.reset();
   }