diff --git a/src/lib_raddbgi_make/raddbgi_make.c b/src/lib_raddbgi_make/raddbgi_make.c
index 4c10a067..88026e8b 100644
--- a/src/lib_raddbgi_make/raddbgi_make.c
+++ b/src/lib_raddbgi_make/raddbgi_make.c
@@ -1227,7 +1227,6 @@ rdim_bake_string_chunk_list_push(RDIM_Arena *arena, RDIM_BakeStringChunkList *li
     list->chunk_count += 1;
   }
   RDIM_BakeString *s = &n->v[n->count];
-  s->chunk = n;
   n->count += 1;
   list->total_count += 1;
   return s;
@@ -1691,7 +1690,7 @@ rdim_bake_name_map_push(RDIM_Arena *arena, RDIM_BakeNameMap *map, RDIM_String8 s
   if(node == 0)
   {
     node = rdim_push_array(arena, RDIM_BakeNameMapNode, 1);
-    node->string = rdim_str8_copy(arena, string);
+    node->string = string;
     RDIM_SLLStackPush_N(map->slots[slot_idx], node, slot_next);
     RDIM_SLLQueuePush_N(map->first, map->last, node, order_next);
     map->name_count += 1;
diff --git a/src/lib_raddbgi_make/raddbgi_make.h b/src/lib_raddbgi_make/raddbgi_make.h
index 6759c331..3cb989f0 100644
--- a/src/lib_raddbgi_make/raddbgi_make.h
+++ b/src/lib_raddbgi_make/raddbgi_make.h
@@ -836,7 +836,6 @@ struct RDIM_BakeSectionList
 typedef struct RDIM_BakeString RDIM_BakeString;
 struct RDIM_BakeString
 {
-  struct RDIM_BakeStringChunkNode *chunk;
   RDI_U64 hash;
   RDIM_String8 string;
 };
diff --git a/src/raddbgi_from_pdb/raddbgi_from_pdb.c b/src/raddbgi_from_pdb/raddbgi_from_pdb.c
index da0fe2c0..b285ad3b 100644
--- a/src/raddbgi_from_pdb/raddbgi_from_pdb.c
+++ b/src/raddbgi_from_pdb/raddbgi_from_pdb.c
@@ -3473,9 +3473,12 @@ p2r_convert(Arena *arena, P2R_User2Convert *in)
 
 //- rjf: bake string map building
 
+#define p2r_make_string_map_if_needed() do {if(in->maps[thread_idx] == 0) ProfScope("make map") {in->maps[thread_idx] = rdim_bake_string_map_loose_make(arena, in->top);}} while(0)
+
 internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_src_files_strings_task__entry_point)
 {
   P2R_BakeSrcFilesStringsIn *in = (P2R_BakeSrcFilesStringsIn *)p;
+  p2r_make_string_map_if_needed();
   ProfScope("bake src file strings") rdim_bake_string_map_loose_push_src_files(arena, in->top, in->maps[thread_idx], in->list);
   return 0;
 }
@@ -3483,6 +3486,7 @@ internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_src_files_strings_task__entry_point)
 internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_units_strings_task__entry_point)
 {
   P2R_BakeUnitsStringsIn *in = (P2R_BakeUnitsStringsIn *)p;
+  p2r_make_string_map_if_needed();
   ProfScope("bake unit strings") rdim_bake_string_map_loose_push_units(arena, in->top, in->maps[thread_idx], in->list);
   return 0;
 }
@@ -3490,6 +3494,7 @@ internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_units_strings_task__entry_point)
 internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_types_strings_task__entry_point)
 {
   P2R_BakeTypesStringsIn *in = (P2R_BakeTypesStringsIn *)p;
+  p2r_make_string_map_if_needed();
   ProfScope("bake type strings")
   {
     for(P2R_BakeTypesStringsInNode *n = in->first; n != 0; n = n->next)
@@ -3503,6 +3508,7 @@ internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_types_strings_task__entry_point)
 internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_udts_strings_task__entry_point)
 {
   P2R_BakeUDTsStringsIn *in = (P2R_BakeUDTsStringsIn *)p;
+  p2r_make_string_map_if_needed();
   ProfScope("bake udt strings")
   {
     for(P2R_BakeUDTsStringsInNode *n = in->first; n != 0; n = n->next)
@@ -3516,6 +3522,7 @@ internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_udts_strings_task__entry_point)
 internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_symbols_strings_task__entry_point)
 {
   P2R_BakeSymbolsStringsIn *in = (P2R_BakeSymbolsStringsIn *)p;
+  p2r_make_string_map_if_needed();
   ProfScope("bake symbol strings")
   {
     for(P2R_BakeSymbolsStringsInNode *n = in->first; n != 0; n = n->next)
@@ -3529,6 +3536,7 @@ internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_symbols_strings_task__entry_point)
 internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_scopes_strings_task__entry_point)
 {
   P2R_BakeScopesStringsIn *in = (P2R_BakeScopesStringsIn *)p;
+  p2r_make_string_map_if_needed();
   ProfScope("bake scope strings")
   {
     for(P2R_BakeScopesStringsInNode *n = in->first; n != 0; n = n->next)
@@ -3539,6 +3547,8 @@ internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_scopes_strings_task__entry_point)
   return 0;
 }
 
+#undef p2r_make_string_map_if_needed
+
 //- rjf: bake string map joining
 
 internal TS_TASK_FUNCTION_DEF(p2r_bake_string_map_join_task__entry_point)
@@ -3772,17 +3782,8 @@ p2r_bake(Arena *arena, P2R_Convert2Bake *in)
                                                           params->thread_variables.total_count*1 +
                                                           params->types.total_count/2)};
   RDIM_BakeStringMapLoose **bake_string_maps__in_progress = push_array(scratch.arena, RDIM_BakeStringMapLoose *, ts_thread_count());
-  for(U64 idx = 0; idx < ts_thread_count(); idx += 1)
-  {
-    bake_string_maps__in_progress[idx] = rdim_bake_string_map_loose_make(arena, &bake_string_map_topology);
-  }
   TS_TicketList bake_string_map_build_tickets = {0};
   {
-    // rjf: basics
-    rdim_bake_string_map_loose_push_top_level_info(arena, &bake_string_map_topology, bake_string_maps__in_progress[0], &params->top_level_info);
-    rdim_bake_string_map_loose_push_binary_sections(arena, &bake_string_map_topology, bake_string_maps__in_progress[0], &params->binary_sections);
-    rdim_bake_string_map_loose_push_path_tree(arena, &bake_string_map_topology, bake_string_maps__in_progress[0], path_tree);
-    
     // rjf: src files
     ProfScope("kick off src files string map build task")
     {
@@ -3944,6 +3945,11 @@ p2r_bake(Arena *arena, P2R_Convert2Bake *in)
     {
       ts_join(task_tickets[task_idx], max_U64);
     }
+    
+    // rjf: insert small top-level stuff
+    rdim_bake_string_map_loose_push_top_level_info(arena, &bake_string_map_topology, unsorted_bake_string_map, &params->top_level_info);
+    rdim_bake_string_map_loose_push_binary_sections(arena, &bake_string_map_topology, unsorted_bake_string_map, &params->binary_sections);
+    rdim_bake_string_map_loose_push_path_tree(arena, &bake_string_map_topology, unsorted_bake_string_map, path_tree);
   }
   
   //- rjf: kick off string map sorting tasks