diff --git a/src/allocator.rs b/src/allocator.rs
index a55d37e..f638248 100644
--- a/src/allocator.rs
+++ b/src/allocator.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ impl SlabKind {
         } else if size < size_of::<FilePointer>() as u32 {
             Self::RelativeFreeList
         } else if (size as u64) <= PAGE_SIZE {
+            // TODO
+            // slabs of really big object are very inefficient.
+            // find a better way/ allocate more pages at once e.g. at least 10 elements?
             Self::AbsoluteFreeList
         } else {
             panic!("invalid size")
@@ -469,6 +472,10 @@ impl SlabPointer {
         unsafe { db.modify(self.0) }
     }
 
+    pub fn size(&self, db: &Db) -> u32 {
+        self.read(db).size.get()
+    }
+
     pub fn alloc(&self, db: &mut Db) -> FileRange {
         let Slab { mut head, size } = self.read(db);
 
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 9502e40..6a93665 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 use std::{
-    borrow::BorrowMut, collections::HashMap, fmt::Debug, fs::File, mem::size_of, ops::Range,
+    borrow::BorrowMut,
+    collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap},
+    fmt::Debug,
+    fs::File,
+    mem::size_of,
+    ops::Range,
     sync::Arc,
 };
 
@@ -153,6 +158,7 @@ pub struct Reader {
 pub struct Db {
     file: File,
     map: MmapMut,
+    slabs: BTreeMap<u32, SlabPointer>,
     state: Arc<AtomicArc<Snapshot>>,
 }
 
@@ -241,9 +247,18 @@ impl Db {
         unsafe { self.modify_range_unchecked(Self::header_ptr().range(size_of::<Header>() as u64)) }
     }
 
-    pub fn add_slab(&mut self, size: u32) -> SlabPointer {
+    fn add_slab(&mut self, size: u32) -> SlabPointer {
         let allocator_state = self.header().allocator_state;
-        allocator_state.slabs.add_slab(self, size)
+        let slab = allocator_state.slabs.add_slab(self, size);
+        assert!(self.slabs.insert(size, slab).is_none());
+        slab
+    }
+
+    pub fn ensure_slab(&mut self, size: u32) -> SlabPointer {
+        self.slabs
+            .get(&size)
+            .copied()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| self.add_slab(size))
     }
 
     fn transaction(f: impl FnOnce(TransactionHandle)) {
@@ -392,8 +407,20 @@ impl Db {
             }))),
             file,
             map,
+            slabs: BTreeMap::new(),
         };
 
+        let allocator_state = db.header().allocator_state;
+
+        let mut slabs = BTreeMap::new();
+
+        for slab in allocator_state.slabs.iter(&db) {
+            let size = slab.size(&db);
+            slabs.insert(size, slab);
+        }
+
+        db.slabs = slabs;
+
         unsafe {
             if len == 0 {
                 *db.header_mut() = Header::default();
@@ -616,6 +643,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         // alloc_and_free_many::<1>(&mut db, 3 * PAGE_SIZE);
         alloc_and_free_many::<4>(&mut db, PAGE_SIZE / 4 * 3);
+        alloc_and_free_many::<4>(&mut db, PAGE_SIZE / 4 * 3);
         alloc_and_free_many::<16>(&mut db, PAGE_SIZE / 16 * 3);
 
         let mut child = std::process::Command::new("hexdump")