diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index d777e16..9e28c3c 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ type Conn struct {
 	ctx    context.Context
 	api    sqliteAPI
 	mem    memory
+	arena  arena
 	handle uint32
 }
 
@@ -39,11 +40,11 @@ func OpenFlags(filename string, flags OpenFlag) (conn *Conn, err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	c.arena = c.newArena(1024)
 
-	namePtr := c.newString(filename)
-	connPtr := c.new(ptrlen)
-	defer c.free(namePtr)
-	defer c.free(connPtr)
+	defer c.arena.reset()
+	connPtr := c.arena.new(ptrlen)
+	namePtr := c.arena.string(filename)
 
 	r, err := c.api.open.Call(c.ctx, uint64(namePtr), uint64(connPtr), uint64(flags), 0)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -87,8 +88,8 @@ func (c *Conn) Close() error {
 //
 // https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/exec.html
 func (c *Conn) Exec(sql string) error {
-	sqlPtr := c.newString(sql)
-	defer c.free(sqlPtr)
+	defer c.arena.reset()
+	sqlPtr := c.arena.string(sql)
 
 	r, err := c.api.exec.Call(c.ctx, uint64(c.handle), uint64(sqlPtr), 0, 0, 0)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -109,12 +110,10 @@ func (c *Conn) Prepare(sql string) (stmt *Stmt, tail string, err error) {
 //
 // https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/prepare.html
 func (c *Conn) PrepareFlags(sql string, flags PrepareFlag) (stmt *Stmt, tail string, err error) {
-	sqlPtr := c.newString(sql)
-	stmtPtr := c.new(ptrlen)
-	tailPtr := c.new(ptrlen)
-	defer c.free(sqlPtr)
-	defer c.free(stmtPtr)
-	defer c.free(tailPtr)
+	defer c.arena.reset()
+	sqlPtr := c.arena.string(sql)
+	stmtPtr := c.arena.new(ptrlen)
+	tailPtr := c.arena.new(ptrlen)
 
 	r, err := c.api.prepare.Call(c.ctx, uint64(c.handle),
 		uint64(sqlPtr), uint64(len(sql)+1), uint64(flags),
@@ -186,13 +185,13 @@ func (c *Conn) free(ptr uint32) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *Conn) new(len uint32) uint32 {
-	r, err := c.api.malloc.Call(c.ctx, uint64(len))
+func (c *Conn) new(size uint32) uint32 {
+	r, err := c.api.malloc.Call(c.ctx, uint64(size))
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 	ptr := uint32(r[0])
-	if ptr == 0 && len != 0 {
+	if ptr == 0 && size != 0 {
 		panic(oomErr)
 	}
 	return ptr
@@ -202,19 +201,54 @@ func (c *Conn) newBytes(b []byte) uint32 {
 	if b == nil {
 		return 0
 	}
-
-	siz := uint32(len(b))
-	ptr := c.new(siz)
-	buf := c.mem.view(ptr, siz)
-	copy(buf, b)
+	ptr := c.new(uint32(len(b)))
+	c.mem.writeBytes(ptr, b)
 	return ptr
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) newString(s string) uint32 {
-	siz := uint32(len(s) + 1)
-	ptr := c.new(siz)
-	buf := c.mem.view(ptr, siz)
-	buf[len(s)] = 0
-	copy(buf, s)
+	ptr := c.new(uint32(len(s) + 1))
+	c.mem.writeString(ptr, s)
+	return ptr
+}
+
+func (c *Conn) newArena(size uint32) arena {
+	return arena{
+		c:    c,
+		size: size,
+		base: c.new(size),
+	}
+}
+
+type arena struct {
+	c    *Conn
+	base uint32
+	next uint32
+	size uint32
+	ptrs []uint32
+}
+
+func (a *arena) reset() {
+	for _, ptr := range a.ptrs {
+		a.c.free(ptr)
+	}
+	a.ptrs = nil
+	a.next = 0
+}
+
+func (a *arena) new(size uint32) uint32 {
+	if a.next+size <= a.size {
+		ptr := a.base + a.next
+		a.next += size
+		return ptr
+	}
+	ptr := a.c.new(size)
+	a.ptrs = append(a.ptrs, ptr)
+	return ptr
+}
+
+func (a *arena) string(s string) uint32 {
+	ptr := a.new(uint32(len(s) + 1))
+	a.c.mem.writeString(ptr, s)
 	return ptr
 }
diff --git a/conn_test.go b/conn_test.go
index 83ed24b..26fd106 100644
--- a/conn_test.go
+++ b/conn_test.go
@@ -112,6 +112,36 @@ func TestConn_new(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Error("want panic")
 }
 
+func TestConn_newArena(t *testing.T) {
+	db, err := Open(":memory:")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
+
+	arena := db.newArena(16)
+	defer arena.reset()
+
+	const title = "Lorem ipsum"
+
+	ptr := arena.string(title)
+	if ptr == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("got nullptr")
+	}
+	if got := db.mem.readString(ptr, math.MaxUint32); got != title {
+		t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, title)
+	}
+
+	const body = "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua."
+	ptr = arena.string(body)
+	if ptr == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("got nullptr")
+	}
+	if got := db.mem.readString(ptr, math.MaxUint32); got != body {
+		t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, body)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestConn_newBytes(t *testing.T) {
 	db, err := Open(":memory:")
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/mem.go b/mem.go
index 3a7f115..a29ae62 100644
--- a/mem.go
+++ b/mem.go
@@ -99,9 +99,13 @@ func (m memory) readString(ptr, maxlen uint32) string {
 	}
 }
 
+func (m memory) writeBytes(ptr uint32, b []byte) {
+	buf := m.view(ptr, uint32(len(b)))
+	copy(buf, b)
+}
+
 func (m memory) writeString(ptr uint32, s string) {
-	siz := uint32(len(s) + 1)
-	buf := m.view(ptr, siz)
+	buf := m.view(ptr, uint32(len(s)+1))
 	buf[len(s)] = 0
 	copy(buf, s)
 }
diff --git a/vfs.go b/vfs.go
index 78369a5..90d653b 100644
--- a/vfs.go
+++ b/vfs.go
@@ -113,11 +113,11 @@ func vfsFullPathname(ctx context.Context, mod api.Module, pVfs, zRelative, nFull
 	// Or using [os.Readlink] to resolve a symbolic link (as the Unix VFS did).
 	// This might be buggy on Windows (the Windows VFS doesn't try).
 
-	siz := uint32(len(abs) + 1)
-	if siz > nFull {
+	size := uint32(len(abs) + 1)
+	if size > nFull {
 		return uint32(CANTOPEN_FULLPATH)
 	}
-	mem := memory{mod}.view(zFull, siz)
+	mem := memory{mod}.view(zFull, size)
 
 	mem[len(abs)] = 0
 	copy(mem, abs)