diff --git a/sys/src/9/port/devswap.c b/sys/src/9/port/devswap.c
index db42b7172..fe872057e 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/port/devswap.c
+++ b/sys/src/9/port/devswap.c
@@ -137,12 +137,12 @@ reclaim(void)
 	ulong np;
 
 	for(;;){
-		if((np = pagereclaim(&fscache, 1000)) > 0) {
-			if(0) print("reclaim: %lud fscache\n", np);
-		} else if((np = pagereclaim(&swapimage, 1000)) > 0) {
+		if((np = pagereclaim(&fscache) + imagereclaim(0)) > 0){
+			if(0) print("reclaim: %lud fscache + inactive image\n", np);
+		} else if((np = pagereclaim(&swapimage)) > 0) {
 			if(0) print("reclaim: %lud swap\n", np);
-		} else if((np = imagereclaim(1000)) > 0) {
-			if(0) print("reclaim: %lud image\n", np);
+		} else if((np = imagereclaim(1)) > 0) {
+			if(0) print("reclaim: %lud active image\n", np);
 		}
 		if(!needpages(nil))
 			return 1;	/* have pages, done */
diff --git a/sys/src/9/port/page.c b/sys/src/9/port/page.c
index 582ebb786..da1950e25 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/port/page.c
+++ b/sys/src/9/port/page.c
@@ -93,15 +93,12 @@ freepages(Page *head, Page *tail, ulong np)
 }
 
 ulong
-pagereclaim(Image *i, ulong pages)
+pagereclaim(Image *i)
 {
 	Page **h, **l, **x, *p;
 	Page *fh, *ft;
 	ulong np;
 
-	if(pages == 0)
-		return 0;
-
 	lock(i);
 	if(i->pgref == 0){
 		unlock(i);
@@ -127,18 +124,18 @@ pagereclaim(Image *i, ulong pages)
 		p->next = nil;
 		p->image = nil;
 		p->daddr = ~0;
-		i->pgref--;
-		decref(i);
 
 		if(fh == nil)
 			fh = p;
 		else
 			ft->next = p;
 		ft = p;
-		if(++np >= pages)
+		np++;
+
+		decref(i);
+		if(--i->pgref == 0)
 			break;
 	}
-	unlock(i);
 	putimage(i);
 
 	if(np > 0){
@@ -297,7 +294,6 @@ uncachepage(Page *p)
 			p->image = nil;
 			p->daddr = ~0;
 			i->pgref--;
-			unlock(i);
 			putimage(i);
 			return;
 		}
diff --git a/sys/src/9/port/portfns.h b/sys/src/9/port/portfns.h
index 075de7664..d50ffb6fb 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/port/portfns.h
+++ b/sys/src/9/port/portfns.h
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ void		ilock(Lock*);
 void		interrupted(void);
 void		iunlock(Lock*);
 ulong		imagecached(void);
-ulong		imagereclaim(ulong);
+ulong		imagereclaim(int);
 long		incref(Ref*);
 void		init0(void);
 void		initseg(void);
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ Block*		padblock(Block*, int);
 void		pagechaindone(void);
 void		pagechainhead(Page*);
 void		pageinit(void);
-ulong		pagereclaim(Image*, ulong);
+ulong		pagereclaim(Image*);
 void		panic(char*, ...);
 Cmdbuf*		parsecmd(char *a, int n);
 void		pathclose(Path*);
diff --git a/sys/src/9/port/segment.c b/sys/src/9/port/segment.c
index b9f3236b2..1898beaeb 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/port/segment.c
+++ b/sys/src/9/port/segment.c
@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ putseg(Segment *s)
 		}
 		if(i->s == s)
 			i->s = nil;
-		unlock(i);
 		putimage(i);
 	} else if(decref(s) != 0)
 		return;
@@ -260,7 +259,7 @@ attachimage(int type, Chan *c, uintptr base, ulong len)
 	/* dump pages of inactive images to free image structures */
 	while((i = imagealloc.free) == nil) {
 		unlock(&imagealloc);
-		if(imagereclaim(1000) == 0 && imagealloc.free == nil){
+		if(imagereclaim(0) == 0 && imagealloc.free == nil){
 			freebroken();		/* can use the memory */
 			resrcwait("no image after reclaim");
 		}
@@ -288,7 +287,6 @@ found:
 	if(i->s == nil) {
 		incref(i);
 		if(waserror()) {
-			unlock(i);
 			putimage(i);
 			nexterror();
 		}
@@ -316,14 +314,11 @@ imagecached(void)
 }
 
 ulong
-imagereclaim(ulong pages)
+imagereclaim(int active)
 {
 	static Image *i, *ie;
-	ulong np;
 	int j;
-
-	if(pages == 0)
-		return 0;
+	ulong np;
 
 	eqlock(&imagealloc.ireclaim);
 	if(i == nil){
@@ -334,23 +329,19 @@ imagereclaim(ulong pages)
 	for(j = 0; j < conf.nimage; j++, i++){
 		if(i >= ie)
 			i = imagealloc.list;
-		if(i->ref == 0)
+		if(i->ref == 0 || (i->ref != i->pgref) == !active)
 			continue;
-		/*
-		 * if there are no free image structures, only
-		 * reclaim pages from inactive images.
-		 */
-		if(imagealloc.free != nil || i->ref == i->pgref){
-			np += pagereclaim(i, pages - np);
-			if(np >= pages)
-				break;
-		}
+		np += pagereclaim(i);
+		if(np >= 1000)
+			goto Done;
 	}
+Done:
 	qunlock(&imagealloc.ireclaim);
 
 	return np;
 }
 
+/* putimage(): called with image locked and unlocks */
 void
 putimage(Image *i)
 {
@@ -358,14 +349,13 @@ putimage(Image *i)
 	Chan *c;
 	long r;
 
+	r = decref(i);
 	if(i->notext){
-		decref(i);
+		unlock(i);
 		return;
 	}
 
 	c = nil;
-	lock(i);
-	r = decref(i);
 	if(r == i->pgref){
 		/*
 		 * all remaining references to this image are from the