diff --git a/editor/tests/path-test.cpp b/editor/tests/path-test.cpp
index 0b836932..4558fedd 100644
--- a/editor/tests/path-test.cpp
+++ b/editor/tests/path-test.cpp
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ void path_test::update_pre(app& a, const Ns&)
     auto& w = M.world();
     auto& astar = M.astar();
 
+    result.res = {}; // return back to the pool to preserve cpu cache
     auto res = astar.Dijkstra(w, pending.from, pending.to, pending.own_id, pending.max_dist, pending.own_size, 1);
     has_result = !!res;
     result = {
diff --git a/src/search-astar.cpp b/src/search-astar.cpp
index e86e6bee..77239669 100644
--- a/src/search-astar.cpp
+++ b/src/search-astar.cpp
@@ -135,6 +135,9 @@ void set_result_from_idx(path_search_result& result,
     for (auto i = idx; i != (uint32_t)-1; i = nodes[i].prev)
         len++;
 
+    if (!len) [[unlikely]]
+        return;
+
     fm_debug_assert(idx != (uint32_t)-1);
     arrayResize(temp_nodes, 0);
     arrayReserve(temp_nodes, len+1);
diff --git a/src/search-result.cpp b/src/search-result.cpp
index ed9c5194..1afd09df 100644
--- a/src/search-result.cpp
+++ b/src/search-result.cpp
@@ -11,27 +11,11 @@ namespace floormat {
 
 Pointer<path_search_result::node> path_search_result::_pool; // NOLINT
 
-path_search_result::path_search_result()
-{
-    constexpr auto min_length = TILE_MAX_DIM*2;
-    if (_pool)
-    {
-        auto ptr = move(_pool);
-        fm_debug_assert(ptr->vec.empty());
-        auto next = move(ptr->_next);
-        _node = move(ptr);
-        _pool = move(next);
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        _node = Pointer<node>{InPlaceInit};
-        _node->vec.reserve(min_length);
-    }
-}
+path_search_result::path_search_result() = default;
 
 path_search_result::~path_search_result() noexcept
 {
-    if (_node && _node->vec.capacity() > 0) [[likely]]
+    if (_node && _node->vec.capacity() > 0)
     {
         _node->vec.clear();
         _node->_next = move(_pool);
@@ -52,7 +36,7 @@ path_search_result& path_search_result::operator=(const path_search_result& x) n
 {
     fm_debug_assert(_node);
     fm_debug_assert(!_node->_next);
-    if (&x != this)
+    if (&x != this) [[likely]]
         _node->vec = x._node->vec;
     _cost = x._cost;
     return *this;
@@ -79,11 +63,59 @@ path_search_result& path_search_result::operator=(path_search_result&& other) no
     return *this;
 }
 
-size_t path_search_result::size() const { return _node->vec.size(); }
-bool path_search_result::empty() const { return _node->vec.empty(); }
+void path_search_result::allocate_node()
+{
+    constexpr auto min_length = TILE_MAX_DIM*2;
+
+    if (_node)
+        return;
+
+    if (_pool)
+    {
+        auto ptr = move(_pool);
+        fm_debug_assert(ptr->vec.empty());
+        auto next = move(ptr->_next);
+        _node = move(ptr);
+        _pool = move(next);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        _node = Pointer<node>{InPlaceInit};
+        _node->vec.reserve(min_length);
+    }
+}
+
+ArrayView<const point> path_search_result::path() const
+{
+    if (!_node)
+        return {};
+    return { _node->vec.data(), _node->vec.size() };
+}
+
+vector_wrapper<point, vector_wrapper_repr::ref> path_search_result::raw_path()
+{
+    if (!_node)
+        allocate_node();
+    return {_node->vec};
+}
+
+size_t path_search_result::size() const
+{
+    return _node ? _node->vec.size() : 0;
+}
+
+bool path_search_result::empty() const
+{
+    return !_node || _node->vec.empty();
+}
+
+path_search_result::operator bool() const
+{
+    return _node && !_node->vec.empty();
+}
+
 path_search_result::node::node() noexcept = default;
 float path_search_result::time() const { return _time; }
-
 uint32_t path_search_result::cost() const { return _cost; }
 void path_search_result::set_cost(uint32_t value) { _cost = value; }
 void path_search_result::set_time(float time) { _time = time; }
@@ -91,8 +123,5 @@ bool path_search_result::is_found() const { return _found; }
 void path_search_result::set_found(bool value) { _found = value; }
 uint32_t path_search_result::distance() const { return _distance; }
 void path_search_result::set_distance(uint32_t dist) { _distance = dist; }
-path_search_result::operator bool() const { return !_node->vec.empty(); }
-ArrayView<const point> path_search_result::path() const { fm_assert(_node); return {_node->vec.data(), _node->vec.size()}; }
-vector_wrapper<point, vector_wrapper_repr::ref> path_search_result::raw_path() { fm_assert(_node); return {_node->vec}; }
 
 } // namespace floormat
diff --git a/src/search-result.hpp b/src/search-result.hpp
index aa27c374..afbca8af 100644
--- a/src/search-result.hpp
+++ b/src/search-result.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ struct path_search_result final
     ~path_search_result() noexcept;
 
 private:
+    void allocate_node();
+
     Pointer<node> _node;
     float _time = 0;
     uint32_t _cost = 0, _distance = (uint32_t)-1;
diff --git a/test/search-result.cpp b/test/search-result.cpp
index 600eec69..2d5532c0 100644
--- a/test/search-result.cpp
+++ b/test/search-result.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "app.hpp"
 #include "compat/assert.hpp"
+#include "compat/vector-wrapper.hpp"
 #include "src/search-result.hpp"
 #include "src/search-node.hpp"
 
@@ -15,34 +16,62 @@ struct path_search_result_pool_access<Test_PathPool> final
 {
     static const Pointer<node>& get_node(const path_search_result& p) { return p._node; }
     static const auto& get_pool() { return path_search_result::_pool; }
+    static size_t pool_size();
 };
 
+size_t path_search_result_pool_access<Test_PathPool>::pool_size()
+{
+    size_t ret = 0;
+    for (const auto* pool = get_pool().get(); pool; pool = pool->_next.get())
+        ret++;
+    return ret;
+}
+
 void test_app::test_astar_pool()
 {
-    auto& pool = psrpa::get_pool();
-    fm_assert(!pool);
-    {
-        auto a = path_search_result{};
-        fm_assert(!pool);
-    }
-    fm_assert(pool);
-    auto* pool2 = pool.get();
-    {
-        auto b = path_search_result{};
-        fm_assert(psrpa::get_node(b).get() == pool2);
-        auto c = path_search_result{};
-        fm_assert(!pool);
-        fm_assert(psrpa::get_node(c).get() != pool2);
-        fm_assert(psrpa::get_node(b).get() == pool2);
-        fm_assert(!psrpa::get_node(b)->_next);
-        fm_assert(!psrpa::get_node(c)->_next);
-    }
-    {
-        auto count = 0uz;
-        for (const auto* ptr = pool.get(); ptr; ptr = ptr->_next.get())
-            count++;
-        fm_assert(count == 2);
-    }
+    const auto& pool = psrpa::get_pool();
+    fm_assert(psrpa::pool_size() == 0);
+
+    auto a = path_search_result{};
+    fm_assert(psrpa::pool_size() == 0);
+    fm_assert(!psrpa::get_node(a));
+
+    a = {};
+    fm_assert(!psrpa::get_node(a));
+    fm_assert(psrpa::pool_size() == 0);
+
+    a = path_search_result{};
+    (void)a.raw_path();
+    fm_assert(psrpa::get_node(a));
+    fm_assert(psrpa::pool_size() == 0);
+    const void* const first = psrpa::get_node(a).get();
+    fm_assert(first);
+
+    a = {};
+    fm_assert(!psrpa::get_node(a));
+    fm_assert(psrpa::pool_size() == 1);
+    fm_assert(pool.get() == first);
+
+    a = path_search_result{};
+    (void)a.raw_path();
+    fm_assert(psrpa::get_node(a));
+    fm_assert(psrpa::get_node(a).get() == first);
+    fm_assert(psrpa::pool_size() == 0);
+
+    auto b = path_search_result{};
+    (void)b.raw_path();
+
+    fm_assert(psrpa::get_node(a));
+    fm_assert(psrpa::get_node(b));
+    fm_assert(psrpa::pool_size() == 0);
+
+    b = {};
+    a = {};
+
+    fm_assert(!psrpa::get_node(a));
+    fm_assert(!psrpa::get_node(b));
+    fm_assert(psrpa::pool_size() == 2);
+    fm_assert(pool.get() == first);
 }
 
 } // namespace floormat