diff --git a/src/emulate.c b/src/emulate.c
index b9650383..a8cfbbb5 100644
--- a/src/emulate.c
+++ b/src/emulate.c
@@ -1238,7 +1238,8 @@ static inline int count_consecutive_shift(rv_insn_t *ir)
 }
 
 /* Allocate and rewrite a fused sequence.
- * Returns true on success, false on malloc failure (graceful degradation).
+ * Returns true on success, false on allocation failure (graceful degradation).
+ * Uses pooled allocation for fuse arrays up to FUSE_MAX_ENTRIES.
  */
 static inline bool try_fuse_sequence(riscv_t *rv,
                                      block_t *block,
@@ -1249,11 +1250,13 @@ static inline bool try_fuse_sequence(riscv_t *rv,
     if (count <= 1)
         return false;
 
-    /* Overflow check for allocation size */
-    if (unlikely((size_t) count > SIZE_MAX / sizeof(opcode_fuse_t)))
+    /* Reject sequences exceeding pool slot size - rare case with diminishing
+     * returns. This also handles the overflow check implicitly.
+     */
+    if (unlikely(count > FUSE_MAX_ENTRIES))
         return false;
 
-    opcode_fuse_t *fuse_data = malloc((size_t) count * sizeof(opcode_fuse_t));
+    opcode_fuse_t *fuse_data = mpool_alloc(rv->fuse_mp);
     if (unlikely(!fuse_data))
         return false;
 
@@ -1857,7 +1860,7 @@ static block_t *block_find_or_translate(riscv_t *rv)
         next_ir = ir->next;
 
         if (ir->fuse)
-            free(ir->fuse);
+            mpool_free(rv->fuse_mp, ir->fuse);
 
         mpool_free(rv->block_ir_mp, ir);
     }
diff --git a/src/riscv.c b/src/riscv.c
index b14490f8..bfa6f0a0 100644
--- a/src/riscv.c
+++ b/src/riscv.c
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ void block_map_clear(riscv_t *rv)
         rv_insn_t *ir, *next;
         for (idx = 0, ir = block->ir_head; idx < block->n_insn;
              idx++, ir = next) {
-            free(ir->fuse);
+            if (ir->fuse)
+                mpool_free(rv->fuse_mp, ir->fuse);
             free(ir->branch_table);
             next = ir->next;
             mpool_free(rv->block_ir_mp, ir);
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ static void block_map_destroy(riscv_t *rv)
 
     mpool_destroy(rv->block_mp);
     mpool_destroy(rv->block_ir_mp);
+    mpool_destroy(rv->fuse_mp);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -825,6 +827,11 @@ riscv_t *rv_create(riscv_user_t rv_attr)
                                 sizeof(block_t));
     rv->block_ir_mp = mpool_create(
         sizeof(rv_insn_t) << BLOCK_IR_MAP_CAPACITY_BITS, sizeof(rv_insn_t));
+    /* Fuse pool: fixed-size slots for macro-op fusion arrays.
+     * Each slot holds up to FUSE_MAX_ENTRIES opcode_fuse_t structures.
+     */
+    rv->fuse_mp = mpool_create(FUSE_SLOT_SIZE << BLOCK_IR_MAP_CAPACITY_BITS,
+                               FUSE_SLOT_SIZE);
 
 #if !RV32_HAS(JIT)
     /* initialize the block map */
@@ -870,6 +877,7 @@ riscv_t *rv_create(riscv_user_t rv_attr)
 fail_jit_state:
     mpool_destroy(rv->block_ir_mp);
     mpool_destroy(rv->block_mp);
+    mpool_destroy(rv->fuse_mp);
     map_delete(attr->fd_map);
     memory_delete(attr->mem);
     free(rv);
@@ -992,6 +1000,9 @@ void rv_delete(riscv_t *rv)
 #endif
     jit_state_exit(rv->jit_state);
     cache_free(rv->block_cache);
+    mpool_destroy(rv->block_ir_mp);
+    mpool_destroy(rv->block_mp);
+    mpool_destroy(rv->fuse_mp);
 #endif
 #if RV32_HAS(SYSTEM_MMIO)
     u8250_delete(attr->uart);
diff --git a/src/riscv_private.h b/src/riscv_private.h
index eab25648..a2caa91c 100644
--- a/src/riscv_private.h
+++ b/src/riscv_private.h
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@
 
 #define PRIV(x) ((vm_attr_t *) x->data)
 
+/* Maximum entries per fuse slot - limits fusion to 16 consecutive instructions.
+ * Larger sequences are rare and provide diminishing returns.
+ */
+#define FUSE_MAX_ENTRIES 16
+#define FUSE_SLOT_SIZE (FUSE_MAX_ENTRIES * sizeof(opcode_fuse_t))
+
 /* CSRs */
 enum {
     /* floating point */
@@ -258,7 +264,7 @@ struct riscv_internal {
     void *jit_state;
     void *jit_cache;
 #endif
-    struct mpool *block_mp, *block_ir_mp;
+    struct mpool *block_mp, *block_ir_mp, *fuse_mp;
 
 #if RV32_HAS(GDBSTUB)
     /* gdbstub instance */