diff --git a/xo-alloc2/include/xo/alloc2/dp.hpp b/xo-alloc2/include/xo/alloc2/dp.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6c768ce8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-alloc2/include/xo/alloc2/dp.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+/** @file dp.hpp
+ *
+ *  @author Roland Conybeare, Feb 2026
+ **/
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "Allocator.hpp"
+#include <xo/facet/obj.hpp>
+#include <cassert>
+
+namespace xo {
+    namespace mm {
+
+        /** unimorphic "data pointer" with known representation and owned memory.
+         *  runs dtor *but not delete*. Does not store allocator!
+         *
+         *  Compare with abox<AFacet,DRepr>
+         **/
+        template <typename DRepr>
+        struct dp {
+            dp() = default;
+
+            /** dp takes ownership of data @p ptr;
+             *  will run dtor when dp goes out of scope.
+             *
+             *  Note this is not useful when DRepr=DVariablePlaceholder
+             **/
+            explicit dp(DRepr * ptr) : ptr_{ptr} {}
+
+            /** (copy ctor not supported -- ownership is unique) **/
+            dp(const dp & other) = delete;
+
+            /** Move constructor **/
+            dp(dp<DRepr> && other)
+            {
+                ptr_ = other.ptr_;
+                other.ptr_ = nullptr;
+            }
+
+            /** allocates for sizeof(DRepr), so DRepr must not use flexible array **/
+            template <typename... Args>
+            static dp make(obj<AAllocator> alloc, Args&&... args) {
+                void * mem = alloc.alloc_for<DRepr>();
+
+                if (mem) {
+                    DRepr * data = ::new (mem) DRepr(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+                    assert(data);
+
+                    return dp(data);
+                } else {
+                    assert(false);
+
+                    return dp();
+                }
+            }
+
+            dp<DRepr> & operator=(const dp<DRepr> & x) = delete;
+
+            /** move assignment **/
+            dp<DRepr> & operator=(dp<DRepr> && x) {
+                ptr_ = x.ptr_;
+                x.ptr_ = nullptr;
+            }
+
+            // --------------------------------
+
+            DRepr * data() const noexcept { return ptr_; }
+
+            operator bool() const noexcept { return ptr_ != nullptr; }
+
+            DRepr * operator->() const noexcept { return ptr_; }
+            DRepr & operator*() const noexcept { return *ptr_; }
+
+#ifdef NOT_YET
+            /** explicit conversion to obj<AFacet,DRepr> **/
+            obj<AFacet, DRepr> to_op() const noexcept {
+                return obj<AFacet, DRepr>(this->iface(), this->data());
+            }
+#endif
+
+#ifdef NOT_YET
+            /** Take ownership from unowned object **/
+            template <typename AFacet>
+            dp & adopt(const obj<AFacet, DRepr> & other)
+            requires (std::is_same_v<DRepr, DVariantPlaceholder>
+                      || std::is_same_v<DRepr, DOther>)
+            {
+                /* replace .iface_ along w/ .data_ */
+                this->from_obj(other);
+
+                return *this;
+            }
+#endif
+
+            ~dp() {
+                if (ptr_) {
+                    ptr_->~DRepr();
+                }
+            }
+
+        private:
+            DRepr * ptr_ = nullptr;
+        };
+    } /*namespace mm*/
+
+    using mm::dp;
+} /*namespace xo*/
+
+/* end dp.hpp */
diff --git a/xo-expression2/include/xo/expression2/DGlobalSymtab.hpp b/xo-expression2/include/xo/expression2/DGlobalSymtab.hpp
index 32fb9570..566d8981 100644
--- a/xo-expression2/include/xo/expression2/DGlobalSymtab.hpp
+++ b/xo-expression2/include/xo/expression2/DGlobalSymtab.hpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "Binding.hpp"
 #include "DVariable.hpp"
 #include <xo/object2/DArray.hpp>
+#include <xo/alloc2/dp.hpp>
 #include <xo/arena/DArenaHashMap.hpp>
 
 namespace xo {
@@ -35,16 +36,16 @@ namespace xo {
             /** @defgroup scm-globalsymtab-ctors constructors **/
             ///@{
 
-            DGlobalSymtab(repr_type * map, DArray * vars);
+            DGlobalSymtab(dp<repr_type> map, DArray * vars);
 
             /** create instance.
              *  Use memory from @p fixed_mm for @ref map_.
              *  Use memory from @p mm for DGlobalSymtab instance.
              *  Hashmap configured per @p cfg.
              **/
-            DGlobalSymtab * make(obj<AAllocator> fixed_mm,
-                                 obj<AAllocator> mm,
-                                 const ArenaHashMapConfig & cfg);
+            dp<DGlobalSymtab> make(obj<AAllocator> fixed_mm,
+                                   obj<AAllocator> mm,
+                                   const ArenaHashMapConfig & cfg);
 
             ///@}
             /** @defgroup scm-globalsymtab-access-methods access methods **/
@@ -81,21 +82,21 @@ namespace xo {
             ///@}
             /** @defgroup scm-globalsymtab-gcobject-facet gcobject facet **/
             ///@{
-            
+
             std::size_t shallow_size() const noexcept;
             DGlobalSymtab * shallow_copy(obj<AAllocator> mm) const noexcept;
             std::size_t forward_children(obj<ACollector> gc) noexcept;
 
             ///@}
-            
+
         private:
             /** map symbols -> bindings.
              *  Minor point: storing offsets instead of Variables allows us to omit
              *  iterating over map elements during GC. Possible savings if map_ slots
              *  sparsely populated.
              **/
-            repr_type * map_ = nullptr;
-            
+            dp<repr_type> map_;
+
             /** array of variables.
              *  When S is a unique-string for a global symbol, then:
              *  1. map_[S] is unique global index i(S) for S.
diff --git a/xo-expression2/src/expression2/DGlobalSymtab.cpp b/xo-expression2/src/expression2/DGlobalSymtab.cpp
index 85fd6e93..b7eb4d73 100644
--- a/xo-expression2/src/expression2/DGlobalSymtab.cpp
+++ b/xo-expression2/src/expression2/DGlobalSymtab.cpp
@@ -18,35 +18,25 @@ namespace xo {
 
     namespace scm {
 
-        DGlobalSymtab::DGlobalSymtab(repr_type * map,
+        DGlobalSymtab::DGlobalSymtab(dp<repr_type> map,
                                      DArray * vars)
-        : map_{map}, vars_{vars}
+        : map_{std::move(map)}, vars_{vars}
         {
         }
 
-        DGlobalSymtab *
-        DGlobalSymtab::make(obj<AAllocator> global_mm,
+        dp<DGlobalSymtab>
+        DGlobalSymtab::make(obj<AAllocator> aux_mm,
                             obj<AAllocator> mm,
                             const ArenaHashMapConfig & cfg)
         {
-            repr_type * map = nullptr;
-            {
-                /** memory DGlobalSymtab::map_
-                 *  (but not counting the mmap()'s that map will make for itself)
-                 **/
-                void * global_mem = global_mm.alloc_for<repr_type>();
-
-                map = new (global_mem) repr_type(cfg);
-            }            
+            auto map = dp<repr_type>::make(aux_mm, cfg);
             assert(map);
 
-            void * symtab_mem = mm.alloc_for<DGlobalSymtab>();
-
             /* choosing same capacity for hash, vars */
             DArray * vars = DArray::empty(mm, map->capacity());
             assert(vars);
 
-            DGlobalSymtab * symtab = new (symtab_mem) DGlobalSymtab(map, vars);
+            auto symtab = dp<DGlobalSymtab>::make(mm, std::move(map), vars);
             assert(symtab);
 
             return symtab;
@@ -133,7 +123,7 @@ namespace xo {
 
             auto ix = map_->find(sym);
 
-            if (ix == map_->end()) 
+            if (ix == map_->end())
                 return Binding::null();
 
             return Binding::global(ix->second);
@@ -150,7 +140,22 @@ namespace xo {
         DGlobalSymtab *
         DGlobalSymtab::shallow_copy(obj<AAllocator> mm) const noexcept
         {
-            return mm.std_copy_for<DGlobalSymtab>(this);
+            /** can't use std_copy_for because of non-copyable dp<repr_type>
+             *
+             * TODO: rename to shallow_move() throughout, and have std_copy_for()
+             *       -> std_move_for()
+             *
+             **/
+
+            void * copy_mem = mm.alloc_copy_for(this);
+
+            if (copy_mem) {
+                DGlobalSymtab * self = const_cast<DGlobalSymtab*>(this);
+
+                return new (copy_mem) DGlobalSymtab(std::move(self->map_), vars_);
+            }
+
+            return nullptr;
         }
 
         std::size_t