diff --git a/src/page-queue.c b/src/page-queue.c
index ceea91ee..80b96b5b 100644
--- a/src/page-queue.c
+++ b/src/page-queue.c
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ static void mi_page_queue_push(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* queue, mi_page_
 }
 
 
-static void mi_page_queue_enqueue_from(mi_page_queue_t* to, mi_page_queue_t* from, mi_page_t* page) {
+static void mi_page_queue_enqueue_from_ex(mi_page_queue_t* to, mi_page_queue_t* from, bool enqueue_at_end, mi_page_t* page) {
   mi_assert_internal(page != NULL);
   mi_assert_expensive(mi_page_queue_contains(from, page));
   mi_assert_expensive(!mi_page_queue_contains(to, page));
@@ -278,6 +278,8 @@ static void mi_page_queue_enqueue_from(mi_page_queue_t* to, mi_page_queue_t* fro
                      (mi_page_is_large_or_huge(page) && mi_page_queue_is_full(to)));
 
   mi_heap_t* heap = mi_page_heap(page);
+
+  // delete from `from`
   if (page->prev != NULL) page->prev->next = page->next;
   if (page->next != NULL) page->next->prev = page->prev;
   if (page == from->last)  from->last = page->prev;
@@ -288,22 +290,58 @@ static void mi_page_queue_enqueue_from(mi_page_queue_t* to, mi_page_queue_t* fro
     mi_heap_queue_first_update(heap, from);
   }
 
-  page->prev = to->last;
-  page->next = NULL;
-  if (to->last != NULL) {
-    mi_assert_internal(heap == mi_page_heap(to->last));
-    to->last->next = page;
-    to->last = page;
+  // insert into `to`
+  if (enqueue_at_end) {
+    // enqueue at the end
+    page->prev = to->last;
+    page->next = NULL;
+    if (to->last != NULL) {
+      mi_assert_internal(heap == mi_page_heap(to->last));
+      to->last->next = page;
+      to->last = page;
+    }
+    else {
+      to->first = page;
+      to->last = page;
+      mi_heap_queue_first_update(heap, to);
+    }
   }
   else {
-    to->first = page;
-    to->last = page;
-    mi_heap_queue_first_update(heap, to);
+    if (to->first != NULL) {
+      // enqueue at 2nd place
+      mi_assert_internal(heap == mi_page_heap(to->first));
+      mi_page_t* next = to->first->next;
+      page->prev = to->first;
+      page->next = next;
+      to->first->next = page;
+      if (next != NULL) { 
+        next->prev = page; 
+      }
+      else {
+        to->last = page;
+      }
+    }
+    else {
+      // enqueue at the head (singleton list)
+      page->prev = NULL;
+      page->next = NULL;
+      to->first = page;
+      to->last = page;
+      mi_heap_queue_first_update(heap, to);
+    }
   }
 
   mi_page_set_in_full(page, mi_page_queue_is_full(to));
 }
 
+static void mi_page_queue_enqueue_from(mi_page_queue_t* to, mi_page_queue_t* from, mi_page_t* page) {
+  mi_page_queue_enqueue_from_ex(to, from, true, page);
+}
+
+static void mi_page_queue_enqueue_from_at_start(mi_page_queue_t* to, mi_page_queue_t* from, mi_page_t* page) {
+  mi_page_queue_enqueue_from_ex(to, from, false, page);
+}
+
 // Only called from `mi_heap_absorb`.
 size_t _mi_page_queue_append(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* pq, mi_page_queue_t* append) {
   mi_assert_internal(mi_heap_contains_queue(heap,pq));
diff --git a/src/page.c b/src/page.c
index 94df968e..90c54c09 100644
--- a/src/page.c
+++ b/src/page.c
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ void _mi_page_unfull(mi_page_t* page) {
   mi_page_set_in_full(page, false); // to get the right queue
   mi_page_queue_t* pq = mi_heap_page_queue_of(heap, page);
   mi_page_set_in_full(page, true);
-  mi_page_queue_enqueue_from(pq, pqfull, page);
+  mi_page_queue_enqueue_from_at_start(pq, pqfull, page);  // insert at the start to increase the chance of reusing full pages (?)
 }
 
 static void mi_page_to_full(mi_page_t* page, mi_page_queue_t* pq) {
@@ -718,14 +718,17 @@ static void mi_page_init(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_t* page, size_t block_size, mi
   Find pages with free blocks
 -------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
+// search for a best next page to use for at most N pages (often cut short if immediate blocks are available)
 #define MI_MAX_CANDIDATE_SEARCH  (16)
 
-static inline bool mi_page_is_expandable(const mi_page_t* page) {
+// is the page not yet used up to its reserved space?
+static bool mi_page_is_expandable(const mi_page_t* page) {
   mi_assert_internal(page != NULL);
   mi_assert_internal(page->capacity <= page->reserved);
   return (page->capacity < page->reserved);
 }
 
+
 // Find a page with free blocks of `page->block_size`.
 static mi_page_t* mi_page_queue_find_free_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* pq, bool first_try)
 {
@@ -743,14 +746,17 @@ static mi_page_t* mi_page_queue_find_free_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* p
     count++;
     #endif
     candidate_count++;
-#if defined(MI_MAX_CANDIDATE_SEARCH)
-    // 0. collect freed blocks by us and other threads
-    _mi_page_free_collect(page, false);  // todo: should we free empty pages?
 
+    // collect freed blocks by us and other threads
+    _mi_page_free_collect(page, false);
+
+#if defined(MI_MAX_CANDIDATE_SEARCH)
+    // search up to N pages for a best candidate
+        
     // is the local free list non-empty?
     const bool immediate_available = mi_page_immediate_available(page);
 
-    // 1. If the page is completely full, move it to the `mi_pages_full`
+    // if the page is completely full, move it to the `mi_pages_full`
     // queue so we don't visit long-lived pages too often.
     if (!immediate_available && !mi_page_is_expandable(page)) {
       mi_assert_internal(!mi_page_is_in_full(page) && !mi_page_immediate_available(page));
@@ -766,25 +772,20 @@ static mi_page_t* mi_page_queue_find_free_ex(mi_heap_t* heap, mi_page_queue_t* p
       else if (!mi_page_is_expandable(page) && page->used > page_candidate->used) {
         page_candidate = page;
       }
+      // if we find a non-expandable candidate, or searched for N pages, return with the best candidate
       if (immediate_available || candidate_count > MI_MAX_CANDIDATE_SEARCH) {
         mi_assert_internal(page_candidate!=NULL);
         break;
       }
     }
 #else
-    // 1. if the page contains free blocks, we are done
-    if (mi_page_immediate_available(page)) {
+    // first-fit algorithm
+    // If the page contains free blocks, we are done
+    if (mi_page_immediate_available(page) || mi_page_is_expandable(page)) {
       break;  // pick this one
     }
 
-    // 2. Try to extend
-    if (page->capacity < page->reserved) {
-      mi_page_extend_free(heap, page, heap->tld);
-      mi_assert_internal(mi_page_immediate_available(page));
-      break;
-    }
-
-    // 3. If the page is completely full, move it to the `mi_pages_full`
+    // If the page is completely full, move it to the `mi_pages_full`
     // queue so we don't visit long-lived pages too often.
     mi_assert_internal(!mi_page_is_in_full(page) && !mi_page_immediate_available(page));
     mi_page_to_full(page, pq);