diff --git a/merge-ort.c b/merge-ort.c
index 2bca4b71f2a..5fd2a4ccd35 100644
--- a/merge-ort.c
+++ b/merge-ort.c
@@ -539,15 +539,19 @@ static void clear_or_reinit_internal_opts(struct merge_options_internal *opti,
 	void (*strset_func)(struct strset *) =
 		reinitialize ? strset_partial_clear : strset_clear;
 
-	/*
-	 * We marked opti->paths with strdup_strings = 0, so that we
-	 * wouldn't have to make another copy of the fullpath created by
-	 * make_traverse_path from setup_path_info().  But, now that we've
-	 * used it and have no other references to these strings, it is time
-	 * to deallocate them.
-	 */
-	free_strmap_strings(&opti->paths);
-	strmap_func(&opti->paths, 1);
+	if (opti->pool)
+		strmap_func(&opti->paths, 0);
+	else {
+		/*
+		 * We marked opti->paths with strdup_strings = 0, so that
+		 * we wouldn't have to make another copy of the fullpath
+		 * created by make_traverse_path from setup_path_info().
+		 * But, now that we've used it and have no other references
+		 * to these strings, it is time to deallocate them.
+		 */
+		free_strmap_strings(&opti->paths);
+		strmap_func(&opti->paths, 1);
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * All keys and values in opti->conflicted are a subset of those in
@@ -556,16 +560,19 @@ static void clear_or_reinit_internal_opts(struct merge_options_internal *opti,
 	 */
 	strmap_func(&opti->conflicted, 0);
 
-	/*
-	 * opti->paths_to_free is similar to opti->paths; we created it with
-	 * strdup_strings = 0 to avoid making _another_ copy of the fullpath
-	 * but now that we've used it and have no other references to these
-	 * strings, it is time to deallocate them.  We do so by temporarily
-	 * setting strdup_strings to 1.
-	 */
-	opti->paths_to_free.strdup_strings = 1;
-	string_list_clear(&opti->paths_to_free, 0);
-	opti->paths_to_free.strdup_strings = 0;
+	if (!opti->pool) {
+		/*
+		 * opti->paths_to_free is similar to opti->paths; we
+		 * created it with strdup_strings = 0 to avoid making
+		 * _another_ copy of the fullpath but now that we've used
+		 * it and have no other references to these strings, it is
+		 * time to deallocate them.  We do so by temporarily
+		 * setting strdup_strings to 1.
+		 */
+		opti->paths_to_free.strdup_strings = 1;
+		string_list_clear(&opti->paths_to_free, 0);
+		opti->paths_to_free.strdup_strings = 0;
+	}
 
 	if (opti->attr_index.cache_nr) /* true iff opt->renormalize */
 		discard_index(&opti->attr_index);
@@ -683,7 +690,6 @@ static void path_msg(struct merge_options *opt,
 	strbuf_addch(sb, '\n');
 }
 
-MAYBE_UNUSED
 static void *pool_calloc(struct mem_pool *pool, size_t count, size_t size)
 {
 	if (!pool)
@@ -691,7 +697,6 @@ static void *pool_calloc(struct mem_pool *pool, size_t count, size_t size)
 	return mem_pool_calloc(pool, count, size);
 }
 
-MAYBE_UNUSED
 static void *pool_alloc(struct mem_pool *pool, size_t size)
 {
 	if (!pool)
@@ -699,7 +704,6 @@ static void *pool_alloc(struct mem_pool *pool, size_t size)
 	return mem_pool_alloc(pool, size);
 }
 
-MAYBE_UNUSED
 static void *pool_strndup(struct mem_pool *pool, const char *str, size_t len)
 {
 	if (!pool)
@@ -835,8 +839,9 @@ static void setup_path_info(struct merge_options *opt,
 	assert(!df_conflict || !resolved); /* df_conflict implies !resolved */
 	assert(resolved == (merged_version != NULL));
 
-	mi = xcalloc(1, resolved ? sizeof(struct merged_info) :
-				   sizeof(struct conflict_info));
+	mi = pool_calloc(opt->priv->pool, 1,
+			 resolved ? sizeof(struct merged_info) :
+				    sizeof(struct conflict_info));
 	mi->directory_name = current_dir_name;
 	mi->basename_offset = current_dir_name_len;
 	mi->clean = !!resolved;
@@ -1128,7 +1133,7 @@ static int collect_merge_info_callback(int n,
 	len = traverse_path_len(info, p->pathlen);
 
 	/* +1 in both of the following lines to include the NUL byte */
-	fullpath = xmalloc(len + 1);
+	fullpath = pool_alloc(opt->priv->pool, len + 1);
 	make_traverse_path(fullpath, len + 1, info, p->path, p->pathlen);
 
 	/*
@@ -1383,7 +1388,7 @@ static int handle_deferred_entries(struct merge_options *opt,
 		copy = renames->deferred[side].possible_trivial_merges;
 		strintmap_init_with_options(&renames->deferred[side].possible_trivial_merges,
 					    0,
-					    NULL,
+					    opt->priv->pool,
 					    0);
 		strintmap_for_each_entry(&copy, &iter, entry) {
 			const char *path = entry->key;
@@ -2335,12 +2340,21 @@ static void apply_directory_rename_modifications(struct merge_options *opt,
 	VERIFY_CI(ci);
 
 	/* Find parent directories missing from opt->priv->paths */
-	cur_path = new_path;
+	if (opt->priv->pool) {
+		cur_path = mem_pool_strdup(opt->priv->pool, new_path);
+		free((char*)new_path);
+		new_path = (char *)cur_path;
+	} else {
+		cur_path = new_path;
+	}
+
 	while (1) {
 		/* Find the parent directory of cur_path */
 		char *last_slash = strrchr(cur_path, '/');
 		if (last_slash) {
-			parent_name = xstrndup(cur_path, last_slash - cur_path);
+			parent_name = pool_strndup(opt->priv->pool,
+						   cur_path,
+						   last_slash - cur_path);
 		} else {
 			parent_name = opt->priv->toplevel_dir;
 			break;
@@ -2349,7 +2363,8 @@ static void apply_directory_rename_modifications(struct merge_options *opt,
 		/* Look it up in opt->priv->paths */
 		entry = strmap_get_entry(&opt->priv->paths, parent_name);
 		if (entry) {
-			free((char*)parent_name);
+			if (!opt->priv->pool)
+				free((char*)parent_name);
 			parent_name = entry->key; /* reuse known pointer */
 			break;
 		}
@@ -2376,12 +2391,15 @@ static void apply_directory_rename_modifications(struct merge_options *opt,
 		parent_name = cur_dir;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * We are removing old_path from opt->priv->paths.  old_path also will
-	 * eventually need to be freed, but it may still be used by e.g.
-	 * ci->pathnames.  So, store it in another string-list for now.
-	 */
-	string_list_append(&opt->priv->paths_to_free, old_path);
+	if (!opt->priv->pool) {
+		/*
+		 * We are removing old_path from opt->priv->paths.
+		 * old_path also will eventually need to be freed, but it
+		 * may still be used by e.g.  ci->pathnames.  So, store it
+		 * in another string-list for now.
+		 */
+		string_list_append(&opt->priv->paths_to_free, old_path);
+	}
 
 	assert(ci->filemask == 2 || ci->filemask == 4);
 	assert(ci->dirmask == 0);
@@ -2416,7 +2434,8 @@ static void apply_directory_rename_modifications(struct merge_options *opt,
 		new_ci->stages[index].mode = ci->stages[index].mode;
 		oidcpy(&new_ci->stages[index].oid, &ci->stages[index].oid);
 
-		free(ci);
+		if (!opt->priv->pool)
+			free(ci);
 		ci = new_ci;
 	}
 
@@ -3623,7 +3642,8 @@ static void process_entry(struct merge_options *opt,
 		 * the directory to remain here, so we need to move this
 		 * path to some new location.
 		 */
-		CALLOC_ARRAY(new_ci, 1);
+		new_ci = pool_calloc(opt->priv->pool, 1, sizeof(*new_ci));
+
 		/* We don't really want new_ci->merged.result copied, but it'll
 		 * be overwritten below so it doesn't matter.  We also don't
 		 * want any directory mode/oid values copied, but we'll zero
@@ -3713,7 +3733,7 @@ static void process_entry(struct merge_options *opt,
 			const char *a_path = NULL, *b_path = NULL;
 			int rename_a = 0, rename_b = 0;
 
-			new_ci = xmalloc(sizeof(*new_ci));
+			new_ci = pool_alloc(opt->priv->pool, sizeof(*new_ci));
 
 			if (S_ISREG(a_mode))
 				rename_a = 1;
@@ -3777,12 +3797,14 @@ static void process_entry(struct merge_options *opt,
 				strmap_remove(&opt->priv->paths, path, 0);
 				/*
 				 * We removed path from opt->priv->paths.  path
-				 * will also eventually need to be freed, but
-				 * it may still be used by e.g.  ci->pathnames.
-				 * So, store it in another string-list for now.
+				 * will also eventually need to be freed if not
+				 * part of a memory pool...but it may still be
+				 * used by e.g. ci->pathnames.  So, store it in
+				 * another string-list for now in that case.
 				 */
-				string_list_append(&opt->priv->paths_to_free,
-						   path);
+				if (!opt->priv->pool)
+					string_list_append(&opt->priv->paths_to_free,
+							   path);
 			}
 
 			/*
@@ -4322,6 +4344,7 @@ static void merge_start(struct merge_options *opt, struct merge_result *result)
 {
 	struct rename_info *renames;
 	int i;
+	struct mem_pool *pool = NULL;
 
 	/* Sanity checks on opt */
 	trace2_region_enter("merge", "sanity checks", opt->repo);
@@ -4393,9 +4416,10 @@ static void merge_start(struct merge_options *opt, struct merge_result *result)
 #else
 	opt->priv->pool = NULL;
 #endif
+	pool = opt->priv->pool;
 	for (i = MERGE_SIDE1; i <= MERGE_SIDE2; i++) {
 		strintmap_init_with_options(&renames->dirs_removed[i],
-					    NOT_RELEVANT, NULL, 0);
+					    NOT_RELEVANT, pool, 0);
 		strmap_init_with_options(&renames->dir_rename_count[i],
 					 NULL, 1);
 		strmap_init_with_options(&renames->dir_renames[i],
@@ -4409,7 +4433,7 @@ static void merge_start(struct merge_options *opt, struct merge_result *result)
 		 */
 		strintmap_init_with_options(&renames->relevant_sources[i],
 					    -1 /* explicitly invalid */,
-					    NULL, 0);
+					    pool, 0);
 		strmap_init_with_options(&renames->cached_pairs[i],
 					 NULL, 1);
 		strset_init_with_options(&renames->cached_irrelevant[i],
@@ -4419,9 +4443,9 @@ static void merge_start(struct merge_options *opt, struct merge_result *result)
 	}
 	for (i = MERGE_SIDE1; i <= MERGE_SIDE2; i++) {
 		strintmap_init_with_options(&renames->deferred[i].possible_trivial_merges,
-					    0, NULL, 0);
+					    0, pool, 0);
 		strset_init_with_options(&renames->deferred[i].target_dirs,
-					 NULL, 1);
+					 pool, 1);
 		renames->deferred[i].trivial_merges_okay = 1; /* 1 == maybe */
 	}
 
@@ -4434,9 +4458,10 @@ static void merge_start(struct merge_options *opt, struct merge_result *result)
 	 * In contrast, conflicted just has a subset of keys from paths, so
 	 * we don't want to free those (it'd be a duplicate free).
 	 */
-	strmap_init_with_options(&opt->priv->paths, NULL, 0);
-	strmap_init_with_options(&opt->priv->conflicted, NULL, 0);
-	string_list_init(&opt->priv->paths_to_free, 0);
+	strmap_init_with_options(&opt->priv->paths, pool, 0);
+	strmap_init_with_options(&opt->priv->conflicted, pool, 0);
+	if (!opt->priv->pool)
+		string_list_init(&opt->priv->paths_to_free, 0);
 
 	/*
 	 * keys & strbufs in output will sometimes need to outlive "paths",
