diff --git a/src/base/pool.c b/src/base/pool.c
index e9cd234..112dd59 100644
--- a/src/base/pool.c
+++ b/src/base/pool.c
@@ -1,33 +1,35 @@
 #include "pool.h"
 
-APool *apool_create_ex(Allocator *allocator, U32 n_elements, U32 element_size, U32 element_align)
+APool *apool_create_ex(Allocator *allocator, const APoolCreateOptions *options)
 {
-    Assert(IsPow2(element_align));
-    U32 align = element_align;
+    Assert(IsPow2(options->element_align));
+    U32 element_align = options->element_align;
     if (element_align < alignof(APoolElement)) {
         element_align = alignof(APoolElement);
     }
-    U32 size = AlignUp(element_size, element_align);
+    U32 element_size = AlignUp(options->element_size, options->element_align);
 
     APool *pool = allocator_push_type(allocator, APool);
     Assert(pool != NULL);
-    pool->align = align;
-    pool->element_size = size;
-    pool->allocator = allocator;
-    pool->n_elements = n_elements;
-    pool->free_list = NULL;
-    pool->start = NULL;
+    pool->element_align= element_align;
+    pool->element_size = element_size;
+    pool->allocator    = allocator;
+    pool->n_elements   = 0;
+    pool->n_free       = 0;
+    pool->free_list    = NULL;
+    pool->flags        = options->flags;
 
-    if (size != APOOL_AUTOGROW) {
-        Assert(n_elements <= U32_Max / size );
-        U32 total_size = n_elements * size;
-        U8 * start = allocator_push(allocator, total_size, align);
-        for (U32 i = 0; i < total_size; i += size) {
+    if (options->n_reserved != 0) {
+        Assert(options->n_reserved <= U32_Max / element_size );
+        U32 total_size = options->n_reserved * element_size;
+        U8 *start = allocator_push(allocator, total_size, element_align);
+        for (U32 i = 0; i < total_size; i += element_size) {
             APoolElement *element = (APoolElement *)&start[i];
             element->next = pool->free_list;
             pool->free_list = element;
+            pool->n_elements++;
         }
-        pool->start = start;
+        pool->n_free = pool->n_elements;
     }
 
     return pool;
@@ -38,8 +40,12 @@ void *apool_alloc(APool *pool)
     APoolElement *element = pool->free_list;
     if (element != NULL) {
         pool->free_list = element->next;
-    } else if(pool->n_elements == APOOL_AUTOGROW) {
-        element = allocator_push(pool->allocator, pool->element_size, pool->align);
+        pool->n_free--;
+    } else if((pool->flags & APoolFlag_AutoGrow) != 0) {
+        element = allocator_push(pool->allocator, pool->element_size, pool->element_align);
+        if (element != NULL) {
+            pool->n_elements++;
+        }
     }
 
     return element;
@@ -48,10 +54,10 @@ void *apool_alloc(APool *pool)
 void apool_free(APool *pool, void *ptr)
 {
     if (ptr != NULL) {
-        Assert((U8 *)ptr >= pool->start);
-
         APoolElement *element = (APoolElement *)ptr;
         element->next = pool->free_list;
         pool->free_list = element;
+        pool->n_free++;
+
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/base/pool.h b/src/base/pool.h
index d21dc1f..b94fc00 100644
--- a/src/base/pool.h
+++ b/src/base/pool.h
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 #pragma once
 #include "core.h"
 
+enum {
+    APoolFlag_AutoGrow = (1 << 0)
+};
+typedef U32 APoolFlags;
 typedef union APoolElement APoolElement;
 union APoolElement {
     APoolElement *next;       // offset from start to next free block (when not allocated)
@@ -11,16 +15,22 @@ struct APool {
     APoolElement *free_list;  // free list
     U8 *start;                // start of user buffer
     Allocator *allocator;
-    U32 element_size;         // aligned size of each block
-    U32 n_elements;           // total number of blocks
-    U32 align;                // alignment
-};
-enum {
-    APOOL_AUTOGROW = 0
+    APoolFlags flags;
+    U32 element_size;         // aligned size of each element
+    U32 element_align;        // alignment
+    U32 n_elements;           // total elements in the pool
+    U32 n_free;               // number of free elements
 };
+typedef struct APoolCreateOptions APoolCreateOptions;
+struct APoolCreateOptions {
+    U32 element_size;         // aligned size of each element
+    U32 element_align;        // alignment of elements
+    U32 n_reserved;           // number of elements reserved
+    APoolFlags flags;
 
-#define apool_create(arena, n_elements, type) \
-        apool_create_ex(arena, n_elements, sizeof(type), alignof(type));
-APool *apool_create_ex(Allocator *allocator, U32 n_elements, U32 element_size, uint32_t element_align);
+};
+#define apool_create(arena, n_reserved, type) \
+        apool_create_ex(arena, &(APoolCreateOptions){sizeof(type), alignof(type), n_reserved, 0})
+APool *apool_create_ex(Allocator *allocator, const APoolCreateOptions *options);
 void *apool_alloc(APool *pool);
 void apool_free(APool *pool, void *element);
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index c785523..373dc49 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ void arena_dump(const Arena *arena)
 }
 static void arena_test_1(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
     ArenaOptions arena_params = {};
     U32 arena_size = MB(1) + MemoryBlock_Header_Size;
     U32 commit_size = KB(8);
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ static void arena_test_1(void)
 
 static void arena_test_2(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     ArenaOptions arena_params = {};
     U32 arena_size = MB(3) + MemoryBlock_Header_Size;
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ static void arena_test_2(void)
 
 static void arena_test_3(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     ArenaOptions arena_params = {};
     U32 arena_size = KB(97) + MemoryBlock_Header_Size;
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ static void arena_test_3(void)
 // gap was not accounted for. After the fix this should allocate a larger block.
 static void arena_test_4(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     U32 page_size = platform_page_size();
     ArenaOptions arena_params = {};
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ static void arena_test_4(void)
 
 static void arena_test_allocator_interface(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     U32 page_size = platform_page_size();
     ArenaOptions arena_params = {};
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ static void arena_test_allocator_interface(void)
 
 static void arena_test_decommit(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     U32 page_size = platform_page_size();
     ArenaOptions arena_params = {};
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ static void arena_test_decommit(void)
 
 void miniarena_test1(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     #define  arena_size  4096
     MARENA_DEFINE(arena, arena_size, 8);
@@ -269,12 +269,18 @@ struct PoolTest{
 
 void apool_test(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     Arena arena;
     arena_init(&arena, &ArenaOptions_Default);
     Allocator allocator = arena_allocator(&arena);
-    APool *pool = apool_create_ex(&allocator, 16, sizeof(PoolTest), alignof(PoolTest));
+    APoolCreateOptions opts = {
+        .n_reserved= 16,
+        .element_size  = sizeof(PoolTest),
+        .element_align = alignof(PoolTest),
+        .flags = 0
+    };
+    APool *pool = apool_create_ex(&allocator, &opts);
     PoolTest *list = NULL;
     for (U32 i = 0; i < U32_Max; i++) {
         PoolTest *pt = apool_alloc(pool);
@@ -297,6 +303,7 @@ void apool_test(void)
         printf("Pooltest freeing %u\n",p->n);
         apool_free(pool, p);
     }
+    printf("Pooltest total: %u free %u\n", pool->n_elements, pool->n_free);
     list = NULL;
     for (U32 i = 0; i < U32_Max; i++) {
         PoolTest *pt = apool_alloc(pool);
@@ -316,13 +323,13 @@ void apool_test(void)
 
 void apool_test_miniarena(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     MArena arena;
     U8 data[4096];
     marena_init(&arena, data, sizeof data);
     Allocator allocator = marena_allocator(&arena);
-    APool *pool = apool_create_ex(&allocator, 16, sizeof(PoolTest), alignof(PoolTest));
+    APool *pool = apool_create(&allocator, 16, PoolTest);
     PoolTest *list = NULL;
     for (U32 i = 0; i < U32_Max; i++) {
         PoolTest *pt = apool_alloc(pool);
@@ -358,19 +365,26 @@ void apool_test_miniarena(void)
     for (PoolTest *p = list; p; p = p->next){
         printf("Pooltest %u\n",p->n);
     }
+    printf("Pooltest total: %u free %u\n", pool->n_elements, pool->n_free);
+
     allocator_free_all(&allocator);
 }
 
 
 void apool_test_autogrow(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     Arena arena;
     arena_init(&arena, &ArenaOptions_Default);
     Allocator allocator = arena_allocator(&arena);
-
-    APool *pool = apool_create(&allocator, APOOL_AUTOGROW, PoolTest);
+    APoolCreateOptions opts = {
+        .n_reserved = 0,
+        .element_size  = sizeof(PoolTest),
+        .element_align = alignof(PoolTest),
+        .flags = APoolFlag_AutoGrow
+    };
+    APool *pool = apool_create_ex(&allocator, &opts);
     PoolTest *list = NULL;
     for (U32 i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
         PoolTest *pt = apool_alloc(pool);
@@ -384,6 +398,7 @@ void apool_test_autogrow(void)
     for (PoolTest *p = list; p; p = p->next){
         printf("Pooltest %u\n",p->n);
     }
+    printf("Pooltest total: %u free %u\n", pool->n_elements, pool->n_free);
 
     PoolTest *next;
     U32 count = 0;
@@ -406,6 +421,7 @@ void apool_test_autogrow(void)
     for (PoolTest *p = list; p; p = p->next){
         printf("Pooltest %u\n",p->n);
     }
+    printf("Pooltest total: %u free %u\n", pool->n_elements, pool->n_free);
 
     allocator_free_all(&allocator);
     arena_free(&arena);
@@ -414,7 +430,7 @@ void apool_test_autogrow(void)
 
 void string_test_1(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     Str str1 = S("Hello");
     printf("str1: %.*s len %d\n", str1.len, str1.str, str1.len);
@@ -431,7 +447,7 @@ void string_test_1(void)
 
 void string_split_test_1(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     Str str1 = S("|a:bb|ccc|");
     Str sep = S("|:");
@@ -445,7 +461,7 @@ void string_split_test_1(void)
 }
 void string_test_misc(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     Str str1 = S("Hello World");
     bool prefix1 = str_starts_with(str1, S("He"));
@@ -484,7 +500,7 @@ void string_test_misc(void)
 }
 void string_test_join(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
     Arena arena;
     arena_init(&arena, &ArenaOptions_Default);
     Allocator allocator = arena_allocator(&arena);
@@ -515,7 +531,7 @@ void print_runes(Str str)
 
 void string_test_utf8(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     Str str1 = S("Test 1ø2 ☺");
 
@@ -539,7 +555,7 @@ void string_test_utf8(void)
 
 void string_test_hex(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     MArena arena;
     U8 data[4096];
@@ -577,7 +593,7 @@ struct StrSList {
 
 void string_test_slist(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     Str str1 = S("one");
     Str str2 = S("two");
@@ -625,7 +641,7 @@ struct StrDList {
 
 void string_test_dlist(void)
 {
-    TRACEF("\n");
+    TRACEF("\n\n");
 
     Str str1 = S("one");
     Str str2 = S("two");