diff --git a/client/src/plugins/environment/environment_plugin.rs b/client/src/plugins/environment/environment_plugin.rs
index fb44049..961eec3 100644
--- a/client/src/plugins/environment/environment_plugin.rs
+++ b/client/src/plugins/environment/environment_plugin.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use crate::plugins::environment::systems::voxels::queue_systems;
 use crate::plugins::environment::systems::voxels::queue_systems::{enqueue_visible_chunks, process_chunk_queue};
 use crate::plugins::environment::systems::voxels::render_chunks::rebuild_dirty_chunks;
 use crate::plugins::environment::systems::voxels::lod::update_chunk_lods;
-use crate::plugins::environment::systems::voxels::structure::{ChunkBudget, ChunkCullingCfg, ChunkQueue, SparseVoxelOctree, SpawnedChunks, ChunkOffsets, PrevCameraChunk};
+use crate::plugins::environment::systems::voxels::structure::{ChunkBudget, ChunkCullingCfg, ChunkQueue, SparseVoxelOctree, SpawnedChunks, PrevCameraChunk};
 
 pub struct EnvironmentPlugin;
 impl Plugin for EnvironmentPlugin {
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ impl Plugin for EnvironmentPlugin {
         let view_distance_chunks = 100;
         app.insert_resource(ChunkCullingCfg { view_distance_chunks });
         app.insert_resource(ChunkBudget { per_frame: 20 });
-        app.insert_resource(ChunkOffsets::new(view_distance_chunks));
         app.init_resource::<PrevCameraChunk>();
         app.add_systems(Update, log_mesh_count);
         app
diff --git a/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/lod.rs b/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/lod.rs
index 2428cc3..f8360c5 100644
--- a/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/lod.rs
+++ b/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/lod.rs
@@ -11,31 +11,28 @@ pub fn update_chunk_lods(
     cfg: Res<ChunkCullingCfg>,
 ) {
     let cam_pos = cam_q.single().translation();
-    let (max_depth, range_step, chunk_size);
-    {
-        let tree = tree_q.single();
-        max_depth = tree.max_depth;
-        range_step = cfg.view_distance_chunks as f32 / max_depth as f32;
-        chunk_size = CHUNK_SIZE as f32 * tree.get_spacing_at_depth(max_depth);
-    }
+
+    // Borrow the octree only once to avoid repeated query lookups
+    let mut tree = tree_q.single_mut();
+    let max_depth = tree.max_depth;
+    let range_step = cfg.view_distance_chunks as f32 / max_depth as f32;
+    let chunk_size = CHUNK_SIZE as f32 * tree.get_spacing_at_depth(max_depth);
 
     let mut changed = Vec::new();
     for (chunk, mut lod) in chunks.iter_mut() {
-        let tree = tree_q.single();
         let center = chunk_center_world(&tree, chunk.key);
         let dist_chunks = cam_pos.distance(center) / chunk_size;
         let mut level = (dist_chunks / range_step).floor() as u32;
-        if level > max_depth { level = max_depth; }
+        if level > max_depth {
+            level = max_depth;
+        }
         if lod.0 != level {
             lod.0 = level;
             changed.push(chunk.key);
         }
     }
 
-    if !changed.is_empty() {
-        let mut tree = tree_q.single_mut();
-        for key in changed {
-            tree.dirty_chunks.insert(key);
-        }
+    for key in changed {
+        tree.dirty_chunks.insert(key);
     }
 }
diff --git a/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/meshing.rs b/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/meshing.rs
index 1a0ff45..bfa853e 100644
--- a/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/meshing.rs
+++ b/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/meshing.rs
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ pub(crate) fn mesh_chunk(
     // ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
     const N: usize = CHUNK_SIZE as usize;
+    const MASK_LEN: usize = N * N;
 
     // Safe voxel query that falls back to the octree for out‑of‑chunk requests.
     let filled = |x: i32, y: i32, z: i32| -> bool {
@@ -327,10 +328,12 @@ pub(crate) fn mesh_chunk(
     // Push a single quad (4 vertices, 6 indices).  `base` is the lower‑left
     // corner in world space; `u`/`v` are the tangent vectors (length 1); `size`
     // is expressed in world units along those axes; `n` is the face normal.
-    let mut positions = Vec::<[f32; 3]>::new();
-    let mut normals   = Vec::<[f32; 3]>::new();
-    let mut uvs       = Vec::<[f32; 2]>::new();
-    let mut indices   = Vec::<u32>::new();
+    // Preallocate vertex buffers for better performance
+    let voxel_count = N * N * N;
+    let mut positions = Vec::<[f32; 3]>::with_capacity(voxel_count * 4);
+    let mut normals   = Vec::<[f32; 3]>::with_capacity(voxel_count * 4);
+    let mut uvs       = Vec::<[f32; 2]>::with_capacity(voxel_count * 4);
+    let mut indices   = Vec::<u32>::with_capacity(voxel_count * 6);
 
     let mut push_quad = |base: Vec3, size: Vec2, n: Vec3, u: Vec3, v: Vec3| {
         let i0 = positions.len() as u32;
@@ -371,8 +374,10 @@ pub(crate) fn mesh_chunk(
         // the 0…N grid lines (inclusive) because the positive‑side faces of the
         // last voxel sit at slice N.
         for slice in 0..=N {
-            // Build the face mask for this slice.
-            let mut mask = vec![false; N * N];
+            // Build the face mask for this slice using a fixed-size array to
+            // avoid heap allocations.
+            let mut mask = [false; MASK_LEN];
+            let mut visited = [false; MASK_LEN];
             let idx = |u: usize, v: usize| -> usize { u * N + v };
 
             for u in 0..N {
@@ -396,7 +401,6 @@ pub(crate) fn mesh_chunk(
             }
 
             // Greedy merge the mask into maximal rectangles.
-            let mut visited = vec![false; N * N];
             for u0 in 0..N {
                 for v0 in 0..N {
                     if !mask[idx(u0, v0)] || visited[idx(u0, v0)] {
diff --git a/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/queue_systems.rs b/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/queue_systems.rs
index f920040..eb26aee 100644
--- a/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/queue_systems.rs
+++ b/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/queue_systems.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ pub fn enqueue_visible_chunks(
     mut queue      : ResMut<ChunkQueue>,
     spawned        : Res<SpawnedChunks>,
     mut prev_cam   : ResMut<PrevCameraChunk>,
-    offsets        : Res<ChunkOffsets>,
     cfg            : Res<ChunkCullingCfg>,
     cam_q          : Query<&GlobalTransform, With<Camera>>,
     tree_q         : Query<&SparseVoxelOctree>,
@@ -24,12 +23,16 @@ pub fn enqueue_visible_chunks(
     }
     prev_cam.0 = Some(centre);
 
-    for offset in &offsets.0 {
-        let key = ChunkKey(centre.0 + offset.x, centre.1 + offset.y, centre.2 + offset.z);
-        if spawned.0.contains_key(&key) { continue; }
-        if queue.0.contains(&key)       { continue; }
-        if !tree.occupied_chunks.contains(&key) { continue; }
-        queue.0.push_back(key);
+    let r = cfg.view_distance_chunks;
+    for key in &tree.occupied_chunks {
+        let dx = key.0 - centre.0;
+        let dy = key.1 - centre.1;
+        let dz = key.2 - centre.2;
+        if dx.abs() > r || dy.abs() > r || dz.abs() > r { continue; }
+        if spawned.0.contains_key(key) { continue; }
+        if queue.set.contains(key) { continue; }
+        queue.keys.push_back(*key);
+        queue.set.insert(*key);
     }
 }
 
@@ -41,7 +44,8 @@ pub fn process_chunk_queue(
 ) {
     let mut tree = tree_q.single_mut();
     for _ in 0..budget.per_frame {
-        if let Some(key) = queue.0.pop_front() {
+        if let Some(key) = queue.keys.pop_front() {
+            queue.set.remove(&key);
             tree.dirty_chunks.insert(key);
         } else { break; }
     }
diff --git a/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/structure.rs b/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/structure.rs
index 59e5cbf..d5e43eb 100644
--- a/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/structure.rs
+++ b/client/src/plugins/environment/systems/voxels/structure.rs
@@ -118,7 +118,10 @@ impl Default for ChunkBudget {
 
 /// FIFO queue with chunk keys that still need meshing
 #[derive(Resource, Default)]
-pub struct ChunkQueue(pub VecDeque<ChunkKey>);
+pub struct ChunkQueue {
+    pub keys: VecDeque<ChunkKey>,
+    pub set:  HashSet<ChunkKey>,
+}
 
 /// map “which chunk key already has an entity in the world?”
 #[derive(Resource, Default)]