diff --git a/src/ctxt/ctxt.c b/src/ctxt/ctxt.c
index dc06acb..c21cde8 100644
--- a/src/ctxt/ctxt.c
+++ b/src/ctxt/ctxt.c
@@ -15,19 +15,17 @@
 struct ax_ctxt* ax_new(void)
 {
     // "bootstrap" a new region
-    struct rgn rgn0;
-    rgn_init(&rgn0, SMALL);
-    struct rgn* rgn = rmemdup_typed(&rgn0, struct rgn, &rgn0, 1);
+    struct rgn* rgn = rgn_bootstrap_new(MEDIUM);
     // use it to make a new context
     struct ax_ctxt* ax = ralloc_typed(rgn, struct ax_ctxt, 1);
     ax__ctxt_init(ax, rgn);
+    rgn_pin(rgn, ax, (void*) ax__ctxt_cleanup);
     return ax;
 }
 
 void ax_free(struct ax_ctxt* ax)
 {
     if (ax != NULL) {
-        ax__ctxt_cleanup(ax);
         rgn_cleanup(ax->init_rgn);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/util/region.c b/src/util/region.c
index 2a0a504..02e39ff 100644
--- a/src/util/region.c
+++ b/src/util/region.c
@@ -115,6 +115,15 @@ void rgn_pin(struct rgn* rgn, void* obj, void (*dtor)(void*))
     rgn->pinned = pin;
 }
 
+struct rgn* rgn_bootstrap_new(size_t pgsize)
+{
+    struct rgn tmp;
+    rgn_init(&tmp, pgsize);
+    struct rgn* ptr = ralloc_typed(&tmp, struct rgn, 1);
+    *ptr = tmp;
+    return ptr;
+}
+
 /*
 void rgn_print_stats(struct rgn* rgn, FILE* out)
 {
diff --git a/src/util/region.h b/src/util/region.h
index 7beba85..097429d 100644
--- a/src/util/region.h
+++ b/src/util/region.h
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ void rgn_pin(struct rgn* rgn, void* obj, void (*dtor)(void*));
  * Derived utilities
  * -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+// new "self-bootstrapped" region -- the return region pointer belongs to
+// itself, and will be invalidated when this region is cleared/cleaned up.
+struct rgn* rgn_bootstrap_new(size_t pgsize);
+
 #define ralloc_typed(_rgn, T, _n)               \
     ((T*) ralloc(_rgn, sizeof(T) * (_n)))