diff --git a/lib/compiler/Maker.zig b/lib/compiler/Maker.zig
index 7eac68eebb7bd09afb8cac07d6ab1e688e6c4bc1..5c7f4a94d4eeee79ef158262a5b51508c93bd0c3 100644
--- a/lib/compiler/Maker.zig
+++ b/lib/compiler/Maker.zig
@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@ protocol_server_mutex: Io.Mutex,
 web_server: ?*AvoidableWebServer,
 /// Allocated into `gpa`.
 memory_blocked_steps: std.ArrayList(Configuration.Step.Index),
-/// Allocated into `gpa`.
+/// Allocated into `gpa` during `prepare`.
 initial_steps: std.array_hash_map.Auto(Configuration.Step.Index, void),
-/// Allocated into `gpa`.
+/// Allocated into `gpa` during `prepare`.
 step_stack: std.array_hash_map.Auto(Configuration.Step.Index, void),
 pkg_config: PkgConfig,
 
@@ -762,10 +762,8 @@ pub fn main(init: process.Init.Minimal) !void {
                     .include = install_include_path,
                 },
 
-                // Extra step at the end which is the autogenerated placeholder
-                // step which indicates that we need to reconfigure.
-                .steps = try arena.alloc(Step, scanned_config.configuration.steps.len + 1),
-                .generated_files = try arena.alloc(Path, scanned_config.configuration.generated_files_len),
+                .steps = &.{},
+                .generated_files = &.{},
                 .run_args = run_args,
 
                 .available_rss = max_rss,
@@ -792,11 +790,7 @@ pub fn main(init: process.Init.Minimal) !void {
                 else
                     .failures,
             };
-            defer {
-                maker.memory_blocked_steps.deinit(gpa);
-                maker.initial_steps.deinit(gpa);
-                maker.step_stack.deinit(gpa);
-            }
+            defer maker.deinit();
 
             if (maker.available_rss == 0) {
                 maker.available_rss = process.totalSystemMemory() catch std.math.maxInt(u64);
@@ -863,6 +857,9 @@ pub fn main(init: process.Init.Minimal) !void {
                                         &watch.?,
                                         if (in_debounce) .{ .ms = debounce_interval_ms } else .none,
                                     });
+                                } else if (watch) |*w| {
+                                    w.deinit();
+                                    watch = null;
                                 }
 
                                 continue :loop try select.await();
@@ -915,7 +912,7 @@ pub fn main(init: process.Init.Minimal) !void {
                 if (!Watch.have_impl) fatal("--watch not yet implemented for {t}", .{native_os});
                 break :w try .init(&maker);
             };
-            defer w.deinit();
+            defer if (watch_flag) w.deinit();
 
             if (web_server) |ws| try ws.updateConfiguration(&maker);
 
@@ -2229,6 +2226,11 @@ fn prepare(
     const step_stack = &maker.step_stack;
     const c = &maker.scanned_config.configuration;
 
+    // Extra step at the end which is the autogenerated placeholder
+    // step which indicates that we need to reconfigure.
+    maker.steps = try arena.alloc(Step, c.steps.len + 1);
+    maker.generated_files = try arena.alloc(Path, c.generated_files_len);
+
     // The last element is a reserved special pseudostep which contains the
     // watch inputs for the configurer executable.
     for (maker.steps[0 .. maker.steps.len - 1], 0..) |*step, step_index_usize| {
@@ -2549,7 +2551,7 @@ fn makeSteps(
     };
     if (code == 0) {
         removePoisonedConfiguration(io, maker.scanned_config);
-        if (debugMakerLeaks()) return deinit(maker);
+        if (debugMakerLeaks()) return;
     }
     cleanup_task.await(io); // There is a defer above but an exit below.
     _ = io.lockStderr(&.{}, graph.stderr_mode) catch {};
@@ -2558,12 +2560,10 @@ fn makeSteps(
 
 fn deinit(maker: *Maker) void {
     const gpa = maker.gpa;
-    for (maker.steps) |*step| {
-        step.clearResultStderr(gpa);
-        step.clearFailedCommand(gpa);
-        step.clearErrorBundle(gpa);
-        step.inputs.deinit(gpa);
-    }
+    for (maker.steps) |*step| step.deinit(gpa);
+    maker.memory_blocked_steps.deinit(gpa);
+    maker.initial_steps.deinit(gpa);
+    maker.step_stack.deinit(gpa);
 }
 
 fn stepReady(
diff --git a/lib/compiler/Maker/Step.zig b/lib/compiler/Maker/Step.zig
index 0fd82226cce06989c0acea46f4f22e4dcd6d6e58..fcb60233f0f8f458e146b4a71bae60ddd8525c9b 100644
--- a/lib/compiler/Maker/Step.zig
+++ b/lib/compiler/Maker/Step.zig
@@ -309,6 +309,15 @@ pub fn make(
     }
 }
 
+pub fn deinit(step: *Step, gpa: Allocator) void {
+    step.clearResultStderr(gpa);
+    step.clearFailedCommand(gpa);
+    step.clearErrorBundle(gpa);
+    step.inputs.deinit(gpa);
+    if (step.getZigProcess()) |zp| gpa.destroy(zp);
+    step.* = undefined;
+}
+
 /// Prepares the step for being re-evaluated.
 pub fn reset(step: *Step, maker: *Maker) void {
     assert(step.state == .precheck_done);