diff --git a/crates/cos/src/document.rs b/crates/cos/src/document.rs
--- a/crates/cos/src/document.rs
+++ b/crates/cos/src/document.rs
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@ pub(crate) use reader::find;
 #[cfg(test)]
 use reader::rfind;
 pub(crate) use state::ObjectReader;
+pub(crate) use state::owned_bytes;
 use state::{ObjStm, Slot};
 pub use state::{ReadState, SourceIdentity};
 #[cfg(test)]
-use state::{SECTION_READS, objstm_member, owned_bytes};
+use state::{SECTION_READS, objstm_member};
 use xref::XrefIndex;
 pub use xref::{Revision, XrefEntry};
 
diff --git a/crates/cos/src/document/objects.rs b/crates/cos/src/document/objects.rs
--- a/crates/cos/src/document/objects.rs
+++ b/crates/cos/src/document/objects.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use super::reader::find;
-use super::state::{LENGTHS, LoadGuard, ObjStm, ObjectReader, ReadState, Slot, SourceIdentity, objstm_member, owned_bytes};
+use super::state::{CACHE_INSERTS, LENGTHS, LoadGuard, ObjStm, ObjectReader, ReadState, Slot, SourceIdentity, objstm_member, owned_bytes};
 use super::xref::{Revision, XrefEntry};
 use super::*;
 
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ impl Document {
         // The editing cache is bounded like the scan reader's: re-parsing a file-backed view
         // is cheap, and returned objects outlive eviction.
         self.cache.lock().map_err(|_| CosError::Poisoned)?.insert(num, obj.clone());
+        CACHE_INSERTS.with(|c| c.set(c.get().wrapping_add(1)));
         self.evict_editor_cache_if_over_budget(num, &obj)?;
         Ok(obj)
     }
@@ -307,7 +308,7 @@ impl Document {
         let mut document = self.clone();
         document.cache = Arc::default();
         document.objstms = Arc::default();
-        ObjectReader { document, decoded_count: 0 }
+        ObjectReader { document, decoded_count: 0, counted_objects: 0, counted_bytes: 0 }
     }
 
     fn load(&self, num: u32, depth: u32) -> Result<Object, CosError> {
diff --git a/crates/cos/src/document/state.rs b/crates/cos/src/document/state.rs
--- a/crates/cos/src/document/state.rs
+++ b/crates/cos/src/document/state.rs
@@ -122,6 +122,10 @@ impl std::fmt::Debug for ReadState {
 pub(crate) struct ObjectReader {
     pub(crate) document: Document,
     pub(super) decoded_count: usize,
+    /// Objects in the parsed-object cache and the bytes of their own, as last measured. Kept
+    /// as a running total so a read does not measure the whole cache again.
+    pub(super) counted_objects: usize,
+    pub(super) counted_bytes: usize,
 }
 
 impl ObjectReader {
@@ -133,7 +137,9 @@ impl ObjectReader {
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn try_get(&mut self, reference: ObjRef) -> Result<Arc<Object>, CosError> {
+        let inserts_before = CACHE_INSERTS.with(|c| c.get());
         let object = self.document.try_get(reference.num);
+        let inserted = CACHE_INSERTS.with(|c| c.get()).wrapping_sub(inserts_before);
         // A missed eviction here only costs a re-parse, so never fail the read on a poisoned
         // lock. The editing-cache evictors propagate instead; they guard user edits.
         if let Ok(mut streams) = self.document.objstms.lock() {
@@ -165,14 +171,41 @@ impl ObjectReader {
         // have cached large objects.
         if let Ok(mut cache) = self.document.cache.lock() {
             let data = &self.document.data;
-            if cache.len() >= Self::OBJECTS || cache.values().fold(0usize, |n, o| n.saturating_add(owned_bytes(o, data, 0))) > Self::STREAM_BYTES {
+            // A hit inserted nothing; a read that inserted exactly this object (no nested
+            // /Length or object stream load) added only it. Cache length and pointer equality
+            // alone cannot tell that from a read that evicted and replaced entries (a large
+            // nested object makes the editor cache keep only the newcomer), so count the
+            // inserts. Anything else, such as a failed load, a /Length that cached further
+            // objects or a cache changed from outside, measures the whole cache again.
+            let grew_by_this_object = inserted == 1
+                && cache.len() == self.counted_objects.saturating_add(1)
+                && matches!((&object, cache.get(&reference.num)), (Ok(read), Some(cached)) if Arc::ptr_eq(read, cached));
+            if object.is_ok() && inserted == 0 && cache.len() == self.counted_objects {
+                // Unchanged: a hit, or an object held by the overlay.
+            } else if let (true, Ok(read)) = (grew_by_this_object, &object) {
+                self.counted_bytes = self.counted_bytes.saturating_add(owned_bytes(read, data, 0));
+                self.counted_objects = cache.len();
+            } else {
+                self.counted_bytes = cache.values().fold(0usize, |n, o| n.saturating_add(owned_bytes(o, data, 0)));
+                self.counted_objects = cache.len();
+            }
+            if cache.len() >= Self::OBJECTS || self.counted_bytes > Self::STREAM_BYTES {
                 cache.clear();
+                self.counted_objects = 0;
+                self.counted_bytes = 0;
             }
         }
         object
     }
 }
 
+thread_local! {
+    /// Objects this thread has put into a document's parsed-object cache. A reader compares
+    /// it before and after a read: a read that inserted exactly one object cannot have
+    /// evicted or replaced anything else, whatever the cache length says.
+    pub(super) static CACHE_INSERTS: std::cell::Cell<u64> = const { std::cell::Cell::new(0) };
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 thread_local! {
     /// Cross-reference sections read on this thread.
@@ -183,21 +216,24 @@ thread_local! {
 /// is measured in full.
 const OWNED_BYTES_DEPTH: usize = 256;
 
-/// Bytes `object` holds of its own: string and stream data that is not a view into `data`
-/// (the input file). An object nested deeper than [`OWNED_BYTES_DEPTH`] cannot be measured
-/// and counts as too large to keep.
-pub(super) fn owned_bytes(object: &Object, data: &Arc<Vec<u8>>, depth: usize) -> usize {
+/// Bytes `object` holds of its own: string, name and dictionary-key data, and stream data that
+/// is not a view into `data` (the input file). A dictionary that indexes its keys holds each
+/// one twice. An object nested deeper than [`OWNED_BYTES_DEPTH`] cannot be measured and counts
+/// as too large to keep.
+pub(crate) fn owned_bytes(object: &Object, data: &Arc<Vec<u8>>, depth: usize) -> usize {
     if depth > OWNED_BYTES_DEPTH {
         return usize::MAX;
     }
+    let dict_bytes = |own: usize, d: &crate::object::Dict| {
+        let copies = if d.is_indexed() { 2 } else { 1 };
+        d.iter().fold(own, |n, (k, v)| n.saturating_add(k.len().saturating_mul(copies)).saturating_add(owned_bytes(v, data, depth + 1)))
+    };
     match object {
         Object::String(s) => s.bytes.len(),
-        Object::Stream(s) => {
-            let own = if s.raw.shares(data) { 0 } else { s.raw.len() };
-            s.dict.iter().fold(own, |n, (_, v)| n.saturating_add(owned_bytes(v, data, depth + 1)))
-        }
+        Object::Name(n) => n.len(),
+        Object::Stream(s) => dict_bytes(if s.raw.shares(data) { 0 } else { s.raw.len() }, &s.dict),
         Object::Array(a) => a.iter().fold(0usize, |n, v| n.saturating_add(owned_bytes(v, data, depth + 1))),
-        Object::Dict(d) => d.iter().fold(0usize, |n, (_, v)| n.saturating_add(owned_bytes(v, data, depth + 1))),
+        Object::Dict(d) => dict_bytes(0, d),
         _ => 0,
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/cos/src/document/tests.rs b/crates/cos/src/document/tests.rs
--- a/crates/cos/src/document/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/cos/src/document/tests.rs
@@ -693,11 +693,43 @@ fn temporary_reader_keeps_file_views_and_evicts_data_of_its_own() {
     // Data of its own (decrypted streams, strings) counts: past the budget the cache is
     // cleared after the next read, including a failed one.
     let owned = Object::Stream(crate::Stream::from_raw(Dict::new(), vec![b'y'; ObjectReader::STREAM_BYTES + 1]));
-    reader.document.cache.lock().unwrap().insert(3, Arc::new(owned));
+    reader.document.cache.lock().unwrap().insert(5, Arc::new(owned));
     assert_eq!(*reader.get(ObjRef::new(99, 0)), Object::Null);
     assert!(reader.document.cache.lock().unwrap().is_empty(), "owned data over budget is evicted");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn temporary_reader_running_total_matches_the_cache() {
+    let mut bodies = vec!["<< /Type /Catalog /Pages 2 0 R >>".to_owned(), "<< /Type /Pages /Kids [] /Count 0 >>".to_owned()];
+    bodies.extend((0..300).map(|i| format!("<< /Value {i} /Name ({}) >>", "s".repeat(i % 40))));
+    let refs: Vec<_> = bodies.iter().map(String::as_str).collect();
+    let doc = Document::open(Arc::new(build(&refs, "/Root 1 0 R"))).unwrap();
+    let mut reader = doc.object_reader();
+    for num in (1..=302).chain([5, 301, 99_999, 7]) {
+        let _ = reader.try_get(ObjRef::new(num, 0));
+        let cache = reader.document.cache.lock().unwrap();
+        let measured = cache.values().fold(0usize, |n, o| n.saturating_add(owned_bytes(o, &reader.document.data, 0)));
+        assert_eq!((reader.counted_objects, reader.counted_bytes), (cache.len(), measured), "after object {num}");
+        assert!(cache.len() < ObjectReader::OBJECTS);
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn temporary_reader_recounts_when_a_read_replaces_cache_entries() {
+    // One cached object, then a read of a string over the editor cache's byte budget: the
+    // editor eviction keeps only the newcomer, so the cache length stays at one. The
+    // string is data of its own and must not stay cached past the reader's budget.
+    let big = format!("({})", "a".repeat(Document::EDITOR_CACHE_BYTES + 1));
+    let bytes = build(&["<< /Type /Catalog /Pages 2 0 R >>", "<< /Type /Pages /Kids [] /Count 0 >>", "<< /Small 1 >>", &big], "/Root 1 0 R");
+    let doc = Document::open(Arc::new(bytes)).unwrap();
+    let mut reader = doc.object_reader();
+    let _ = reader.get(ObjRef::new(3, 0));
+    assert_eq!((reader.document.cache.lock().unwrap().len(), reader.counted_objects), (1, 1));
+    assert!(matches!(&*reader.get(ObjRef::new(4, 0)), Object::String(_)));
+    assert!(reader.document.cache.lock().unwrap().is_empty(), "a replaced entry must be counted: the string is over budget");
+    assert_eq!((reader.counted_objects, reader.counted_bytes), (0, 0));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn temporary_reader_and_full_save_do_not_fill_snapshot_caches() {
     let mut source = Document::new_empty();
diff --git a/crates/cos/src/object.rs b/crates/cos/src/object.rs
--- a/crates/cos/src/object.rs
+++ b/crates/cos/src/object.rs
@@ -172,6 +172,11 @@ impl Dict {
         self.entries.iter().map(|(k, v)| (k, v))
     }
 
+    /// Whether the keys are held a second time, in the lookup index.
+    pub(crate) fn is_indexed(&self) -> bool {
+        self.index.is_some()
+    }
+
     pub fn len(&self) -> usize {
         self.entries.len()
     }
diff --git a/crates/cos/src/writer.rs b/crates/cos/src/writer.rs
--- a/crates/cos/src/writer.rs
+++ b/crates/cos/src/writer.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use std::io::Write;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use crate::CosError;
-use crate::document::{Document, ObjectReader, XrefEntry};
+use crate::document::{Document, ObjectReader, XrefEntry, owned_bytes};
 use crate::object::{Dict, ObjRef, Object, PdfString, Stream};
 
 /// Serialize one object. Deterministic: same object → same bytes.
@@ -280,6 +280,10 @@ pub fn write_full(doc: &Document, opts: &SaveOptions) -> Result<Vec<u8>, CosErro
     let mut map: HashMap<ObjRef, u32> = HashMap::new();
     // Record the type while traversing so classifying packed objects needs no second parse.
     let mut order: Vec<(ObjRef, bool)> = Vec::new();
+    // The parsed object of each entry in `order`, kept for the write pass while the budget
+    // allows it. Past the budget the write pass reads the object again.
+    let mut kept: Vec<Option<Arc<Object>>> = Vec::new();
+    let mut kept_budget = KeptObjects::default();
     let mut queue: VecDeque<ObjRef> = VecDeque::new();
     let visit_refs = |o: &Object, queue: &mut VecDeque<ObjRef>| collect_refs(o, &mut |r| queue.push_back(r));
     for key in [&b"Root"[..], b"Info", b"Encrypt"] {
@@ -305,6 +309,7 @@ pub fn write_full(doc: &Document, opts: &SaveOptions) -> Result<Vec<u8>, CosErro
         map.insert(r, output_number(order.len())?);
         order.push((r, matches!(*o, Object::Stream(_))));
         visit_refs(&o, &mut queue);
+        kept.push(kept_budget.admit(&o, reader.document.bytes()).then_some(o));
     }
     let version = reader.document.version().chars().take(3).collect::<String>();
     let version = if opts.object_streams && version.as_str() < "1.5" { "1.5".to_string() } else { version };
@@ -329,14 +334,14 @@ pub fn write_full(doc: &Document, opts: &SaveOptions) -> Result<Vec<u8>, CosErro
     let mut rows: BTreeMap<u32, Row> = BTreeMap::new();
     // Keep only references, not renamed copies of the entire object graph. Standalone
     // objects still precede object streams, preserving the established output order.
-    let mut packed: Vec<(u32, ObjRef)> = Vec::new();
+    let mut packed: Vec<(u32, ObjRef, Option<Arc<Object>>)> = Vec::new();
     for (i, (r, is_stream)) in order.iter().enumerate() {
         let num = output_number(i)?;
         let in_stream = opts.object_streams && !is_stream && !encryption_objects.contains(r) && root_outside != Some(*r);
         if in_stream {
-            packed.push((num, *r));
+            packed.push((num, *r, kept[i].take()));
         } else {
-            let o = renumber(&*reread(&mut reader, *r, *is_stream)?, &map);
+            let o = renumber(&*written_object(&mut reader, *r, *is_stream, kept[i].take())?, &map);
             rows.insert(num, Row::InFile(out.len() as u64, 0));
             write_indirect(num, 0, &prepared(&reader.document, r.num, num, 0, &o), &mut out);
         }
@@ -345,9 +350,9 @@ pub fn write_full(doc: &Document, opts: &SaveOptions) -> Result<Vec<u8>, CosErro
     // individually: the whole stream is (§7.5.7, §7.6.2).
     let mut next = output_number(order.len())?;
     let mut batch = ObjectStreamBatch::default();
-    for (num, reference) in packed {
+    for (num, reference, parsed) in packed {
         let mut encoded = Vec::new();
-        serialize(&renumber(&*reread(&mut reader, reference, false)?, &map), &mut encoded);
+        serialize(&renumber(&*written_object(&mut reader, reference, false, parsed)?, &map), &mut encoded);
         if batch.count > 0 && batch.body.len().saturating_add(encoded.len()).saturating_add(1) > OBJSTM_BYTES {
             batch.flush(&reader.document, &mut next, &mut rows, &mut out)?;
         }
@@ -400,6 +405,56 @@ pub fn write_full(doc: &Document, opts: &SaveOptions) -> Result<Vec<u8>, CosErro
     Ok(out)
 }
 
+/// What `write_full` keeps of the objects it parsed while numbering them: owned bytes (see
+/// [`owned_bytes`]; streams read from the file are views and cost only their dictionary) and
+/// tree nodes. Beyond either limit objects are read again when written, which bounds the memory
+/// of a save of a huge document.
+#[derive(Default)]
+struct KeptObjects {
+    bytes: usize,
+    nodes: usize,
+}
+
+impl KeptObjects {
+    const BYTES: usize = 64 * 1024 * 1024;
+    const NODES: usize = 2_000_000;
+
+    /// Whether `object` still fits the budget; if so it is counted against it.
+    fn admit(&mut self, object: &Object, data: &Arc<Vec<u8>>) -> bool {
+        let bytes = self.bytes.saturating_add(owned_bytes(object, data, 0));
+        let nodes = self.nodes.saturating_add(node_count(object, 0));
+        if bytes > Self::BYTES || nodes > Self::NODES {
+            return false;
+        }
+        (self.bytes, self.nodes) = (bytes, nodes);
+        true
+    }
+}
+
+/// Values in `object`'s tree, counting the object itself. Past the parser's nesting limit
+/// the count is `usize::MAX`, so nothing that deep is kept.
+fn node_count(object: &Object, depth: usize) -> usize {
+    if depth > 256 {
+        return usize::MAX;
+    }
+    let children = match object {
+        Object::Stream(s) => s.dict.iter().fold(0usize, |n, (_, v)| n.saturating_add(node_count(v, depth + 1))),
+        Object::Array(a) => a.iter().fold(0usize, |n, v| n.saturating_add(node_count(v, depth + 1))),
+        Object::Dict(d) => d.iter().fold(0usize, |n, (_, v)| n.saturating_add(node_count(v, depth + 1))),
+        _ => 0,
+    };
+    children.saturating_add(1)
+}
+
+/// The object to write for `r`: the one parsed while numbering when it was kept, else `r` read
+/// again.
+fn written_object(reader: &mut ObjectReader, r: ObjRef, is_stream: bool, kept: Option<Arc<Object>>) -> Result<Arc<Object>, CosError> {
+    match kept {
+        Some(o) => Ok(o),
+        None => reread(reader, r, is_stream),
+    }
+}
+
 /// Object `r` read again for writing. The traversal read it once and only kept its number, so
 /// a second read that fails, finds nothing or finds a different kind of object must fail the
 /// save rather than write `null` in its place.
@@ -674,6 +729,50 @@ mod tests {
         Lexer::new(&out, 0).object().expect("parses")
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn kept_objects_stop_at_their_byte_and_node_budget() {
+        let data = Arc::new(Vec::new());
+        let string = Object::String(PdfString::literal(vec![b'x'; 1000]));
+        let array = Object::Array(vec![Object::Int(1), Object::Null]);
+        let mut kept = KeptObjects::default();
+        assert!(kept.admit(&string, &data) && kept.admit(&array, &data));
+        assert_eq!((kept.bytes, kept.nodes), (1000, 4));
+        let mut full = KeptObjects { bytes: KeptObjects::BYTES - 999, nodes: 0 };
+        assert!(!full.admit(&string, &data), "one byte over the byte budget");
+        assert_eq!((full.bytes, full.nodes), (KeptObjects::BYTES - 999, 0), "a refused object is not counted");
+        assert!(full.admit(&Object::Int(1), &data));
+        let mut full = KeptObjects { bytes: 0, nodes: KeptObjects::NODES - 2 };
+        assert!(!full.admit(&array, &data), "a node past the node budget");
+        assert!(full.admit(&Object::Int(1), &data));
+        let mut deep = Object::Null;
+        for _ in 0..300 {
+            deep = Object::Array(vec![deep]);
+        }
+        assert!(!KeptObjects::default().admit(&deep, &data), "nesting past the limit is never kept");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn kept_objects_count_names_and_dictionary_keys() {
+        let data = Arc::new(Vec::new());
+        let name = Object::Name(vec![b'n'; KeptObjects::BYTES + 1]);
+        let mut kept = KeptObjects::default();
+        assert!(!kept.admit(&name, &data), "a name over the byte budget is not kept");
+        assert_eq!((kept.bytes, kept.nodes), (0, 0));
+        let mut dict = Dict::new();
+        dict.set(vec![b'k'; KeptObjects::BYTES + 1], Object::Null);
+        assert!(!kept.admit(&Object::Dict(dict), &data), "nor a dictionary key");
+        let mut small = Dict::new();
+        small.set(b"Key".to_vec(), Object::name("Value"));
+        assert!(kept.admit(&Object::Dict(small), &data));
+        assert_eq!(kept.bytes, 3 + 5);
+        // A dictionary large enough to index its keys holds each one twice.
+        let mut big = Dict::new();
+        for i in 0..64 {
+            big.set(format!("K{i:03}").into_bytes(), Object::Null);
+        }
+        assert_eq!(owned_bytes(&Object::Dict(big), &data, 0), 64 * 4 * 2);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn a_second_read_that_differs_fails_the_save_instead_of_writing_null() {
         let mut doc = Document::new_empty();
