diff --git a/moli-layout/src/pass.rs b/moli-layout/src/pass.rs
index 94eb181d6c..13570e6e64 100644
--- a/moli-layout/src/pass.rs
+++ b/moli-layout/src/pass.rs
@@ -326,6 +326,19 @@ where
     let phase_started = Instant::now();
     let numeric_metrics = compute_world_layout_with_scrollbars(&mut world, request.viewport);
     let numeric_layout_elapsed = phase_started.elapsed();
+    if moli_trace::cpu_profile_enabled() {
+        tracing::info!(
+            target: "moli_cpu_profile",
+            stage = "layout_numeric_cache",
+            box_count = world.len(),
+            cache_count = world.box_caches.len(),
+            cache_capacity = world.box_caches.capacity(),
+            box_index_slots = world.box_cache_slots.len(),
+            estimated_cache_bytes = world.box_caches.capacity()
+                * std::mem::size_of::<taffy::Cache>()
+                + world.box_cache_slots.capacity() * std::mem::size_of::<usize>(),
+        );
+    }
     let phase_started = Instant::now();
     let mut embedded_frames = HashMap::new();
     for (index, layout_box) in world.boxes.iter().enumerate() {
diff --git a/moli-layout/src/taffy_tree.rs b/moli-layout/src/taffy_tree.rs
index 954526b239..c1ea007bca 100644
--- a/moli-layout/src/taffy_tree.rs
+++ b/moli-layout/src/taffy_tree.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use parley::{AlignmentOptions, PositionedLayoutItem, YieldData};
 use style::Atom;
 use taffy::{
     AbsoluteAxis, AlignContent, AlignContentKeyword, AlignmentSafety, AutoSizeBehavior,
-    AvailableSpace, BlockContext, BlockFormattingContext, BoxSizing, Cache, CacheTree, Clear,
+    AvailableSpace, BlockContext, BlockFormattingContext, BoxSizing, CacheTree, Clear,
     DetailedGridInfo, Dimension, Display, FlexDirection, FloatDirection, Layout,
     LayoutBlockContainer, LayoutFlexboxContainer, LayoutGridContainer, LayoutInput, LayoutOutput,
     LayoutPartialTree, LeafLayoutContext, Line, MaybeMath, MaybeResolve, NodeId, Point,
@@ -1721,13 +1721,17 @@ where
         if self.is_viewport_taffy_node(node_id) {
             self.viewport_layout.cache.get(inputs)
         } else {
-            self.box_caches
-                .get(LayoutBoxId::from_taffy(node_id).index())
+            self.numeric_cache(LayoutBoxId::from_taffy(node_id))
                 .and_then(|cache| cache.get(inputs))
         }
     }
 
     fn cache_store(&mut self, node_id: NodeId, inputs: &LayoutInput, output: LayoutOutput) {
+        if inputs.run_mode == RunMode::PerformHiddenLayout {
+            // Taffy's Cache::store ignores this mode. Do not materialize
+            // measurement storage for an operation that cannot write it.
+            return;
+        }
         if self.is_viewport_taffy_node(node_id) {
             self.viewport_layout.cache.store(inputs, output);
         } else {
@@ -1738,10 +1742,7 @@ where
                 // first-class overflow dependencies.
                 self.record_numeric_layout_touch(id);
             }
-            if self.box_caches.len() <= id.index() {
-                self.box_caches.resize_with(self.boxes.len(), Cache::new);
-            }
-            self.box_caches[id.index()].store(inputs, output);
+            self.numeric_cache_mut(id).store(inputs, output);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/moli-layout/src/taffy_tree/measurement_tests.rs b/moli-layout/src/taffy_tree/measurement_tests.rs
index 5800b95134..ced4e47943 100644
--- a/moli-layout/src/taffy_tree/measurement_tests.rs
+++ b/moli-layout/src/taffy_tree/measurement_tests.rs
@@ -423,3 +423,78 @@ fn numeric_cache_growth_keeps_box_viewport_and_invalidation_owners_distinct() {
     assert_eq!(world.cache_get(viewport, &input), None);
     assert_eq!(world.cache_get(sibling, &input), Some(sibling_output));
 }
+
+fn many_flattened_boxes() -> (LayoutWorld<u8>, LayoutBoxId, LayoutInput, LayoutOutput) {
+    let mut world = text_world(false);
+    let output = measure(&mut world, inputs(), true);
+    let style = world.boxes[0].style.clone();
+    for _ in 0..4096 {
+        let mut text = LayoutWorld::new_box(
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            "flattened text".to_owned(),
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            LayoutBoxKind::Text,
+            style.clone(),
+            Some("text".into()),
+        );
+        text.inline_flattened = true;
+        text.inline_context_owner = Some(world.root());
+        world.boxes.push(text);
+    }
+    let sibling = LayoutBoxId::from_index(world.len());
+    let mut extra = text_world(false).boxes.remove(0);
+    extra.source = Some(1);
+    world.boxes.push(extra);
+    let input = LayoutInput {
+        run_mode: RunMode::PerformLayout,
+        ..inputs()
+    };
+    (world, sibling, input, output)
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn numeric_cache_allocation_follows_actual_stores_in_a_large_flattened_tree() {
+    let (mut world, sibling, input, output) = many_flattened_boxes();
+    world.cache_store(world.root().to_taffy(), &input, output);
+    world.cache_store(sibling.to_taffy(), &input, output);
+    assert_eq!(
+        world.cache_get(world.root().to_taffy(), &input),
+        Some(output)
+    );
+    assert_eq!(world.cache_get(sibling.to_taffy(), &input), Some(output));
+    let bytes = world.box_caches.capacity() * std::mem::size_of::<taffy::Cache>()
+        + world.box_cache_slots.capacity() * std::mem::size_of::<usize>();
+    eprintln!(
+        "numeric-cache boxes={} initialized={} allocated_slots={} visible_capacity_bytes={bytes}",
+        world.len(),
+        world
+            .box_caches
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|cache| !cache.is_empty())
+            .count(),
+        world.box_caches.capacity(),
+    );
+    // Two numeric consumers must not initialize thousands of 792-byte caches
+    // for text boxes whose geometry comes from their containing IFC.
+    assert!(bytes <= 64 * 1024, "{bytes} bytes for two numeric stores");
+    world.cache_clear(world.root().to_taffy());
+    assert_eq!(world.cache_get(world.root().to_taffy(), &input), None);
+    assert_eq!(world.cache_get(sibling.to_taffy(), &input), Some(output));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn numeric_hidden_cache_store_does_not_allocate_measurement_storage() {
+    let (mut world, _, input, output) = many_flattened_boxes();
+    let input = LayoutInput {
+        run_mode: RunMode::PerformHiddenLayout,
+        ..input
+    };
+    world.cache_store(world.root().to_taffy(), &input, output);
+    assert_eq!(world.cache_get(world.root().to_taffy(), &input), None);
+    assert_eq!(world.box_caches.capacity(), 0);
+    assert_eq!(world.box_cache_slots.capacity(), 0);
+}
diff --git a/moli-layout/src/world.rs b/moli-layout/src/world.rs
index e980d2e116..b23b7e4234 100644
--- a/moli-layout/src/world.rs
+++ b/moli-layout/src/world.rs
@@ -630,11 +630,12 @@ where
     /// large empty slots out of persistent box objects. Retention extracts
     /// only actual owners into the existing sparse working-set storage.
     pub(crate) inline_layouts: Vec<Option<InlineFormattingContext>>,
-    /// Numeric caches live for this world only. Allocate dense slots on the
-    /// first actual store, after construction and numeric-only box growth.
-    /// Keeping empty caches out of LayoutBox avoids retaining their fixed
-    /// measurement arrays with an otherwise reusable construction graph.
+    /// Numeric caches live for this world only. Materialize a cache only for
+    /// an actual store; flattened text boxes do not need measurement arrays.
     pub(crate) box_caches: Vec<Cache>,
+    /// Box-indexed lookup into the compact cache storage. usize::MAX means
+    /// that no cache has been stored for this box in the current world.
+    pub(crate) box_cache_slots: Vec<usize>,
     /// Winning collapsed-table edges, computed by the shared table formatter
     /// and consumed by paint projection. Only actual table owners have entries.
     pub(crate) collapsed_table_borders: HashMap<LayoutBoxId, crate::table::CollapsedTableBorders>,
@@ -688,6 +689,7 @@ where
             boxes,
             inline_layouts: Vec::new(),
             box_caches: Vec::new(),
+            box_cache_slots: Vec::new(),
             collapsed_table_borders: HashMap::new(),
             resolved_grid_tracks: HashMap::new(),
             source_mapping,
@@ -714,7 +716,11 @@ where
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn clear_layout_caches(&mut self, id: LayoutBoxId) {
-        if let Some(cache) = self.box_caches.get_mut(id.index()) {
+        if let Some(cache) = self
+            .box_cache_slots
+            .get(id.index())
+            .and_then(|slot| self.box_caches.get_mut(*slot))
+        {
             cache.clear();
         }
         if let Some(cache) = &mut self.boxes[id.index()].table_measure_cache {
@@ -722,6 +728,34 @@ where
         }
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn numeric_cache(&self, id: LayoutBoxId) -> Option<&Cache> {
+        self.box_cache_slots
+            .get(id.index())
+            .and_then(|slot| self.box_caches.get(*slot))
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn numeric_cache_mut(&mut self, id: LayoutBoxId) -> &mut Cache {
+        self.box_cache_slots.resize(self.boxes.len(), usize::MAX);
+        let mut slot = self.box_cache_slots[id.index()];
+        if slot == usize::MAX {
+            if self.box_caches.is_empty() {
+                // A capacity hint, not eligibility: numeric growth or an
+                // unusual caller may still store any valid box afterwards.
+                // Reserve without initializing caches for unvisited boxes.
+                let candidates = self
+                    .boxes
+                    .iter()
+                    .filter(|layout_box| !layout_box.inline_flattened)
+                    .count();
+                self.box_caches.reserve_exact(candidates);
+            }
+            slot = self.box_caches.len();
+            self.box_caches.push(Cache::new());
+            self.box_cache_slots[id.index()] = slot;
+        }
+        &mut self.box_caches[slot]
+    }
+
     pub fn root(&self) -> LayoutBoxId {
         self.root
     }
diff --git a/moli-renderer-v8/src/script_vm/tests/realtime_working_sets/table.rs b/moli-renderer-v8/src/script_vm/tests/realtime_working_sets/table.rs
index 42dbfb5dbc..14bba30429 100644
--- a/moli-renderer-v8/src/script_vm/tests/realtime_working_sets/table.rs
+++ b/moli-renderer-v8/src/script_vm/tests/realtime_working_sets/table.rs
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ fn realtime_table_reuses_actual_box_storage_within_the_default_budget() {
     const ITEMS: usize = 256;
     let mut vm = table_fixture(ITEMS);
     // A smaller real table admits the actual box storage without increasing
-    // the production limit. The 1024-item fixture covers compact fallback.
+    // the production limit. The 1024-item fixture covers full-scale admission.
     let initial = vm.eval(READ).unwrap();
     let cold = main_stats(&vm).unwrap();
     assert!(cold.retained_boxes >= 2 * ITEMS, "{cold:?}");