diff --git a/distr/flecs.c b/distr/flecs.c
index 77e55d7988..ce30b18099 100644
--- a/distr/flecs.c
+++ b/distr/flecs.c
@@ -28150,8 +28150,6 @@ struct ecs_pipeline_state_t {
     ecs_entity_t last_system;   /* Last system run by pipeline */
     int32_t match_count;        /* Used to track if rebuild is necessary */
     int32_t rebuild_count;      /* Number of pipeline rebuilds */
-    ecs_iter_t *iters;          /* Iterator for worker(s) */
-    int32_t iter_count;
 
     /* Members for continuing pipeline iteration after pipeline rebuild */
     ecs_pipeline_op_t *cur_op;  /* Current pipeline op */
@@ -62670,7 +62668,6 @@ static void flecs_pipeline_state_free(
         ecs_allocator_t *a = &world->allocator;
         ecs_vec_fini_t(a, &p->ops, ecs_pipeline_op_t);
         ecs_vec_fini_t(a, &p->systems, ecs_system_t*);
-        ecs_os_free(p->iters);
         ecs_os_free(p);
     }
 }
@@ -63162,12 +63159,6 @@ bool flecs_pipeline_update(
 
     bool rebuilt = flecs_pipeline_build(world, pq);
     if (start_of_frame) {
-        /* Initialize iterators */
-        int32_t i, count = pq->iter_count;
-        for (i = 0; i < count; i ++) {
-            ecs_world_t *stage = ecs_get_stage(world, i);
-            pq->iters[i] = ecs_query_iter(stage, pq->query);
-        }
         pq->cur_op = ecs_vec_first_t(&pq->ops, ecs_pipeline_op_t);
         pq->cur_i = 0;
     } else {
@@ -74939,8 +74930,6 @@ void flecs_pipeline_memory_get(
                 ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_pipeline_op_t);
             result->bytes_pipelines += ecs_vec_size(&ps->systems) *
                 ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_entity_t);
-            result->bytes_pipelines += ps->iter_count *
-                ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_iter_t);
         }
     }
 }
@@ -85716,12 +85705,16 @@ ecs_iter_t flecs_query_iter(
 
     flecs_query_cache_iter_init(&it, qit, impl);
 
+    ecs_size_t vars_size = var_count * ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_var_t);
+    ecs_size_t written_size = op_count * ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_write_flags_t);
+    char *scratch = flecs_iter_calloc(
+        &it, vars_size + written_size, ECS_ALIGNOF(ecs_var_t));
     if (var_count) {
-        qit->vars = flecs_iter_calloc_n(&it, ecs_var_t, var_count);
+        qit->vars = (ecs_var_t*)(void*)scratch;
     }
+    qit->written = (ecs_write_flags_t*)(void*)(scratch + vars_size);
 
-    if (op_count) {
-        qit->written = flecs_iter_calloc_n(&it, ecs_write_flags_t, op_count);
+    if (impl->ops || !impl->cache) {
         qit->op_ctx = flecs_iter_calloc_n(&it, ecs_query_op_ctx_t, op_count);
     }
 
diff --git a/distr/flecs_no_addons.c b/distr/flecs_no_addons.c
index e564967f63..f73b0fcb59 100644
--- a/distr/flecs_no_addons.c
+++ b/distr/flecs_no_addons.c
@@ -23907,8 +23907,6 @@ struct ecs_pipeline_state_t {
     ecs_entity_t last_system;   /* Last system run by pipeline */
     int32_t match_count;        /* Used to track if rebuild is necessary */
     int32_t rebuild_count;      /* Number of pipeline rebuilds */
-    ecs_iter_t *iters;          /* Iterator for worker(s) */
-    int32_t iter_count;
 
     /* Members for continuing pipeline iteration after pipeline rebuild */
     ecs_pipeline_op_t *cur_op;  /* Current pipeline op */
@@ -48017,12 +48015,16 @@ ecs_iter_t flecs_query_iter(
 
     flecs_query_cache_iter_init(&it, qit, impl);
 
+    ecs_size_t vars_size = var_count * ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_var_t);
+    ecs_size_t written_size = op_count * ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_write_flags_t);
+    char *scratch = flecs_iter_calloc(
+        &it, vars_size + written_size, ECS_ALIGNOF(ecs_var_t));
     if (var_count) {
-        qit->vars = flecs_iter_calloc_n(&it, ecs_var_t, var_count);
+        qit->vars = (ecs_var_t*)(void*)scratch;
     }
+    qit->written = (ecs_write_flags_t*)(void*)(scratch + vars_size);
 
-    if (op_count) {
-        qit->written = flecs_iter_calloc_n(&it, ecs_write_flags_t, op_count);
+    if (impl->ops || !impl->cache) {
         qit->op_ctx = flecs_iter_calloc_n(&it, ecs_query_op_ctx_t, op_count);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/addons/pipeline/pipeline.c b/src/addons/pipeline/pipeline.c
index 3a1943c03f..921a6b248a 100644
--- a/src/addons/pipeline/pipeline.c
+++ b/src/addons/pipeline/pipeline.c
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ static void flecs_pipeline_state_free(
         ecs_allocator_t *a = &world->allocator;
         ecs_vec_fini_t(a, &p->ops, ecs_pipeline_op_t);
         ecs_vec_fini_t(a, &p->systems, ecs_system_t*);
-        ecs_os_free(p->iters);
         ecs_os_free(p);
     }
 }
@@ -511,12 +510,6 @@ bool flecs_pipeline_update(
 
     bool rebuilt = flecs_pipeline_build(world, pq);
     if (start_of_frame) {
-        /* Initialize iterators */
-        int32_t i, count = pq->iter_count;
-        for (i = 0; i < count; i ++) {
-            ecs_world_t *stage = ecs_get_stage(world, i);
-            pq->iters[i] = ecs_query_iter(stage, pq->query);
-        }
         pq->cur_op = ecs_vec_first_t(&pq->ops, ecs_pipeline_op_t);
         pq->cur_i = 0;
     } else {
diff --git a/src/addons/pipeline/pipeline.h b/src/addons/pipeline/pipeline.h
index e7543bacfd..a68e4f9a5a 100644
--- a/src/addons/pipeline/pipeline.h
+++ b/src/addons/pipeline/pipeline.h
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ struct ecs_pipeline_state_t {
     ecs_entity_t last_system;   /* Last system run by pipeline */
     int32_t match_count;        /* Used to track if rebuild is necessary */
     int32_t rebuild_count;      /* Number of pipeline rebuilds */
-    ecs_iter_t *iters;          /* Iterator for worker(s) */
-    int32_t iter_count;
 
     /* Members for continuing pipeline iteration after pipeline rebuild */
     ecs_pipeline_op_t *cur_op;  /* Current pipeline op */
diff --git a/src/addons/stats/memory.c b/src/addons/stats/memory.c
index b953c19aba..dddfd75d81 100644
--- a/src/addons/stats/memory.c
+++ b/src/addons/stats/memory.c
@@ -791,8 +791,6 @@ void flecs_pipeline_memory_get(
                 ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_pipeline_op_t);
             result->bytes_pipelines += ecs_vec_size(&ps->systems) *
                 ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_entity_t);
-            result->bytes_pipelines += ps->iter_count *
-                ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_iter_t);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/query/engine/eval_iter.c b/src/query/engine/eval_iter.c
index b9192a4051..ba6a83087b 100644
--- a/src/query/engine/eval_iter.c
+++ b/src/query/engine/eval_iter.c
@@ -543,12 +543,16 @@ ecs_iter_t flecs_query_iter(
 
     flecs_query_cache_iter_init(&it, qit, impl);
 
+    ecs_size_t vars_size = var_count * ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_var_t);
+    ecs_size_t written_size = op_count * ECS_SIZEOF(ecs_write_flags_t);
+    char *scratch = flecs_iter_calloc(
+        &it, vars_size + written_size, ECS_ALIGNOF(ecs_var_t));
     if (var_count) {
-        qit->vars = flecs_iter_calloc_n(&it, ecs_var_t, var_count);
+        qit->vars = (ecs_var_t*)(void*)scratch;
     }
+    qit->written = (ecs_write_flags_t*)(void*)(scratch + vars_size);
 
-    if (op_count) {
-        qit->written = flecs_iter_calloc_n(&it, ecs_write_flags_t, op_count);
+    if (impl->ops || !impl->cache) {
         qit->op_ctx = flecs_iter_calloc_n(&it, ecs_query_op_ctx_t, op_count);
     }