diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6b0f508..1c52e3f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ git tags, which trigger publication to Maven Central.
 - `ZstdFrame.headerSize(byte[])` / `ZstdFrame.headerSize(MemorySegment)` — the size
   of a frame's header computed from just its leading bytes (as few as 5), without a
   full parse. Binds `ZSTD_frameHeaderSize`.
+- `ZstdDictionary.compressDict(int)` / `compressDict()` / `decompressDict()` —
+  factories for digested dictionaries, e.g. `dict.compressDict(19)` instead of
+  `new ZstdCompressDict(dict, 19)`. They signal that the result is `AutoCloseable`
+  and are for sharing one digest across contexts via `refDictionary`; a single
+  context should prefer the context-owned `loadDictionary`.
 
 ### Changed
 - Every dictionary-id accessor now returns `ZstdDictionaryId` instead of `int`:
diff --git a/docs/how-to.md b/docs/how-to.md
index 245d129..d29414c 100644
--- a/docs/how-to.md
+++ b/docs/how-to.md
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ by reference — no per-call digesting, no copy. It pairs with `reset` for a
 pooled, recycled context:
 
 ```java
-try (ZstdCompressDict cdict = new ZstdCompressDict(dict, 19)) {
+try (ZstdCompressDict cdict = dict.compressDict(19)) {
     // one cctx per pooled worker, all sharing the one digested dictionary
     try (ZstdCompressCtx cctx = new ZstdCompressCtx()) {
         cctx.refDictionary(cdict);          // borrowed; cdict must outlive cctx
@@ -73,6 +73,13 @@ try (ZstdCompressDict cdict = new ZstdCompressDict(dict, 19)) {
 }
 ```
 
+`refDictionary` only borrows: the digested `cdict` is *not* tied to the context's
+lifetime, so it must be closed separately (hence its own try-with-resources). That
+is the price of sharing one digest across many contexts. If you have just **one**
+context, don't build a `ZstdCompressDict` at all — `loadDictionary` above digests
+into the context and frees it for you, and a stray, never-closed
+`ZstdCompressDict` is a native-memory leak.
+
 A loaded or referenced dictionary stays until replaced, cleared with `null`, or
 dropped by a parameter `reset`. `ZstdDecompressCtx` mirrors all of this.
 
@@ -98,8 +105,8 @@ ZstdDictionary reloaded = ZstdDictionary.of(persisted);
 On a hot path, digest the dictionary once to skip per-call setup:
 
 ```java
-try (ZstdCompressDict cdict = new ZstdCompressDict(dict, 19);
-     ZstdDecompressDict ddict = new ZstdDecompressDict(dict);
+try (ZstdCompressDict cdict = dict.compressDict(19);
+     ZstdDecompressDict ddict = dict.decompressDict();
      ZstdCompressCtx cctx = new ZstdCompressCtx();
      ZstdDecompressCtx dctx = new ZstdDecompressCtx()) {
     byte[] packed   = cctx.compress(record, cdict);
diff --git a/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdDictionary.java b/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdDictionary.java
index 5b20d7e..0622dda 100644
--- a/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdDictionary.java
+++ b/zstd/src/main/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdDictionary.java
@@ -297,6 +297,41 @@ public int size() {
         return bytes.length;
     }
 
+    /// Digests this dictionary once for compression at `level`, ready to share by
+    /// reference across contexts with [ZstdCompressCtx#refDictionary(ZstdCompressDict)].
+    ///
+    /// The returned dictionary owns native memory — close it when done (it is
+    /// [AutoCloseable]). For a single context, prefer
+    /// [ZstdCompressCtx#loadDictionary(ZstdDictionary)], which the context digests,
+    /// owns, and frees for you.
+    ///
+    /// @param level the compression level to fix for the digested dictionary
+    /// @return a digested compression dictionary the caller must close
+    public ZstdCompressDict compressDict(int level) {
+        return new ZstdCompressDict(this, level);
+    }
+
+    /// Digests this dictionary for compression at the library default level.
+    /// Otherwise identical to [#compressDict(int)].
+    ///
+    /// @return a digested compression dictionary the caller must close
+    public ZstdCompressDict compressDict() {
+        return new ZstdCompressDict(this);
+    }
+
+    /// Digests this dictionary once for decompression, ready to share by reference
+    /// across contexts with [ZstdDecompressCtx#refDictionary(ZstdDecompressDict)].
+    ///
+    /// The returned dictionary owns native memory — close it when done (it is
+    /// [AutoCloseable]). For a single context, prefer
+    /// [ZstdDecompressCtx#loadDictionary(ZstdDictionary)], which the context owns
+    /// and frees for you.
+    ///
+    /// @return a digested decompression dictionary the caller must close
+    public ZstdDecompressDict decompressDict() {
+        return new ZstdDecompressDict(this);
+    }
+
     /// Internal: direct view of the bytes for native calls. Not exposed.
     byte[] raw() {
         return bytes;
diff --git a/zstd/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdDictionaryTest.java b/zstd/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdDictionaryTest.java
index 291d3a5..905054f 100644
--- a/zstd/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdDictionaryTest.java
+++ b/zstd/src/test/java/io/github/dfa1/zstd/ZstdDictionaryTest.java
@@ -266,6 +266,58 @@ void interoperatesWithRawPath() {
         }
     }
 
+    @Nested
+    class Factories {
+
+        @Test
+        void compressDictFixesTheRequestedLevel() {
+            // When a digested compress dictionary is built via the factory
+            try (ZstdCompressDict cdict = sut.compressDict(19)) {
+                // Then it carries that level and the dictionary's id
+                assertThat(cdict.level()).isEqualTo(19);
+                assertThat(cdict.id()).isEqualTo(sut.id());
+            }
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void compressDictDefaultsToTheLibraryLevel() {
+            // When built without a level
+            try (ZstdCompressDict cdict = sut.compressDict()) {
+                // Then it uses the library default
+                assertThat(cdict.level()).isEqualTo(Zstd.defaultCompressionLevel());
+            }
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void decompressDictReportsTheDictionaryId() {
+            // When a digested decompress dictionary is built via the factory
+            try (ZstdDecompressDict ddict = sut.decompressDict()) {
+                // Then it carries the dictionary's id
+                assertThat(ddict.id()).isEqualTo(sut.id());
+            }
+        }
+
+        @Test
+        void factoryDictionariesRoundTrip() {
+            // Given factory-built digested dictionaries
+            byte[] record = samples.get(123);
+
+            byte[] restored;
+            try (ZstdCompressCtx cctx = new ZstdCompressCtx();
+                 ZstdDecompressCtx dctx = new ZstdDecompressCtx();
+                 ZstdCompressDict cdict = sut.compressDict(19);
+                 ZstdDecompressDict ddict = sut.decompressDict()) {
+
+                // When round-tripped through them
+                byte[] frame = cctx.compress(record, cdict);
+                restored = dctx.decompress(frame, record.length, ddict);
+            }
+
+            // Then the record is recovered
+            assertThat(restored).isEqualTo(record);
+        }
+    }
+
     @Nested
     class Serialisation {