diff --git a/docs/sql-engine.md b/docs/sql-engine.md
index 3cbcdd0..9ebf30a 100644
--- a/docs/sql-engine.md
+++ b/docs/sql-engine.md
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ The `sqlparser` AST is designed to cover every SQL dialect, so its types are hug
 
 `SelectQuery::projection` is now `Projection::All | Projection::Items(Vec<ProjectionItem>)`, where each item carries a `ProjectionKind::Column { qualifier, name }` (qualifier is `Some` for `t.col` shapes, used by JOIN execution to disambiguate) or `ProjectionKind::Aggregate(AggregateCall)` plus an optional `AS alias`. `AggregateCall` covers `COUNT(*)`, `COUNT([DISTINCT] col)`, `SUM` / `AVG` / `MIN` / `MAX` of a column reference (optionally qualified, `SUM(o.amount)`). `group_by` is a `Vec<GroupByKey>` of optionally-qualified column references (`GROUP BY dept`, `GROUP BY customers.name`; empty = no GROUP BY). The parser validates that every non-aggregate projection item appears in `GROUP BY` for single-table queries; joined queries defer that check to the executor, which resolves qualifiers against the in-scope table schemas (SQLR-6).
 
-`SelectQuery::joins` (SQLR-5) is a `Vec<JoinClause>` evaluated left-to-right by `execute_select_rows_joined`. Each clause carries a `JoinType` (`Inner` / `LeftOuter` / `RightOuter` / `FullOuter`), the right-table name + optional alias, and a required `ON` expression. Empty = single-table SELECT, the existing fast path with HNSW / FTS / bounded-heap optimizations.
+`SelectQuery::joins` (SQLR-5) is a `Vec<JoinClause>` evaluated left-to-right by `execute_select_rows_joined`. Each clause carries a `JoinType` (`Inner` / `LeftOuter` / `RightOuter` / `FullOuter`), the right-table name + optional alias, and a required `ON` expression. Empty = single-table SELECT, the existing fast path with HNSW / FTS / bounded-heap optimizations. Nested-loop matching still walks every (left, right) pair; SQLR-4 reuses a scratch `Vec<Option<i64>>` per join fold so non-matching pairs no longer heap-allocate (matches still clone into the accumulator).
 
 Each parser module still rejects features we don't implement with `SQLRiteError::NotImplemented` — comma joins (`FROM a, b`), `HAVING` without `GROUP BY`, `DISTINCT ON (...)`, `GROUP BY` on expressions, `LIKE … ESCAPE '<char>'`, `IN (subquery)`, `OFFSET`, multi-table DELETE, tuple assignment targets, etc. These errors carry the feature name in the message so the user knows what isn't there. (`JOIN ... USING`, `NATURAL JOIN`, and `CROSS JOIN` are now supported — see [`supported-sql.md`](supported-sql.md#join-semantics-sqlr-5).)
 
diff --git a/src/sql/executor.rs b/src/sql/executor.rs
index 3636cfd..c223708 100644
--- a/src/sql/executor.rs
+++ b/src/sql/executor.rs
@@ -599,6 +599,11 @@ fn col_eq(left_scope: &str, right_scope: &str, col: &str) -> Expr {
 // learning database" niche; a future phase could layer hash / merge
 // joins on equi-join shapes without changing the surface API.
 //
+// SQLR-4 — the nested loop used to clone the left row for every
+// right candidate (`N×M` heap allocs, most dropped on non-match).
+// A reused scratch vec now allocates only on matches (plus one
+// buffer per join fold). The algorithmic bound is unchanged.
+//
 // SQLR-6 — aggregates / GROUP BY / DISTINCT compose with joins: the
 // fully-joined row stream feeds the same scope-generic aggregation
 // pipeline the single-table path uses (Stage 3.5 below), and DISTINCT
@@ -759,18 +764,25 @@ fn execute_select_rows_joined(query: SelectQuery, db: &Database) -> Result<Selec
         // silently `NULL → false`-ing every row.
         let on_scope_tables: &[JoinedTableRef<'_>] = &joined_tables[..=right_pos];
 
+        // SQLR-4 — one scratch row for this join fold. Capacity is
+        // the eventual full join width so later folds do not grow
+        // the buffer; `len` is the in-scope width (`right_pos + 1`)
+        // so `JoinedScope` still sees only tables joined so far.
+        let mut scratch: Vec<Option<i64>> = Vec::with_capacity(joined_tables.len());
+
         for left_row in acc.into_iter() {
-            // Build a row prefix and extend it with each candidate
-            // right rowid; record whether any matched (for outer
-            // padding on the left side).
+            // Fill the left prefix once, then overwrite the trailing
+            // slot per right rowid. Non-matches no longer allocate.
             let mut left_match_count = 0usize;
+            scratch.clear();
+            scratch.extend_from_slice(&left_row);
+            scratch.push(None);
+            debug_assert_eq!(scratch.len(), on_scope_tables.len());
             for (r_idx, &rrid) in right_rowids.iter().enumerate() {
-                let mut on_rowids: Vec<Option<i64>> = left_row.clone();
-                on_rowids.push(Some(rrid));
-                debug_assert_eq!(on_rowids.len(), on_scope_tables.len());
+                scratch[right_pos] = Some(rrid);
                 let scope = JoinedScope {
                     tables: on_scope_tables,
-                    rowids: &on_rowids,
+                    rowids: &scratch,
                 };
                 // Reuse `eval_predicate_scope` so ON shares the same
                 // truthiness rule WHERE uses — non-zero integers are
@@ -785,7 +797,7 @@ fn execute_select_rows_joined(query: SelectQuery, db: &Database) -> Result<Selec
                     // as join levels processed so far; the next
                     // iteration extends them again. No trailing
                     // padding needed here.
-                    next_acc.push(on_rowids);
+                    next_acc.push(scratch.clone());
                 }
             }