diff --git a/thorlcr/thorutil/thbuf.cpp b/thorlcr/thorutil/thbuf.cpp
index eac053cd854..163630b575a 100644
--- a/thorlcr/thorutil/thbuf.cpp
+++ b/thorlcr/thorutil/thbuf.cpp
@@ -674,7 +674,6 @@ class CCompressedSpillingRowStream: public CSimpleInterfaceOf<ISmartRowBuffer>,
     CriticalSection outputStreamCS;
 
     // temp read related members
-    unsigned readTempFileNum = 0;
     std::atomic<rowcount_t> currentTempFileEndRow = 0;
     Owned<IFileIO> currentInputIFileIO; // keep for stats
     Linked<CFileOwner> currentOwnedInputFile;
@@ -729,10 +728,8 @@ class CCompressedSpillingRowStream: public CSimpleInterfaceOf<ISmartRowBuffer>,
     }
     void createNextInputStream()
     {
-        dbgassertex(readTempFileNum <= writeTempFileNum);
         CFileOwner *dequeuedOwnedIFile = nullptr;
-        bool tf = outputFiles.dequeue(dequeuedOwnedIFile);
-        assertex(tf);
+        assertex(outputFiles.dequeue(dequeuedOwnedIFile));
         currentOwnedInputFile.setown(dequeuedOwnedIFile);
         IFile *iFile = &currentOwnedInputFile->queryIFile();
         trace("READ: reading from %s", iFile->queryFilename());
@@ -876,7 +873,7 @@ class CCompressedSpillingRowStream: public CSimpleInterfaceOf<ISmartRowBuffer>,
         bool queued = false;
         size32_t rowSz = row ? thorRowMemoryFootprint(serializer, row) : 0;
         if (rowSz + inMemRowsMemoryUsage < options.inMemMaxMem)
-            queued = inMemRows.enqueue({ row, nextOutputRow, rowSz });
+            queued = inMemRows.enqueue({ row, nextOutputRow, rowSz }); // takes ownership of 'row' if successful
         if (queued)
         {
             trace("WRITE: Q: nextOutputRow: %" RCPF "u", nextOutputRow.load());
@@ -887,6 +884,7 @@ class CCompressedSpillingRowStream: public CSimpleInterfaceOf<ISmartRowBuffer>,
         {
             trace("WRITE: S: nextOutputRow: %" RCPF "u", nextOutputRow.load());
             writeRowToStream(row, rowSz); // JCSMORE - rowSz is memory not disk size... does it matter that much?
+            ::ReleaseThorRow(row);
             ++nextOutputRow;
             if (checkFlushToDisk(options.writeAheadSize))
             {
@@ -912,7 +910,7 @@ class CCompressedSpillingRowStream: public CSimpleInterfaceOf<ISmartRowBuffer>,
         if (writeRow == nextInputRow)
         {
 #ifdef STRESSTEST_SPILLING_ROWSTREAM
-            if (0 == (nextInputRow % 100))
+            if (stressTest && (0 == (nextInputRow % 100)))
                 MilliSleep(5);
 #endif
 
@@ -996,6 +994,8 @@ class CCompressedSpillingRowStream: public CSimpleInterfaceOf<ISmartRowBuffer>,
 
         // let's allow plenty of room. Allow for ~4TB of temp file usage
         size32_t capacity = 4000LL*1000*0x100000 / options.tempFileGranularity;
+        if (capacity > 100000) // cap silly sizes, if someone has customized tempFileGranularity
+            capacity = 100000;
         outputFiles.setCapacity(capacity);
     }
     ~CCompressedSpillingRowStream()
@@ -1007,6 +1007,18 @@ class CCompressedSpillingRowStream: public CSimpleInterfaceOf<ISmartRowBuffer>,
                 break;
             fileOwner->Release();
         }
+        RowEntry e;
+        while (true)
+        {
+            if (!inMemRows.dequeue(e))
+                break;
+            const void *row = std::get<0>(e);
+            if (row)
+                ReleaseThorRow(row);
+        }
+        const void *markerRow = std::get<0>(readFromStreamMarker);
+        if (markerRow)
+            ReleaseThorRow(markerRow);
     }
 
 // ISmartRowBuffer