diff --git a/src/hanoi_level.erl b/src/hanoi_level.erl
index 5e5ab9c..f773e28 100644
--- a/src/hanoi_level.erl
+++ b/src/hanoi_level.erl
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@
           }).
 
 
+%% if no activity for this long, we'll do some incremental
+%% merge, just to clean up and optimize future operations.
+-define(MERGE_TIMEOUT,1000).
+
+
 -ifdef(DEBUG).
 -define(log(Fmt,Args), debug_log(State,Fmt,Args)).
 debug_log(State,Fmt,Args) ->
@@ -266,11 +271,10 @@ main_loop(State = #state{ next=Next }) ->
                State#state.step_next_ref == undefined ->
             plain_rpc:send_reply(From, ok),
             if HowMuch > 0 ->
-                    self() ! ?CALL(undefined, {step, HowMuch});
+                    do_step(undefined, HowMuch, State);
                true ->
-                    ok
-            end,
-            main_loop(State);
+                    main_loop(State)
+            end;
 
         %% accept step any time there is not an outstanding step
         ?CALL(StepFrom, {step, HowMuch})
@@ -278,45 +282,7 @@ main_loop(State = #state{ next=Next }) ->
                State#state.step_caller    == undefined,
                State#state.step_next_ref  == undefined
                ->
-
-            if State#state.b =/= undefined ->
-                    WorkLeftHere = max(0, (2 * ?BTREE_SIZE(State#state.level)) - State#state.work_done);
-               true ->
-                    WorkLeftHere = 0
-            end,
-            WorkToDoHere = min(WorkLeftHere, HowMuch),
-            DelegateWork = max(0,HowMuch - WorkToDoHere),
-
-            ?log("step:~p, do:~p, left:~p ~n", [HowMuch, WorkToDoHere, WorkLeftHere]),
-
-            %% delegate the step request to the next level
-            if Next =:= undefined; DelegateWork == 0 ->
-                    DelegateRef = undefined;
-               true ->
-                    DelegateRef = plain_rpc:send_call(Next, {step, DelegateWork})
-            end,
-
-            if (State#state.merge_pid == undefined)
-               orelse (WorkToDoHere =< 0) ->
-                    MergeRef = undefined;
-               true ->
-                    MergePID = State#state.merge_pid,
-                    MergeRef = monitor(process, MergePID),
-                    MergePID ! {step, {self(), MergeRef}, WorkToDoHere}
-            end,
-
-            if (Next =:= undefined) andalso (MergeRef =:= undefined) ->
-                    %% nothing to do ... just return OK
-
-                    State2 = reply_step_ok(State#state { step_caller = StepFrom }),
-                    main_loop(State2);
-               true ->
-                    main_loop(State#state{ step_next_ref=DelegateRef,
-                                           step_caller=StepFrom,
-                                           step_merge_ref=MergeRef,
-                                           work_in_progress = WorkToDoHere
-                                         })
-            end;
+            do_step(StepFrom, HowMuch, State);
 
         {MRef, step_done} when MRef == State#state.step_merge_ref ->
             demonitor(MRef, [flush]),
@@ -570,6 +536,47 @@ main_loop(State = #state{ next=Next }) ->
 
     end.
 
+do_step(StepFrom, HowMuch, State) ->
+    if State#state.b =/= undefined ->
+            WorkLeftHere = max(0, (2 * ?BTREE_SIZE(State#state.level)) - State#state.work_done);
+       true ->
+            WorkLeftHere = 0
+    end,
+    WorkToDoHere = min(WorkLeftHere, HowMuch),
+    DelegateWork = max(0,HowMuch - WorkToDoHere),
+
+    ?log("step:~p, do:~p, left:~p ~n", [HowMuch, WorkToDoHere, WorkLeftHere]),
+
+    %% delegate the step request to the next level
+    Next = State#state.next,
+    if Next =:= undefined; DelegateWork == 0 ->
+            DelegateRef = undefined;
+       true ->
+            DelegateRef = plain_rpc:send_call(Next, {step, DelegateWork})
+    end,
+
+    if (State#state.merge_pid == undefined)
+       orelse (WorkToDoHere =< 0) ->
+            MergeRef = undefined;
+       true ->
+            MergePID = State#state.merge_pid,
+            MergeRef = monitor(process, MergePID),
+            MergePID ! {step, {self(), MergeRef}, WorkToDoHere}
+    end,
+
+    if (Next =:= undefined) andalso (MergeRef =:= undefined) ->
+            %% nothing to do ... just return OK
+
+            State2 = reply_step_ok(State#state { step_caller = StepFrom }),
+            main_loop(State2);
+       true ->
+            main_loop(State#state{ step_next_ref    = DelegateRef,
+                                   step_caller      = StepFrom,
+                                   step_merge_ref   = MergeRef,
+                                   work_in_progress = WorkToDoHere
+                                 })
+    end.
+
 reply_step_ok(State) ->
     case State#state.step_caller of
         undefined -> ok;