diff --git a/src/syndicate.nim b/src/syndicate.nim
index 0760a22..d40453b 100644
--- a/src/syndicate.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate.nim
@@ -43,22 +43,22 @@ export Actor, Assertion, Facet, Handle, Ref, Symbol, Turn, TurnAction,
 
 type
   Observe* = dataspace.Observe[Ref]
-  PublishProc = proc (turn: var Turn; v: Assertion; h: Handle) {.closure.}
-  RetractProc = proc (turn: var Turn; h: Handle) {.closure.}
-  MessageProc = proc (turn: var Turn; v: Assertion) {.closure.}
+  PublishProc = proc (turn: var Turn; v: Assertion; h: Handle) {.closure, gcsafe.}
+  RetractProc = proc (turn: var Turn; h: Handle) {.closure, gcsafe.}
+  MessageProc = proc (turn: var Turn; v: Assertion) {.closure, gcsafe.}
   ClosureEntity = ref object of Entity
     publishImpl: PublishProc
     retractImpl: RetractProc
     messageImpl: MessageProc
 
-method publish(e: ClosureEntity; turn: var Turn; v: Assertion; h: Handle) =
-  if not e.publishImpl.isNil: e.publishImpl(turn, v, h)
+method publish(e: ClosureEntity; turn: var Turn; a: AssertionRef; h: Handle) {.gcsafe.} =
+  if not e.publishImpl.isNil: e.publishImpl(turn, a.value, h)
 
-method retract(e: ClosureEntity; turn: var Turn; h: Handle) =
+method retract(e: ClosureEntity; turn: var Turn; h: Handle) {.gcsafe.} =
   if not e.retractImpl.isNil: e.retractImpl(turn, h)
 
-method message(e: ClosureEntity; turn: var Turn; v: Assertion) =
-  if not e.messageImpl.isNil: e.messageImpl(turn, v)
+method message(e: ClosureEntity; turn: var Turn; a: AssertionRef) {.gcsafe.} =
+  if not e.messageImpl.isNil: e.messageImpl(turn, a.value)
 
 proc argumentCount(handler: NimNode): int =
   handler.expectKind {nnkDo, nnkStmtList}
diff --git a/src/syndicate/actors.nim b/src/syndicate/actors.nim
index 68e0747..f0cd8d3 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/actors.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/actors.nim
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ import ../syndicate/protocols/[protocol, sturdy]
 
 export Handle
 
-# proc `==`*(x, y: Handle): bool {.borrow.}
-
 template generateIdType(T: untyped) =
   type T* = distinct Natural
   proc `==`*(x, y: T): bool {.borrow.}
@@ -20,11 +18,6 @@ generateIdType(EndpointId)
 generateIdType(FieldId)
 generateIdType(TurnId)
 
-#[
-proc genId(T: type): T =
-  getMonotime().ticks.T
-]#
-
 type
   Attenuation = sturdy.Attenuation[Ref]
   Oid = sturdy.Oid
@@ -78,17 +71,22 @@ type
     inertCheckPreventers: int
     isAlive: bool
 
+type AssertionRef* = ref object
+  value*: Preserve[Ref]
+    # if the Enity methods take a Preserve[Ref] object then the generated
+    # C code has "redefinition of struct" problems when orc is enabled
+
+method publish*(e: Entity; turn: var Turn; v: AssertionRef; h: Handle) {.base, gcsafe.} = discard
+method retract*(e: Entity; turn: var Turn; h: Handle) {.base, gcsafe.} = discard
+method message*(e: Entity; turn: var Turn; v: AssertionRef) {.base, gcsafe.} = discard
+method sync*(e: Entity; turn: var Turn; peer: Ref) {.base, gcsafe.} = discard
+
 using
   actor: Actor
   facet: Facet
   turn: var Turn
   action: TurnAction
 
-method publish*(e: Entity; turn: var Turn; v: Assertion; h: Handle) {.base.} = discard
-method retract*(e: Entity; turn: var Turn; h: Handle) {.base.} = discard
-method message*(e: Entity; turn: var Turn; v: Assertion) {.base.} = discard
-method sync*(e: Entity; turn: var Turn; peer: Ref) {.base.} = discard
-
 proc labels(f: Facet): string =
   proc catLabels(f: Facet; labels: var string) =
     labels.add ':'
@@ -243,14 +241,14 @@ proc runRewrites*(a: Attenuation; v: Assertion): Assertion =
     if result.isFalse: break
 
 proc publish(turn: var Turn; r: Ref; v: Assertion; h: Handle) =
-  let a = runRewrites(r.attenuation, v)
+  var a = runRewrites(r.attenuation, v)
   if not a.isFalse:
     let e = OutboundAssertion(
       handle: h, peer: r, established: false)
     turn.facet.outbound[h] = e
     enqueue(turn, r.relay) do (turn: var Turn):
       e.established = true
-      publish(r.target, turn, a, e.handle)
+      publish(r.target, turn, AssertionRef(value: a), e.handle)
 
 proc publish*(turn: var Turn; r: Ref; a: Assertion): Handle =
   result = turn.facet.nextHandle()
@@ -271,10 +269,10 @@ proc retract*(turn: var Turn; h: Handle) =
     turn.retract(e)
 
 proc message*(turn: var Turn; r: Ref; v: Assertion) =
-  let a = runRewrites(r.attenuation, v)
+  var a = runRewrites(r.attenuation, v)
   if not a.isFalse:
     enqueue(turn, r.relay) do (turn: var Turn):
-      r.target.message(turn, a)
+      r.target.message(turn, AssertionRef(value: a))
 
 proc message*[T](turn: var Turn; r: Ref; v: T) =
   message(turn, r, toPreserve(v, Ref))
diff --git a/src/syndicate/dataspaces.nim b/src/syndicate/dataspaces.nim
index c263f11..47ed869 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/dataspaces.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/dataspaces.nim
@@ -16,14 +16,14 @@ type
     index: Index
     handleMap: Table[Handle, Assertion]
 
-method publish(ds: Dataspace; turn: var Turn; v: Assertion; h: Handle) =
-  if add(ds.index, turn, v):
+method publish(ds: Dataspace; turn: var Turn; a: AssertionRef; h: Handle) {.gcsafe.} =
+  if add(ds.index, turn, a.value):
     var obs: Observe
-    if obs.fromPreserve v:
+    if obs.fromPreserve a.value:
       ds.index.add(turn, obs.pattern, obs.observer)
-  ds.handleMap[h] = v
+  ds.handleMap[h] = a.value
 
-method retract(ds: Dataspace; turn: var Turn; h: Handle) =
+method retract(ds: Dataspace; turn: var Turn; h: Handle) {.gcsafe.} =
   try:
     let v = ds.handleMap[h]
     if remove(ds.index, turn, v):
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ method retract(ds: Dataspace; turn: var Turn; h: Handle) =
         ds.index.remove(turn, obs.pattern, obs.observer)
   except KeyError: discard
 
-method message(ds: Dataspace; turn: var Turn; v: Assertion) =
-  ds.index.deliverMessage(turn, v)
+method message(ds: Dataspace; turn: var Turn; a: AssertionRef) {.gcsafe.} =
+  ds.index.deliverMessage(turn, a.value)
 
 proc newDataspace*(turn: var Turn): Ref =
   newRef(turn, Dataspace(index: initIndex()))
diff --git a/src/syndicate/durings.nim b/src/syndicate/durings.nim
index 26c4bd4..1d51bcd 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/durings.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/durings.nim
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ type
     cb: DuringProc
     assertionMap: Table[Handle, DuringAction]
 
-method publish(de: DuringEntity; turn: var Turn; a: Assertion; h: Handle) =
-  let action =  de.cb(turn, a, h)
+method publish(de: DuringEntity; turn: var Turn; a: AssertionRef; h: Handle) =
+  let action =  de.cb(turn, a.value, h)
   # assert(not action.isNil "should have put in a no-op action")
   let g = de.assertionMap.getOrDefault h
   case g.kind
diff --git a/src/syndicate/relays.nim b/src/syndicate/relays.nim
index af6afee..6be59b9 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/relays.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/relays.nim
@@ -53,18 +53,18 @@ type
 proc releaseRefOut(r: Relay; e: WireSymbol) =
   r.exported.drop e
 
-method publish(spe: SyncPeerEntity; t: var Turn; v: Assertion; h: Handle) =
-  spe.handleMap[h] = publish(t, spe.peer, v)
+method publish(spe: SyncPeerEntity; t: var Turn; a: AssertionRef; h: Handle) =
+  spe.handleMap[h] = publish(t, spe.peer, a.value)
 
 method retract(se: SyncPeerEntity; t: var Turn; h: Handle) =
   var other: Handle
   if se.handleMap.pop(h, other):
     retract(t, other)
 
-method message(se: SyncPeerEntity; t: var Turn; v: Assertion) =
+method message(se: SyncPeerEntity; t: var Turn; a: AssertionRef) =
   if not se.e.isNil:
     se.relay.releaseRefOut(se.e)
-  message(t, se.peer, v)
+  message(t, se.peer, a.value)
 
 method sync(se: SyncPeerEntity; t: var Turn; peer: Ref) =
   sync(t, se.peer, peer)
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ proc rewriteRefOut(relay: Relay; `ref`: Ref; transient: bool; exported: var seq[
         mine: WireRefMine(oid: ws.oid))
 
 proc rewriteOut(relay: Relay; v: Assertion; transient: bool):
-    tuple[rewritten: Value, exported: seq[WireSymbol]] =
+    tuple[rewritten: Value, exported: seq[WireSymbol]] {.gcsafe.} =
   var exported: seq[WireSymbol]
   result.rewritten = contract(v) do (r: Ref) -> Value:
     rewriteRefOut(relay, r, transient, exported).toPreserve
@@ -124,24 +124,24 @@ proc send(r: Relay; rOid: protocol.Oid; m: Event) =
 proc send(re: RelayEntity; ev: Event) =
   send(re.relay, protocol.Oid re.oid, ev)
 
-method publish(re: RelayEntity; t: var Turn; v: Assertion; h: Handle) =
+method publish(re: RelayEntity; t: var Turn; a: AssertionRef; h: Handle) {.gcsafe.} =
   re.send Event(
       orKind: EventKind.Assert,
       `assert`: protocol.Assert(
-        assertion: re.relay.register(v, h),
+        assertion: re.relay.register(a.value, h),
         handle: h))
 
-method retract(re: RelayEntity; t: var Turn; h: Handle) =
+method retract(re: RelayEntity; t: var Turn; h: Handle) {.gcsafe.} =
   re.relay.deregister h
   re.send Event(
     orKind: EventKind.Retract,
     retract: Retract(handle: h))
 
-method message(re: RelayEntity; turn: var Turn; msg: Assertion) =
+method message(re: RelayEntity; turn: var Turn; msg: AssertionRef) {.gcsafe.} =
   re.send Event(orKind: EventKind.Message,
-      message: Message(body: register(re.relay, msg)))
+      message: Message(body: register(re.relay, msg.value)))
 
-method sync(re: RelayEntity; turn: var Turn; peer: Ref) =
+method sync(re: RelayEntity; turn: var Turn; peer: Ref) {.gcsafe.} =
   var
     peerEntity = newSyncPeerEntity(re.relay, peer)
     exported: seq[WireSymbol]
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ proc rewriteRefIn(relay; facet; n: WireRef, imported: var seq[WireSymbol]): Ref
     else: raiseAssert "attenuation not implemented"
 
 proc rewriteIn(relay; facet; v: Value):
-    tuple[rewritten: Assertion; imported: seq[WireSymbol]] =
+    tuple[rewritten: Assertion; imported: seq[WireSymbol]] {.gcsafe.} =
   var imported: seq[WireSymbol]
   result.rewritten = expand(v) do (pr: Value) -> Assertion:
     var wr: WireRef
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ proc rewriteIn(relay; facet; v: Value):
 
 proc close(r: Relay) = discard
 
-proc dispatch*(relay: Relay; turn: var Turn; `ref`: Ref; event: Event) =
+proc dispatch*(relay: Relay; turn: var Turn; `ref`: Ref; event: Event) {.gcsafe.} =
   case event.orKind
   of EventKind.Assert:
     let (a, imported) = rewriteIn(relay, turn.facet, event.assert.assertion)
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ proc dispatch*(relay: Relay; turn: var Turn; `ref`: Ref; event: Event) =
       for e in imported: relay.imported.del e
       ]#
 
-proc dispatch*(relay: Relay; v: Value) =
+proc dispatch*(relay: Relay; v: Value) {.gcsafe.} =
   trace "S: ", v
   run(relay.facet) do (t: var Turn):
     var pkt: Packet
diff --git a/src/syndicate/skeletons.nim b/src/syndicate/skeletons.nim
index 9739d83..e6170b3 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/skeletons.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/skeletons.nim
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ func isEmpty(leaf: Leaf): bool =
   leaf.cachedAssertions.len == 0 and leaf.observerGroups.len == 0
 
 type
-  ContinuationProc = proc (c: Continuation; v: Value)
-  LeafProc = proc (l: Leaf; v: Value)
-  ObserverProc = proc (turn: var Turn; group: ObserverGroup; vs: seq[Value])
+  ContinuationProc = proc (c: Continuation; v: Value) {.gcsafe.}
+  LeafProc = proc (l: Leaf; v: Value) {.gcsafe.}
+  ObserverProc = proc (turn: var Turn; group: ObserverGroup; vs: seq[Value]) {.gcsafe.}
 
 type TermStack = SinglyLinkedList[Value]