diff --git a/src/syndicate/protocols/dataspace.nim b/src/syndicate/protocols/dataspace.nim
index f5a6278..a52a14c 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/protocols/dataspace.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/protocols/dataspace.nim
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import
   preserves, dataspacePatterns
 
 type
-  Observe*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "Observe".} = ref object
+  Observe*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "Observe".} = ref object
     `pattern`*: dataspacePatterns.Pattern[Cap]
     `observer`*: Cap
 
diff --git a/src/syndicate/protocols/dataspacePatterns.nim b/src/syndicate/protocols/dataspacePatterns.nim
index e8d7d03..6269c34 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/protocols/dataspacePatterns.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/protocols/dataspacePatterns.nim
@@ -43,24 +43,24 @@ type
   DLit*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "lit".} = object
     `value`*: AnyAtom[Cap]
 
-  DBind*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "bind".} = ref object
+  DBind*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "bind".} = ref object
     `pattern`*: Pattern[Cap]
 
   DDiscard* {.preservesRecord: "_".} = object
   
   DCompoundKind* {.pure.} = enum
     `rec`, `arr`, `dict`
-  DCompoundRec*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "rec".} = ref object
+  DCompoundRec*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "rec".} = ref object
     `label`*: Preserve[Cap]
     `fields`*: seq[Pattern[Cap]]
 
-  DCompoundArr*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "arr".} = ref object
+  DCompoundArr*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "arr".} = ref object
     `items`*: seq[Pattern[Cap]]
 
-  DCompoundDict*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "dict".} = ref object
+  DCompoundDict*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "dict".} = ref object
     `entries`*: Table[Preserve[Cap], Pattern[Cap]]
 
-  `DCompound`*[Cap] {.preservesOr.} = ref object
+  `DCompound`*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesOr.} = ref object
     case orKind*: DCompoundKind
     of DCompoundKind.`rec`:
         `rec`*: DCompoundRec[Cap]
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ type
   
   PatternKind* {.pure.} = enum
     `DDiscard`, `DBind`, `DLit`, `DCompound`
-  `Pattern`*[Cap] {.preservesOr.} = ref object
+  `Pattern`*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesOr.} = ref object
     case orKind*: PatternKind
     of PatternKind.`DDiscard`:
         `ddiscard`*: DDiscard
diff --git a/src/syndicate/protocols/sturdy.nim b/src/syndicate/protocols/sturdy.nim
index 570b5cc..3b56a69 100644
--- a/src/syndicate/protocols/sturdy.nim
+++ b/src/syndicate/protocols/sturdy.nim
@@ -5,17 +5,17 @@ import
 type
   PCompoundKind* {.pure.} = enum
     `rec`, `arr`, `dict`
-  PCompoundRec*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "rec".} = ref object
+  PCompoundRec*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "rec".} = ref object
     `label`*: Preserve[Cap]
     `fields`*: seq[Pattern[Cap]]
 
-  PCompoundArr*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "arr".} = ref object
+  PCompoundArr*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "arr".} = ref object
     `items`*: seq[Pattern[Cap]]
 
-  PCompoundDict*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "dict".} = ref object
+  PCompoundDict*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "dict".} = ref object
     `entries`*: Table[Preserve[Cap], Pattern[Cap]]
 
-  `PCompound`*[Cap] {.preservesOr.} = ref object
+  `PCompound`*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesOr.} = ref object
     case orKind*: PCompoundKind
     of PCompoundKind.`rec`:
         `rec`*: PCompoundRec[Cap]
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ type
         `dict`*: PCompoundDict[Cap]
 
   
-  Reject*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "reject".} = ref object
+  Reject*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "reject".} = ref object
     `pattern`*: Pattern[Cap]
 
   CaveatsFieldKind* {.pure.} = enum
     `present`, `invalid`, `absent`
-  CaveatsFieldPresent*[Cap] {.preservesDictionary.} = ref object
+  CaveatsFieldPresent*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesDictionary.} = ref object
     `caveats`*: seq[Caveat[Cap]]
 
   CaveatsFieldInvalid*[Cap] {.preservesDictionary.} = object
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ type
 
   CaveatsFieldAbsent* {.preservesDictionary.} = object
   
-  `CaveatsField`*[Cap] {.preservesOr.} = ref object
+  `CaveatsField`*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesOr.} = ref object
     case orKind*: CaveatsFieldKind
     of CaveatsFieldKind.`present`:
         `present`*: CaveatsFieldPresent[Cap]
@@ -56,11 +56,11 @@ type
     `key`*: seq[byte]
     `oid`*: Preserve[Cap]
 
-  PAnd*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "and".} = ref object
+  PAnd*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "and".} = ref object
     `patterns`*: seq[Pattern[Cap]]
 
   SturdyStepDetail*[Cap] = Parameters[Cap]
-  Rewrite*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "rewrite".} = ref object
+  Rewrite*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "rewrite".} = ref object
     `pattern`*: Pattern[Cap]
     `template`*: Template[Cap]
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ type
   TRef* {.preservesRecord: "ref".} = object
     `binding`*: BiggestInt
 
-  PBind*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "bind".} = ref object
+  PBind*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "bind".} = ref object
     `pattern`*: Pattern[Cap]
 
   Lit*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "lit".} = object
@@ -76,17 +76,17 @@ type
 
   TCompoundKind* {.pure.} = enum
     `rec`, `arr`, `dict`
-  TCompoundRec*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "rec".} = ref object
+  TCompoundRec*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "rec".} = ref object
     `label`*: Preserve[Cap]
     `fields`*: seq[Template[Cap]]
 
-  TCompoundArr*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "arr".} = ref object
+  TCompoundArr*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "arr".} = ref object
     `items`*: seq[Template[Cap]]
 
-  TCompoundDict*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "dict".} = ref object
+  TCompoundDict*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "dict".} = ref object
     `entries`*: Table[Preserve[Cap], Template[Cap]]
 
-  `TCompound`*[Cap] {.preservesOr.} = ref object
+  `TCompound`*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesOr.} = ref object
     case orKind*: TCompoundKind
     of TCompoundKind.`rec`:
         `rec`*: TCompoundRec[Cap]
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ type
   
   TemplateKind* {.pure.} = enum
     `TAttenuate`, `TRef`, `Lit`, `TCompound`
-  `Template`*[Cap] {.preservesOr.} = ref object
+  `Template`*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesOr.} = ref object
     case orKind*: TemplateKind
     of TemplateKind.`TAttenuate`:
         `tattenuate`*: TAttenuate[Cap]
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ type
   CaveatKind* {.pure.} = enum
     `Rewrite`, `Alts`, `Reject`, `unknown`
   CaveatUnknown*[Cap] = Preserve[Cap]
-  `Caveat`*[Cap] {.preservesOr.} = ref object
+  `Caveat`*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesOr.} = ref object
     case orKind*: CaveatKind
     of CaveatKind.`Rewrite`:
         `rewrite`*: Rewrite[Cap]
@@ -139,10 +139,10 @@ type
         `unknown`*: CaveatUnknown[Cap]
 
   
-  PNot*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "not".} = ref object
+  PNot*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "not".} = ref object
     `pattern`*: Pattern[Cap]
 
-  SturdyRef*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "ref".} = ref object
+  SturdyRef*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "ref".} = ref object
     `parameters`*: Parameters[Cap]
 
   WireRefKind* {.pure.} = enum
@@ -151,12 +151,12 @@ type
     `field0`* {.preservesLiteral: "0".}: tuple[]
     `oid`*: Oid
 
-  WireRefYours*[Cap] {.preservesTuple.} = ref object
+  WireRefYours*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesTuple.} = ref object
     `field0`* {.preservesLiteral: "1".}: tuple[]
     `oid`*: Oid
     `attenuation`* {.preservesTupleTail.}: seq[Caveat[Cap]]
 
-  `WireRef`*[Cap] {.preservesOr.} = ref object
+  `WireRef`*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesOr.} = ref object
     case orKind*: WireRefKind
     of WireRefKind.`mine`:
         `mine`*: WireRefMine
@@ -165,18 +165,18 @@ type
         `yours`*: WireRefYours[Cap]
 
   
-  TAttenuate*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "attenuate".} = ref object
+  TAttenuate*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "attenuate".} = ref object
     `template`*: Template[Cap]
     `attenuation`*: seq[Caveat[Cap]]
 
   Oid* = BiggestInt
-  Alts*[Cap] {.preservesRecord: "or".} = ref object
+  Alts*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesRecord: "or".} = ref object
     `alternatives`*: seq[Rewrite[Cap]]
 
   PatternKind* {.pure.} = enum
     `PDiscard`, `PAtom`, `PEmbedded`, `PBind`, `PAnd`, `PNot`, `Lit`,
     `PCompound`
-  `Pattern`*[Cap] {.preservesOr.} = ref object
+  `Pattern`*[Cap] {.acyclic, preservesOr.} = ref object
     case orKind*: PatternKind
     of PatternKind.`PDiscard`:
         `pdiscard`*: PDiscard