diff --git a/pico-cp/app.py b/pico-cp/app.py
index 54b305a..0650c33 100644
--- a/pico-cp/app.py
+++ b/pico-cp/app.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 import board, busio, digitalio, analogio, pwmio, displayio, vectorio, time, json, gc, os, supervisor
 supervisor.runtime.autoreload = False   # we write our own files (log + pushed programs); never self-restart
-APP_VERSION = "0.0.16"                   # firmware version (the A/B updater pushes/compares this)
+APP_VERSION = "0.0.17"                   # firmware version (the A/B updater pushes/compares this)
 try:
     import rtc                           # set from the editor's clock SysEx so the log has real timestamps
 except ImportError:
@@ -618,6 +618,7 @@ class App:
         self.load(self.idx)                            # reload from source -> discard edits
     # ---------- modal overlay (save / revert / message) ----------
     def _show_saverevert(self):
+        gc.collect()
         self._overlay = 'saverevert'; g = self.g_overlay
         while len(g): g.pop()
         px, py, pw, ph = 24, 178, WIDTH - 48, 116
@@ -665,6 +666,7 @@ class App:
         self._tap_log(tx, ty)                          # else the practice log
     # ---------- lane editor (tap the instrument name): sound / beats / sub / swing / mute + add / remove ----------
     def _show_laneedit(self, li):
+        gc.collect()
         self._overlay = 'lane'; self._edit_li = li; self._draw_laneedit()
     def _draw_laneedit(self):
         li = self._edit_li; L = self.lanes[li]; g = self.g_overlay
@@ -736,6 +738,7 @@ class App:
         self._close_overlay()
     # ---------- hamburger menu (main) + sub-modals (Settings / Help / About) ----------
     def _show_menu(self):
+        gc.collect()                                            # defragment before allocating modal bitmaps
         self._overlay = 'menu'; self._draw_menu()
     def _draw_menu(self):
         g = self.g_overlay
@@ -768,6 +771,7 @@ class App:
 
     # ---------- Settings sub-modal (LED / Speaker / MIDI Out / Channel / Clock Out / Clock In) ----------
     def _show_settings(self):
+        gc.collect()
         self._overlay = 'settings'; self._draw_settings()
     def _draw_settings(self):
         g = self.g_overlay
@@ -836,6 +840,7 @@ class App:
 
     # ---------- Help sub-modal (paginated) ----------
     def _show_help(self):
+        gc.collect()
         self._overlay = 'help'; self._help_page = 0; self._draw_help()
     def _draw_help(self):
         g = self.g_overlay
@@ -872,6 +877,7 @@ class App:
 
     # ---------- About sub-modal ----------
     def _show_about(self):
+        gc.collect()
         self._overlay = 'about'; self._draw_about()
     def _draw_about(self):
         import sys
@@ -1017,7 +1023,7 @@ class App:
                     L['step'] = (L['step'] + 1) % L['steps']
                     if li == 0:
                         self._m_steps += 1                           # count master-lane steps -> bars
-                        nb = self._m_steps // L['steps']
+                        nb = (self._m_steps - 1) // L['steps']       # bar of THIS step (off-by-one fix vs 0.0.16)
                         if nb != self._lastbar: self._lastbar = nb; self._on_new_bar(nb)
                         if self._advance: break                      # seam armed - suppress this step's firing
                         if self.ramp and L['steps'] > 0 and not self._slaved:   # CONTINUOUS ramp (off when slaved)
@@ -1073,7 +1079,11 @@ class App:
         nxt = (self.idx + 1) % len(items)
         if nxt == self.idx: return                             # 1-item playlist -> just loop, no swap
         name, prog = items[nxt]
-        bpm, lanes, bars, ramp, trainer = parse_program(prog)
+        gc.collect()                                           # defragment before parse_program allocates new lanes
+        try:
+            bpm, lanes, bars, ramp, trainer = parse_program(prog)
+        except MemoryError:
+            gc.collect(); return                               # leave _next_pending None -> the segment just loops
         self._next_pending = {'lanes': lanes, 'bpm': bpm, 'bars': bars, 'ramp': ramp,
                               'trainer': trainer, 'name': name, 'idx': nxt}
     def _do_advance(self):                                     # gapless seam: swap the prepared track in at seam_t
@@ -1180,7 +1190,7 @@ class App:
         mlen = self.lanes[0]['steps'] if self.lanes else 1
         bpb = (self.lanes[0]['steps'] // max(1, self.lanes[0]['sub'])) if self.lanes else 4
         el = (time.monotonic() - self._seg_start) if run else 0   # time within the current segment (resets with the bar)
-        mbars = self._m_steps // max(1, mlen)             # whole master bars elapsed
+        mbars = max(0, self._m_steps - 1) // max(1, mlen) # bar containing THIS step (off-by-one fix vs 0.0.16)
         cur = ("%d" % ((mbars % self.bars + 1) if self.bars else (mbars + 1))) if run else "-"   # cycle 1..N
         if self.bars:                                   # track has a length (b<n>): show "X of TOTAL"
             ts = "%s of %s" % (self._fmt_t(el), self._fmt_t(self.bars * bpb * 60.0 / self.bpm))