diff --git a/src/silky/atlas.nim b/src/silky/atlas.nim
index 355bc59..12f14c9 100644
--- a/src/silky/atlas.nim
+++ b/src/silky/atlas.nim
@@ -36,6 +36,15 @@ type
     advance*: float32
     kerning*: Table[string, float32]
 
+  GlyphEntries* = ref object
+    ## Runtime reference to the stored variants for one glyph.
+    entries*: seq[LetterEntry]
+
+  GlyphLookup* = object
+    ## Runtime lookup tables for allocation-free Unicode text rendering.
+    entries*: Table[Rune, GlyphEntries]
+    kerning*: Table[uint64, float32]
+
   FontAtlas* = ref object
     ## The font atlas that is used to draw text.
     size*: float32
@@ -45,6 +54,7 @@ type
     lineGap*: float32
     subpixelSteps*: int
     entries*: Table[string, seq[LetterEntry]]
+    lookup*: GlyphLookup
 
   SilkyAtlas* = ref object
     ## The pixel atlas that gets converted to JSON.
@@ -60,6 +70,69 @@ type
     atlasImage*: Image
     atlas*: SilkyAtlas
 
+  FontAtlasObject = typeof(FontAtlas()[])
+
+proc skipHook*(T: typedesc[FontAtlasObject], key: static string): bool =
+  ## Skips runtime-only lookup tables during atlas JSON serialization.
+  key == "lookup"
+
+proc kerningKey(left, right: Rune): uint64 {.inline.} =
+  ## Packs two Unicode scalar values into one table key.
+  (uint64(uint32(int32(left))) shl 32) or uint64(uint32(int32(right)))
+
+proc rebuildGlyphLookups*(fontAtlas: FontAtlas) =
+  ## Rebuilds runtime Unicode lookup tables from serialized atlas entries.
+  fontAtlas.lookup.entries = initTable[Rune, GlyphEntries](
+    fontAtlas.entries.len
+  )
+  fontAtlas.lookup.kerning = initTable[uint64, float32]()
+
+  for glyphStr, entries in fontAtlas.entries:
+    if glyphStr.len == 0:
+      continue
+    let left = glyphStr.runeAt(0)
+    fontAtlas.lookup.entries[left] = GlyphEntries(entries: entries)
+    if entries.len == 0:
+      continue
+    for rightStr, adjustment in entries[0].kerning:
+      if rightStr.len == 0:
+        continue
+      let right = rightStr.runeAt(0)
+      fontAtlas.lookup.kerning[kerningKey(left, right)] = adjustment
+
+proc rebuildGlyphLookups*(atlas: SilkyAtlas) =
+  ## Rebuilds runtime text lookup tables for every font in an atlas.
+  for fontAtlas in atlas.fonts.mvalues:
+    fontAtlas.rebuildGlyphLookups()
+
+proc lookupLetter*(
+  fontAtlas: FontAtlas,
+  rune: Rune,
+  variant: int,
+  entry: var ptr LetterEntry
+): bool {.inline.} =
+  ## Looks up one glyph entry without allocating a string key.
+  if rune in fontAtlas.lookup.entries:
+    let glyphEntries = fontAtlas.lookup.entries[rune]
+    if glyphEntries.entries.len > 0:
+      entry = unsafeAddr glyphEntries.entries[
+        min(variant, glyphEntries.entries.len - 1)
+      ]
+      return true
+
+  let fallback = Rune(63)
+  if fallback in fontAtlas.lookup.entries:
+    let glyphEntries = fontAtlas.lookup.entries[fallback]
+    if glyphEntries.entries.len > 0:
+      entry = unsafeAddr glyphEntries.entries[0]
+      return true
+
+  false
+
+proc lookupKerning*(fontAtlas: FontAtlas, left, right: Rune): float32 {.inline.} =
+  ## Looks up kerning between two glyphs without allocating string keys.
+  fontAtlas.lookup.kerning.getOrDefault(kerningKey(left, right))
+
 proc newAtlasBuilder*(size, margin: int): AtlasBuilder =
   ## Generate a pixel atlas from the given directories.
   let
@@ -186,7 +259,8 @@ proc extractAtlasJsonFromPng*(pngData: string): string =
 proc readAtlasFromPng*(path: string): SilkyAtlas =
   ## Reads and decodes the atlas JSON embedded in an atlas PNG file.
   try:
-    extractAtlasJsonFromPng(readFile(path)).fromJson(SilkyAtlas)
+    result = extractAtlasJsonFromPng(readFile(path)).fromJson(SilkyAtlas)
+    result.rebuildGlyphLookups()
   except IOError as e:
     raise newException(SilkyAtlasError, e.msg, e)
 
@@ -197,6 +271,7 @@ proc readAtlas*(
   try:
     let pngData = readFile(path)
     result.atlas = extractAtlasJsonFromPng(pngData).fromJson(SilkyAtlas)
+    result.atlas.rebuildGlyphLookups()
     result.image = decodePng(pngData).convertToImage()
   except IOError as e:
     raise newException(SilkyAtlasError, e.msg, e)
@@ -332,6 +407,7 @@ proc addFont*(builder: AtlasBuilder, path: string, name: string, size: float32,
       let kerning = typeface.getKerningAdjustment(rune, rune2)
       if kerning != 0:
         fontAtlas.entries[glyphStr][0].kerning[glyphStr2] = kerning * scale
+  fontAtlas.rebuildGlyphLookups()
   builder.atlas.fonts[name] = fontAtlas
 
 proc write*(builder: AtlasBuilder, outputPngPath: string) =
diff --git a/src/silky/contexts.nim b/src/silky/contexts.nim
index dc613f9..d3d9054 100644
--- a/src/silky/contexts.nim
+++ b/src/silky/contexts.nim
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ import
 when defined(profile):
   import fluffy/measure, std/os
   export measure
+
+  const
+    SilkyProfileFrames* {.intdefine.} = 0
+    SilkyProfileTracePath* {.strdefine.} = "tmp/trace.json"
+
+  var profileFrameCount*: int
 else:
   macro measure*(fn: untyped) =
     ## Passes procedures through unchanged when profiling is off.
@@ -32,6 +38,8 @@ else:
 const
   NormalLayer* = 0
   PopupsLayer* = 1
+  LineFeedRune = Rune(10)
+  SpaceRune = Rune(32)
 
 type
   StackDirection* = enum
@@ -241,6 +249,18 @@ proc getImageSize*(sk: Silky, image: string): Vec2 =
   let uv = sk.atlas.entries[image]
   vec2(uv.width.float32, uv.height.float32)
 
+proc nextRune(text: string, i: var int): Rune {.inline.} =
+  ## Reads one UTF-8 rune and advances the byte index.
+  fastRuneAt(text, i, result, true)
+
+proc peekRune(text: string, i: int, rune: var Rune): bool {.inline.} =
+  ## Reads one UTF-8 rune without changing the caller's byte index.
+  if i >= text.len:
+    return false
+  var j = i
+  fastRuneAt(text, j, rune, true)
+  return true
+
 proc shouldShowTooltip*(sk: Silky): bool =
   ## Returns true when a tooltip should be shown.
   sk.hover and sk.mouseIdleTime >= sk.tooltipThreshold
@@ -254,6 +274,10 @@ proc resetInteractions*(sk: Silky) =
 proc beginUiShared*(sk: Silky, window: Window, size: IVec2) =
   ## Starts a frame and updates the shared UI state.
   when defined(profile):
+    if SilkyProfileFrames > 0 and not traceActive:
+      traceActive = true
+      startTrace()
+
     if window.buttonPressed[KeyF3]:
       if not traceActive:
         traceActive = true
@@ -316,6 +340,18 @@ proc endUiShared*(sk: Silky) =
   sk.inFrame = false
   measurePop()
 
+  when defined(profile):
+    if SilkyProfileFrames > 0 and traceActive:
+      inc profileFrameCount
+      if profileFrameCount >= SilkyProfileFrames:
+        traceActive = false
+        endTrace()
+        let traceDir = splitFile(SilkyProfileTracePath).dir
+        if traceDir.len > 0:
+          createDir(traceDir)
+        dumpMeasures(SilkyProfileTracePath)
+        sk.window.closeRequested = true
+
 proc drawQuad*(
   sk: Silky,
   pos: Vec2,
@@ -438,7 +474,7 @@ proc drawText*(
   wordWrap = false,
   hAlign: HorizontalAlignment = LeftAlign,
   vAlign: VerticalAlignment = TopAlign
-): Vec2 =
+): Vec2 {.measure.} =
   ## Queues text glyphs using atlas-backed font data.
   assert sk.inFrame
   if font notin sk.atlas.fonts:
@@ -454,7 +490,6 @@ proc drawText*(
   let
     fontData = sk.atlas.fonts[font]
     maxPos = pos + vec2(maxWidth, maxHeight)
-    runedText = text.toRunes
     hasSubpixel = fontData.subpixelSteps > 0
     layer = sk.drawer.currentLayer
     needsHAlign = hAlign != LeftAlign
@@ -497,41 +532,42 @@ proc drawText*(
         sk.drawer.layers[layer][j].pos.x += dx
     lineStartIdx = sk.drawer.layers[layer].len
 
-  var i = 0
-  while i < runedText.len:
-    let rune = runedText[i]
-
-    if rune == Rune(10):
+  var
+    i = 0
+    previousRune = Rune(0)
+    hasPreviousRune = false
+  while i < text.len:
+    let runeStart = i
+    let rune = text.nextRune(i)
+
+    if rune == LineFeedRune:
       alignLine(currentPos.x - pos.x)
       currentPos.x = pos.x
       currentPos.y += fontData.lineHeight
-      inc i
+      hasPreviousRune = false
       continue
 
-    if wordWrap and currentPos.x > pos.x and rune != Rune(32):
+    if wordWrap and currentPos.x > pos.x and rune != SpaceRune:
       let isWordStart =
-        i == 0 or
-        runedText[i - 1] == Rune(32) or
-        runedText[i - 1] == Rune(10)
+        not hasPreviousRune or
+        previousRune == SpaceRune or
+        previousRune == LineFeedRune
       if isWordStart:
         var
           wordW = 0.0'f
-          j = i
-        while j < runedText.len and
-          runedText[j] != Rune(32) and
-          runedText[j] != Rune(10):
-          let gs = $runedText[j]
-          if gs in fontData.entries:
-            wordW += fontData.entries[gs][0].advance
-          elif "?" in fontData.entries:
-            wordW += fontData.entries["?"][0].advance
-          inc j
+          j = runeStart
+        while j < text.len:
+          let wordRune = text.nextRune(j)
+          if wordRune == SpaceRune or wordRune == LineFeedRune:
+            break
+          var wordEntry: ptr LetterEntry
+          if fontData.lookupLetter(wordRune, 0, wordEntry):
+            wordW += wordEntry.advance
         if currentPos.x + wordW > pos.x + maxWidth:
           alignLine(currentPos.x - pos.x)
           currentPos.x = pos.x
           currentPos.y += fontData.lineHeight
 
-    let glyphStr = $rune
     let variant =
       if hasSubpixel:
         let frac = currentPos.x - currentPos.x.floor
@@ -540,13 +576,10 @@ proc drawText*(
       else:
         0
 
-    var entry: LetterEntry
-    if glyphStr in fontData.entries:
-      entry = fontData.entries[glyphStr][variant]
-    elif "?" in fontData.entries:
-      entry = fontData.entries["?"][0]
-    else:
-      inc i
+    var entry: ptr LetterEntry
+    if not fontData.lookupLetter(rune, variant, entry):
+      previousRune = rune
+      hasPreviousRune = true
       continue
 
     if currentPos.x >= maxPos.x:
@@ -555,8 +588,11 @@ proc drawText*(
         currentPos.x = pos.x
         currentPos.y += fontData.lineHeight
       elif glyphClip:
-        while i < runedText.len and runedText[i] != Rune(10):
-          inc i
+        while i < text.len:
+          var next: Rune
+          if not text.peekRune(i, next) or next == LineFeedRune:
+            break
+          discard text.nextRune(i)
         continue
 
     if glyphClip and currentPos.y + entry.boundsY >= maxPos.y:
@@ -578,14 +614,12 @@ proc drawText*(
       )
 
     currentPos.x += entry.advance
-    if i < runedText.len - 1:
-      let nextGlyphStr = $runedText[i + 1]
-      if glyphStr in fontData.entries and
-        nextGlyphStr in fontData.entries[glyphStr][0].kerning:
-        currentPos.x +=
-          fontData.entries[glyphStr][0].kerning[nextGlyphStr]
+    var next: Rune
+    if text.peekRune(i, next):
+      currentPos.x += fontData.lookupKerning(rune, next)
 
-    inc i
+    previousRune = rune
+    hasPreviousRune = true
 
   alignLine(currentPos.x - pos.x)
 
@@ -607,40 +641,33 @@ proc drawText*(
 
   currentPos - pos
 
-proc getTextSize*(sk: Silky, font: string, text: string): Vec2 =
+proc getTextSize*(sk: Silky, font: string, text: string): Vec2 {.measure.} =
   ## Returns the size of text in pixels.
   if font notin sk.atlas.fonts:
     return vec2(0, 0)
 
-  let
-    fontData = sk.atlas.fonts[font]
-    runedText = text.toRunes
+  let fontData = sk.atlas.fonts[font]
   var
+    i = 0
     currentPos = vec2(0, fontData.lineHeight)
     maxWidth = 0.0'f
 
-  for i in 0 ..< runedText.len:
-    let rune = runedText[i]
-    if rune == Rune(10):
+  while i < text.len:
+    let rune = text.nextRune(i)
+    if rune == LineFeedRune:
       maxWidth = max(maxWidth, currentPos.x)
       currentPos.x = 0
       currentPos.y += fontData.lineHeight
       continue
 
-    let glyphStr = $rune
-    var entry: LetterEntry
-    if glyphStr in fontData.entries:
-      entry = fontData.entries[glyphStr][0]
-    elif "?" in fontData.entries:
-      entry = fontData.entries["?"][0]
-    else:
+    var entry: ptr LetterEntry
+    if not fontData.lookupLetter(rune, 0, entry):
       continue
 
     currentPos.x += entry.advance
-    if i < runedText.len - 1:
-      let nextGlyphStr = $runedText[i + 1]
-      if nextGlyphStr in entry.kerning:
-        currentPos.x += entry.kerning[nextGlyphStr]
+    var next: Rune
+    if text.peekRune(i, next):
+      currentPos.x += fontData.lookupKerning(rune, next)
 
   maxWidth = max(maxWidth, currentPos.x)
   vec2(maxWidth, currentPos.y)
@@ -793,7 +820,7 @@ proc clearScreen*(sk: Silky, color: ColorRGBX) {.measure.} =
   ## Clears or updates the frame clear color through the drawer.
   sk.drawer.clearScreen(color)
 
-proc endUi*(sk: Silky) {.measure.} =
+proc endUi*(sk: Silky) =
   ## Flushes the queued draws through the active drawer.
   for i in 1 ..< sk.drawer.layers.len:
     sk.drawer.layers[NormalLayer].add(sk.drawer.layers[i])
diff --git a/src/silky/semantic.nim b/src/silky/semantic.nim
index 416cf9a..5520448 100644
--- a/src/silky/semantic.nim
+++ b/src/silky/semantic.nim
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ import
 
 from windy/common import Button, CursorKind, Cursor
 
+const
+  LineFeedRune = Rune(10)
+
 type
   WidgetState* = object
     ## Stores the interactive state of a widget.
@@ -402,35 +405,42 @@ proc getImageSize*(sk: Silky, image: string): Vec2 =
   let uv = sk.atlas.entries[image]
   vec2(uv.width.float32, uv.height.float32)
 
+proc nextRune(text: string, i: var int): Rune {.inline.} =
+  ## Reads one UTF-8 rune and advances the byte index.
+  fastRuneAt(text, i, result, true)
+
+proc peekRune(text: string, i: int, rune: var Rune): bool {.inline.} =
+  ## Reads one UTF-8 rune without changing the caller's byte index.
+  if i >= text.len:
+    return false
+  var j = i
+  fastRuneAt(text, j, rune, true)
+  true
+
 proc getTextSize*(sk: Silky, font: string, text: string): Vec2 =
   ## Calculates the rendered size of text in a given font.
   if font notin sk.atlas.fonts:
     return vec2(0, 0)
   let fontData = sk.atlas.fonts[font]
-  var currentPos = vec2(0, fontData.lineHeight)
-  let runedText = text.toRunes
+  var
+    i = 0
+    currentPos = vec2(0, fontData.lineHeight)
 
-  for i in 0 ..< runedText.len:
-    let rune = runedText[i]
-    if rune == Rune(10):
+  while i < text.len:
+    let rune = text.nextRune(i)
+    if rune == LineFeedRune:
       currentPos.x = 0
       currentPos.y += fontData.lineHeight
       continue
 
-    let glyphStr = $rune
-    var entry: LetterEntry
-    if glyphStr in fontData.entries:
-      entry = fontData.entries[glyphStr][0]
-    elif "?" in fontData.entries:
-      entry = fontData.entries["?"][0]
-    else:
+    var entry: ptr LetterEntry
+    if not fontData.lookupLetter(rune, 0, entry):
       continue
 
     currentPos.x += entry.advance
-    if i < runedText.len - 1:
-      let nextGlyphStr = $runedText[i+1]
-      if nextGlyphStr in entry.kerning:
-        currentPos.x += entry.kerning[nextGlyphStr]
+    var next: Rune
+    if text.peekRune(i, next):
+      currentPos.x += fontData.lookupKerning(rune, next)
 
   return currentPos