diff --git a/src/gen.zig b/src/gen.zig
index 3a77d82..7e7787f 100644
--- a/src/gen.zig
+++ b/src/gen.zig
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@ pub fn generate() !void {
         .str("path", maivi.config.buildroot).log();
 
     arena = .init(maivi.allocator);
+    defer arena.deinit();
     allocator = arena.allocator();
 
+    var threaded = Io.Threaded.init(maivi.allocator, .{});
+    const io = threaded.io();
+
     Io.Dir.createDirAbsolute(maivi.io, maivi.config.buildroot, .default_dir) catch |err| switch (err) {
         error.PathAlreadyExists => {},
         else => return err,
@@ -32,7 +36,7 @@ pub fn generate() !void {
 
         fern.debug().ctx("gen.generate").msg("generating path").str("path", path).log();
 
-        genpath(buildroot, path) catch |err| {
+        genpath(io, buildroot, path) catch |err| {
             fern.err().ctx("gen.generate")
                 .msg("could not generate path")
                 .str("path", path)
@@ -47,11 +51,9 @@ pub fn generate() !void {
             continue;
         };
     }
-
-    arena.deinit();
 }
 
-fn genpath(dir: Io.Dir, path: []const u8) !?void {
+fn genpath(io: Io, dir: Io.Dir, path: []const u8) !?void {
     const str = try maivi.router.get(maivi.lua.lua, maivi.allocator, path) orelse return null;
     defer maivi.allocator.free(str);
 
@@ -66,8 +68,8 @@ fn genpath(dir: Io.Dir, path: []const u8) !?void {
         .str("path", path)
         .str("outpath", outpath).log();
     if (std.mem.cutScalarLast(u8, outpath, '/')) |outpath_parts| try mkdir(dir, outpath_parts[0]);
-    const file = try dir.createFile(maivi.io, outpath, .{ .lock = .exclusive });
-    try file.writeStreamingAll(maivi.io, str);
+    const file = try dir.createFile(io, outpath, .{ .lock = .exclusive });
+    try file.writeStreamingAll(io, str);
 }
 
 // helpers ====================================================================