diff --git a/.changeset/empty-poets-wait.md b/.changeset/empty-poets-wait.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5c9004943
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/empty-poets-wait.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@tanstack/db-ivm": patch
+---
+
+Fix memory leak that results in linear memory growth with incremental changes over time. Thanks to @sorenbs for finding and fixing this.
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/d2.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/d2.ts
index fea5f418f..b3149de73 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/d2.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/d2.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import type { MultiSet, MultiSetArray } from "./multiset.js"
 import type { ID2, IStreamBuilder, PipedOperator } from "./types.js"
 
 export class D2 implements ID2 {
-  #streams: Array<DifferenceStreamReader<any>> = []
   #operators: Array<UnaryOperator<any> | BinaryOperator<any>> = []
   #nextOperatorId = 0
   #finalized = false
@@ -31,7 +30,6 @@ export class D2 implements ID2 {
     const writer = new DifferenceStreamWriter<T>()
     // Use the root stream builder that exposes the sendData and sendFrontier methods
     const streamBuilder = new RootStreamBuilder<T>(this, writer)
-    this.#streams.push(streamBuilder.connectReader())
     return streamBuilder
   }
 
@@ -40,11 +38,6 @@ export class D2 implements ID2 {
     this.#operators.push(operator)
   }
 
-  addStream(stream: DifferenceStreamReader<any>): void {
-    this.#checkNotFinalized()
-    this.#streams.push(stream)
-  }
-
   finalize() {
     this.#checkNotFinalized()
     this.#finalized = true
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/concat.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/concat.ts
index fb9f9b053..075320842 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/concat.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/concat.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ export function concat<T, T2>(
       output.writer
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/consolidate.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/consolidate.ts
index 2fc3a0973..cb3b3c492 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/consolidate.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/consolidate.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ export function consolidate<T>(): PipedOperator<T, T> {
       output.writer
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/count.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/count.ts
index 80af798a3..c54ed6234 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/count.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/count.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ export function count<
       output.writer
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/debug.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/debug.ts
index f6646f5ac..0d660c95f 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/debug.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/debug.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ export function debug<T>(
       indent
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/distinct.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/distinct.ts
index 851f3e84a..dc2f5a177 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/distinct.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/distinct.ts
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ export function distinct<T>(by: (value: T) => any = (value: T) => value) {
       by
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/filter.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/filter.ts
index b7cb7574c..b34777505 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/filter.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/filter.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ export function filter<T>(f: (data: T) => boolean): PipedOperator<T, T> {
       f
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/join.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/join.ts
index 259cfbc05..96e9ba962 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/join.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/join.ts
@@ -149,7 +149,6 @@ export function innerJoin<
       output.writer
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/map.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/map.ts
index 467da9b07..2aed5b1f0 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/map.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/map.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ export function map<T, O>(f: (data: T) => O): PipedOperator<T, O> {
       f
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/negate.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/negate.ts
index e9dd5f206..8962c210f 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/negate.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/negate.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ export function negate<T>(): PipedOperator<T, T> {
       output.writer
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/output.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/output.ts
index c6a47d021..5217b3d66 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/output.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/output.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ export function output<T>(
       fn
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(outputStream.connectReader())
     return outputStream
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/reduce.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/reduce.ts
index 47591feaa..4301dced5 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/reduce.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/reduce.ts
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ export function reduce<
       f
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/tap.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/tap.ts
index fcf08d33c..20c59fd5a 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/tap.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/tap.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ export function tap<T>(f: (data: MultiSet<T>) => void): PipedOperator<T, T> {
       f
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/topKWithFractionalIndex.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/topKWithFractionalIndex.ts
index bcb680782..81e72b54a 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/topKWithFractionalIndex.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/topKWithFractionalIndex.ts
@@ -327,7 +327,6 @@ export function topKWithFractionalIndex<KType, T>(
       opts
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/topKWithFractionalIndexBTree.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/topKWithFractionalIndexBTree.ts
index 5f87b6702..7b094d7c4 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/topKWithFractionalIndexBTree.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/operators/topKWithFractionalIndexBTree.ts
@@ -302,7 +302,6 @@ export function topKWithFractionalIndexBTree<KType, T>(
       opts
     )
     stream.graph.addOperator(operator)
-    stream.graph.addStream(output.connectReader())
     return output
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/db-ivm/src/types.ts b/packages/db-ivm/src/types.ts
index fea5a7c6a..b1a8e71d3 100644
--- a/packages/db-ivm/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/db-ivm/src/types.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ export interface ID2 {
   getNextOperatorId: () => number
   newInput: <T>() => IStreamBuilder<T>
   addOperator: (operator: UnaryOperator<any> | BinaryOperator<any>) => void
-  addStream: (stream: DifferenceStreamReader<any>) => void
   finalize: () => void
   step: () => void
 }