diff --git a/kernel/Makefile b/kernel/Makefile
index ec6025e3..8afb3e16 100644
--- a/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/Makefile
@@ -730,8 +730,8 @@ V4_ENGINE_SRCS := $(addprefix v4/src/,node.c exec.c stack.c iword.c heat.c guard
 V4_ROM_C       := $(BUILD_DIR)/v4_rom_64.c
 V4_MAP_C       := $(BUILD_DIR)/v4_map_64.c
 
-LOADER_EXTRA_SRCS += $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_identity.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_marker.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_grow.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_mint.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_stop.c
-KERNEL_EXTRA_SRCS += $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_identity.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_marker.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_grow.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_mint.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_stop.c
+LOADER_EXTRA_SRCS += $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_identity.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_marker.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_grow.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_mint.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_stop.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_slots.c
+KERNEL_EXTRA_SRCS += $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_identity.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_marker.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_grow.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_mint.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_stop.c $(KERNEL_SRC)/v4/sk_v4_slots.c
 # v4/system/boot.c is the boot the hosted v4 system runs too: the ROM
 # assembles the system, then the capsules from this kernel's own capsule
 # directory, then the prompt.
diff --git a/kernel/include/starkernel/v4/sk_v4_slots.h b/kernel/include/starkernel/v4/sk_v4_slots.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f7a4409a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kernel/include/starkernel/v4/sk_v4_slots.h
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-Starship-1.0
+ * Copyright (c) 2023-2026 Robert A. James
+ */
+/* sk_v4_slots.h -- an xHCI controller's drive slots, for sk_v4_identity.c (#178): the array the
+ * attached drives live in, which the identity code holds pointers into (the offered stick, the
+ * spare, the real Zuse's, Zuse's own device). */
+#ifndef STARKERNEL_V4_SK_V4_SLOTS_H
+#define STARKERNEL_V4_SK_V4_SLOTS_H
+
+#include <stddef.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+/* The slot array in *slots, `elem` bytes a slot, *count of them: allocated (zeroed) when there is
+ * none, with `want` slots. Returns how many slots may be used (0: none could be allocated). */
+uint32_t sk_v4_slots_get(void **slots, uint32_t *count, uint32_t want, size_t elem);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/kernel/src/v4/sk_v4_identity.c b/kernel/src/v4/sk_v4_identity.c
index cb79c1c7..a0340708 100644
--- a/kernel/src/v4/sk_v4_identity.c
+++ b/kernel/src/v4/sk_v4_identity.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
  * ACL-ZUSE-BOOT.
  */
 #include "starkernel/v4/sk_v4_identity.h"
+#include "starkernel/v4/sk_v4_slots.h"
 #include "starkernel/console.h"
 #include "starkernel/arch.h"
 #include "starkernel/apic.h"
@@ -510,15 +511,14 @@ static void sk_v4_idle(void)
         for (xc = 0; xc < xhci_dev_count() && xc < XHCI_MAX_CONTROLLERS; xc++) {
             xhci_dev_t *xdev = xhci_dev_at(xc);
             if (!xdev) continue;
-            if (!g_usb[xc].slots || g_usb[xc].count < xdev->max_slots + 1) {
-                size_t bytes = (size_t)(xdev->max_slots + 1) * sizeof(sk_v4_drive_t);
-                sk_v4_drive_t *fresh = (sk_v4_drive_t *)kmalloc_aligned(bytes, 64);
-                if (!fresh) continue;
-                memset(fresh, 0, bytes);
-                g_usb[xc].slots = fresh;
-                g_usb[xc].count = xdev->max_slots + 1;
+            /* allocated once and never replaced: the identity code holds pointers into it (#178) */
+            {
+                void *slots = g_usb[xc].slots;
+                uint32_t usable = sk_v4_slots_get(&slots, &g_usb[xc].count, xdev->max_slots + 1, sizeof(sk_v4_drive_t));
+                g_usb[xc].slots = (sk_v4_drive_t *)slots;
+                if (usable == 0) continue;
             }
-            for (slot = 1; slot <= xdev->max_slots; slot++) {
+            for (slot = 1; slot <= xdev->max_slots && slot < g_usb[xc].count; slot++) {
                 xhci_msc_slot_t *ms = xhci_msc_slot_for(xdev, slot);
                 if (!ms || !ms->bot_msc_attach_pending) continue;
                 ms->bot_msc_attach_pending = 0;
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ static void sk_v4_idle(void)
                     sk_v4_drive_arrived(&g_usb[xc].slots[slot]))
                     ms->bot_msc_attached = 1;
             }
-            for (slot = 1; slot <= xdev->max_slots; slot++) {
+            for (slot = 1; slot <= xdev->max_slots && slot < g_usb[xc].count; slot++) {
                 xhci_msc_slot_t *ms = xhci_msc_slot_for(xdev, slot);
                 if (!ms || !ms->bot_msc_detach_pending) continue;
                 ms->bot_msc_detach_pending = 0;
diff --git a/kernel/src/v4/sk_v4_slots.c b/kernel/src/v4/sk_v4_slots.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35046f4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kernel/src/v4/sk_v4_slots.c
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-Starship-1.0
+ * Copyright (c) 2023-2026 Robert A. James
+ */
+/* sk_v4_slots.c -- see sk_v4_slots.h. */
+#include "starkernel/v4/sk_v4_slots.h"
+#include "starkernel/kmalloc.h"
+#include <string.h>
+
+/* sk_v4_idle replaced the array whenever a controller's max_slots + 1 was more than it held: the
+ * old one dropped, neither copied nor freed, while the identity code held pointers into it (#178).
+ * Now it is allocated once, at the size first asked for, and never replaced; the slots that may be
+ * used are the ones it has. */
+uint32_t sk_v4_slots_get(void **slots, uint32_t *count, uint32_t want, size_t elem)
+{
+    if (!*slots && want) {
+        void *fresh = kmalloc_aligned(want * elem, 64);
+        if (!fresh) return 0;
+        memset(fresh, 0, want * elem);
+        *slots = fresh;
+        *count = want;
+    }
+    return *slots ? *count : 0;
+}
diff --git a/kernel/tests/Makefile b/kernel/tests/Makefile
index 69d3a995..973c192e 100644
--- a/kernel/tests/Makefile
+++ b/kernel/tests/Makefile
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ CC     ?= cc
 CFLAGS := -std=c99 -Wall -Wextra -Werror -O2 -g -I$(HERE) -I$(ROOT)/kernel/include \
           -I$(ROOT)/kernel/include/starkernel -I$(ROOT)/v3/include
 
-TESTS := test_gpt test_usb_config test_sk_v4_stop
+TESTS := test_gpt test_usb_config test_sk_v4_stop test_sk_v4_slots
+SRC_test_sk_v4_slots := $(ROOT)/kernel/src/v4/sk_v4_slots.c
 SRC_test_sk_v4_stop := $(ROOT)/kernel/src/v4/sk_v4_stop.c
 SRC_test_gpt := $(ROOT)/kernel/src/gpt.c
 SRC_test_usb_config := $(ROOT)/kernel/src/usb/usb_config.c
diff --git a/kernel/tests/test_sk_v4_slots.c b/kernel/tests/test_sk_v4_slots.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5d3d6b83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kernel/tests/test_sk_v4_slots.c
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-Starship-1.0
+ * Copyright (c) 2023-2026 Robert A. James
+ */
+/* test_sk_v4_slots.c -- kernel/src/v4/sk_v4_slots.c on the host (#178): a controller's drive slots
+ * are allocated once and never replaced, so the pointers the identity code keeps into them (the
+ * offered stick, the spare, Zuse's device) stay good. kmalloc_aligned is faked.
+ */
+#define _POSIX_C_SOURCE 200809L
+#include "harness.h"
+#include "starkernel/v4/sk_v4_slots.h"
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+static unsigned allocs;
+void *kmalloc_aligned(size_t size, size_t align) { void *p = 0; allocs++; return posix_memalign(&p, align, size) ? 0 : p; }
+
+typedef struct { int attached; char name[16]; } drive;   /* a slot, as sk_v4_drive_t is to the identity code */
+
+int main(void)
+{
+    void *slots = 0;
+    uint32_t count = 0, n;
+    drive *d, *held;
+
+    n = sk_v4_slots_get(&slots, &count, 9u, sizeof(drive));
+    d = (drive *)slots;
+    CHECK(n == 9u && d && allocs == 1u && d[3].attached == 0, "first: 9 zeroed slots, one allocation (n %u)", n);
+    d[3].attached = 1; strcpy(d[3].name, "Zuse");
+    held = &d[3];                                       /* as g_zuse_dev, g_offered, g_spare hold one */
+
+    n = sk_v4_slots_get(&slots, &count, 9u, sizeof(drive));
+    CHECK(slots == (void *)d && n == 9u && allocs == 1u, "again, the same size: the same array, no allocation");
+
+    n = sk_v4_slots_get(&slots, &count, 17u, sizeof(drive));
+    CHECK(slots == (void *)d && allocs == 1u, "#178: asked for more: the same array, not replaced (allocations %u)", allocs);
+    CHECK(n == 9u, "#178: and only the 9 slots it has may be used, not 17 (n %u)", n);
+    CHECK(held->attached == 1 && strcmp(held->name, "Zuse") == 0 && held == &((drive *)slots)[3],
+          "#178: a pointer held into a slot is still the slot, with the drive in it");
+
+    {
+        void *none = 0; uint32_t c = 0;
+        unsigned before = allocs;
+        CHECK(sk_v4_slots_get(&none, &c, 0u, sizeof(drive)) == 0u && none == 0 && allocs == before,
+              "0 slots wanted: none to use, nothing allocated");
+    }
+    return DONE();
+}
diff --git a/logs/20261112-180556/kernel-tests/test_sk_v4_slots.log b/logs/20261112-180556/kernel-tests/test_sk_v4_slots.log
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca4a551f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/logs/20261112-180556/kernel-tests/test_sk_v4_slots.log
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+version https://git-lfs.github.com/spec/v1
+oid sha256:6a3dcace9ccca1f28c365c1b58e1f51096ec8de60d3e81e70d742cb15a62c82f
+size 763