diff --git a/src/remote/query-optimizer.test.ts b/src/remote/query-optimizer.test.ts
index e67c41e..59bbff1 100644
--- a/src/remote/query-optimizer.test.ts
+++ b/src/remote/query-optimizer.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { Connectable } from "../sync/connectable.ts";
 import { setTimeout } from "node:timers/promises";
 import { assertArrayIncludes } from "@std/assert/array-includes";
 import { assert, assertGreater } from "@std/assert";
-import { RecentQuery, type OptimizedQuery } from "../sql/recent-query.ts";
+import { type OptimizedQuery, RecentQuery } from "../sql/recent-query.ts";
 
 Deno.test({
   name: "controller syncs correctly",
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ Deno.test({
       .start();
 
     const manager = ConnectionManager.forLocalDatabase();
-    const optimizer = new QueryOptimizer(manager);
+    const conn = Connectable.fromString(pg.getConnectionUri());
+    const optimizer = new QueryOptimizer(manager, conn);
 
     const expectedImprovements = ["select * from testing where a = $1"];
     const expectedNoImprovements = [
@@ -71,11 +72,10 @@ Deno.test({
       noImprovements.push(query.query);
     });
 
-    const conn = Connectable.fromString(pg.getConnectionUri());
     const connector = manager.getConnectorFor(conn);
     try {
       const recentQueries = await connector.getRecentQueries();
-      const includedQueries = await optimizer.start(conn, recentQueries, {
+      const includedQueries = await optimizer.start(recentQueries, {
         kind: "fromStatisticsExport",
         source: { kind: "inline" },
         stats: [{
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ Deno.test({
       assertArrayIncludes(expectedNoImprovements, noImprovements);
       console.log("improvements 1", improvements);
       console.log("no improvements 1", noImprovements);
-      await optimizer.start(conn, recentQueries, {
+      await optimizer.start(recentQueries, {
         kind: "fromStatisticsExport",
         source: { kind: "inline" },
         stats: [{
@@ -187,7 +187,9 @@ Deno.test({
   sanitizeOps: false,
   sanitizeResources: false,
   fn: async () => {
-    const pg = await new PostgreSqlContainer("timescale/timescaledb:latest-pg16")
+    const pg = await new PostgreSqlContainer(
+      "timescale/timescaledb:latest-pg16",
+    )
       .withCopyContentToContainer([
         {
           content: `
@@ -248,7 +250,8 @@ Deno.test({
       .start();
 
     const manager = ConnectionManager.forLocalDatabase();
-    const optimizer = new QueryOptimizer(manager);
+    const conn = Connectable.fromString(pg.getConnectionUri());
+    const optimizer = new QueryOptimizer(manager, conn);
 
     const improvementsWithRecommendations: OptimizedQuery[] = [];
 
@@ -259,12 +262,11 @@ Deno.test({
       improvementsWithRecommendations.push(query);
     });
 
-    const conn = Connectable.fromString(pg.getConnectionUri());
     const connector = manager.getConnectorFor(conn);
     try {
       const recentQueries = await connector.getRecentQueries();
 
-      await optimizer.start(conn, recentQueries, {
+      await optimizer.start(recentQueries, {
         kind: "fromStatisticsExport",
         source: { kind: "inline" },
         stats: [
diff --git a/src/remote/query-optimizer.ts b/src/remote/query-optimizer.ts
index f1bf79b..55dc86c 100644
--- a/src/remote/query-optimizer.ts
+++ b/src/remote/query-optimizer.ts
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@ type EventMap = {
   zeroCostPlan: [OptimizedQuery];
   noImprovements: [OptimizedQuery];
   improvementsAvailable: [OptimizedQuery];
+  vacuumStart: [];
+  vacuumEnd: [];
 };
 
 type Target = {
-  connectable: Connectable;
   optimizer: IndexOptimizer;
   statistics: Statistics;
 };
@@ -51,8 +52,12 @@ export class QueryOptimizer extends EventEmitter<EventMap> {
   private _allQueries = 0;
   private running = false;
 
+  private queriedSinceVacuum = 0;
+  private static readonly vacuumThreshold = 5;
+
   constructor(
     private readonly manager: ConnectionManager,
+    private readonly connectable: Connectable,
   ) {
     super();
   }
@@ -84,14 +89,13 @@ export class QueryOptimizer extends EventEmitter<EventMap> {
    * Resolves when all queries are optimized
    */
   async start(
-    conn: Connectable,
     allRecentQueries: RecentQuery[],
     statsMode: StatisticsMode = QueryOptimizer.defaultStatistics,
   ): Promise<OptimizedQuery[]> {
     this.stop();
     const validQueries = this.appendQueries(allRecentQueries);
     const version = PostgresVersion.parse("17");
-    const pg = this.manager.getOrCreateConnection(conn);
+    const pg = this.manager.getOrCreateConnection(this.connectable);
     const ownStats = await Statistics.dumpStats(pg, version, "full");
     const statistics = new Statistics(
       pg,
@@ -105,7 +109,7 @@ export class QueryOptimizer extends EventEmitter<EventMap> {
       // so traces have to be disabled
       trace: false,
     });
-    this.target = { connectable: conn, optimizer, statistics };
+    this.target = { optimizer, statistics };
 
     this._allQueries = this.queries.size;
     await this.work();
@@ -206,6 +210,11 @@ export class QueryOptimizer extends EventEmitter<EventMap> {
           optimized,
           this.target,
         );
+        this.queriedSinceVacuum++;
+        if (this.queriedSinceVacuum > QueryOptimizer.vacuumThreshold) {
+          await this.vacuum();
+          this.queriedSinceVacuum = 0;
+        }
 
         this.queries.set(
           optimized.hash,
@@ -224,6 +233,16 @@ export class QueryOptimizer extends EventEmitter<EventMap> {
     return Array.from(this.queries.values());
   }
 
+  private async vacuum() {
+    const connector = this.manager.getConnectorFor(this.connectable);
+    try {
+      this.emit("vacuumStart");
+      await connector.vacuum();
+    } finally {
+      this.emit("vacuumEnd");
+    }
+  }
+
   private checkQueryUnsupported(
     query: RecentQuery,
   ): { type: "ok" } | { type: "ignored" } | {
diff --git a/src/remote/remote.ts b/src/remote/remote.ts
index 477a10c..ba860e3 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote.ts
+++ b/src/remote/remote.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ export class Remote extends EventEmitter<RemoteEvents> {
     super();
     this.baseDbURL = targetURL.withDatabaseName(Remote.baseDbName);
     this.optimizingDbUDRL = targetURL.withDatabaseName(Remote.optimizingDbName);
-    this.optimizer = new QueryOptimizer(manager);
+    this.optimizer = new QueryOptimizer(manager, this.optimizingDbUDRL);
   }
 
   async syncFrom(
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ export class Remote extends EventEmitter<RemoteEvents> {
       await postgres.exec("drop schema if exists extensions cascade");
     }
     this.startQueryLoader(source);
-    this.optimizer.start(this.optimizingDbUDRL, recentQueries, stats);
+    this.optimizer.start(recentQueries, stats);
   }
 
   private startQueryLoader(source: Connectable) {
diff --git a/src/sync/pg-connector.ts b/src/sync/pg-connector.ts
index 2b6770b..193bfcb 100644
--- a/src/sync/pg-connector.ts
+++ b/src/sync/pg-connector.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,11 @@ import type {
 import { log } from "../log.ts";
 import { shutdownController } from "../shutdown.ts";
 import { withSpan } from "../otel.ts";
-import { PgIdentifier, Postgres } from "@query-doctor/core";
+import {
+  PgIdentifier,
+  Postgres,
+  PostgresQueryBuilder,
+} from "@query-doctor/core";
 import { SegmentedQueryCache } from "./seen-cache.ts";
 import { FullSchema, FullSchemaColumn } from "./schema_differ.ts";
 import { ExtensionNotInstalledError, PostgresError } from "./errors.ts";
@@ -521,6 +525,17 @@ ORDER BY
     }
   }
 
+  public async vacuum(): Promise<void> {
+    const vacuumAnalyze = new PostgresQueryBuilder("vacuum analyze")
+      .introspect()
+      .build();
+    try {
+      await this.db.exec(vacuumAnalyze);
+    } catch (err) {
+      throw new PostgresError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err));
+    }
+  }
+
   public async checkPrivilege(): Promise<{
     username: string;
     isSuperuser: boolean;