diff --git a/Directory.Packages.props b/Directory.Packages.props
index 76d55e5ca..4e695f3d7 100644
--- a/Directory.Packages.props
+++ b/Directory.Packages.props
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     <PackageVersion Include="Dock.Avalonia" Version="$(DockVersion)" />
     <PackageVersion Include="Dock.Avalonia.Themes.Fluent" Version="$(DockVersion)" />
     <PackageVersion Include="Dock.Avalonia.Themes.Simple" Version="$(DockVersion)" />
+    <PackageVersion Include="Dock.Controls.Recycling" Version="$(DockVersion)" />
     <PackageVersion Include="Dock.Model" Version="$(DockVersion)" />
     <PackageVersion Include="Dock.Model.Mvvm" Version="$(DockVersion)" />
     <PackageVersion Include="Dock.Serializer.SystemTextJson" Version="$(DockVersion)" />
diff --git a/ILSpy/App.axaml b/ILSpy/App.axaml
index 79a01c1b8..0c93eef4e 100644
--- a/ILSpy/App.axaml
+++ b/ILSpy/App.axaml
@@ -10,11 +10,21 @@
              xmlns:metaViews="using:ILSpy.Views"
              xmlns:vm="using:ILSpy.ViewModels"
              xmlns:dockTheme="using:Dock.Avalonia.Themes.Simple"
+             xmlns:recycling="using:Avalonia.Controls.Recycling"
+             xmlns:docking="using:ILSpy.Docking"
              xmlns:controls="using:ILSpy.Controls"
              RequestedThemeVariant="Default">
              <!-- "Default" ThemeVariant follows system theme variant. "Dark" or "Light" are other available options. -->
 
     <Application.Resources>
+        <!-- Every dockable owns its view (IDockableViewOwner): the dock chrome must render one
+             view per dockable identity, not one per slot, or two panes sharing a ToolDock slot
+             (e.g. Analyzer + Debug Steps both Bottom-aligned) render each other's content. This
+             resolver hands back the dockable's own view instead of pinning views in a global,
+             never-evicting cache (a leak for transient document tabs). Wired to every DockControl
+             via the style below. -->
+        <docking:DockableViewRecycling x:Key="ControlRecyclingKey" />
+
         <!-- Override ProDataGrid's hierarchical expander to a classic Windows-Explorer-sized 9x9 box,
              plus 4px of left padding (so the ToggleButton itself is 13x9). -->
         <x:Double x:Key="DataGridHierarchicalExpanderSize">13</x:Double>
@@ -70,6 +80,12 @@
         <StyleInclude Source="avares://AvaloniaEdit/Themes/Simple/AvaloniaEdit.xaml" />
         <dockTheme:DockSimpleTheme />
 
+        <!-- Hook the ControlRecycling instance onto every DockControl so the dock chrome
+             resolves views per dockable identity instead of caching one view per dock slot. -->
+        <Style Selector="DockControl">
+            <Setter Property="(recycling:ControlRecyclingDataTemplate.ControlRecycling)" Value="{StaticResource ControlRecyclingKey}" />
+        </Style>
+
         <!-- Suppress the column header's hover / pressed fill while the user is interacting
              with content INSIDE the header (e.g. typing into a per-column filter TextBox).
              Without this, clicking the TextBox briefly flashes the header background blue —
diff --git a/ILSpy/Docking/DockableViewRecycling.cs b/ILSpy/Docking/DockableViewRecycling.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b38f7a09b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ILSpy/Docking/DockableViewRecycling.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2026 AlphaSierraPapa for the SharpDevelop Team
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this
+// software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software
+// without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge,
+// publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons
+// to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or
+// substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
+// INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+// PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE
+// FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
+// DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+using Avalonia;
+using Avalonia.Controls;
+using Avalonia.Controls.Presenters;
+using Avalonia.Controls.Recycling;
+using Avalonia.Controls.Recycling.Model;
+using Avalonia.VisualTree;
+
+namespace ILSpy.Docking
+{
+	/// <summary>
+	/// View resolver for the dock chrome. The dock must render one view per dockable identity
+	/// (not one per slot) or two dockables sharing a slot render each other's content. Rather
+	/// than pinning views in an app-lifetime, never-evicting global cache (a leak for transient
+	/// document tabs), every dockable owns its view via <see cref="IDockableViewOwner"/>: this
+	/// resolver builds the view once through the <see cref="ViewLocator"/> on first resolution,
+	/// stores it on the dockable, and hands the same instance back on every later resolution
+	/// (tab switch, drag to a new slot). The view then lives and dies with the dockable.
+	///
+	/// <para>
+	/// Because the owned view is returned directly, the dock never re-resolves it through the
+	/// data-template machinery on a cache hit, so the recursive template re-entry that the stock
+	/// <see cref="ControlRecycling"/> is prone to cannot occur. Non-owner dockables (if any) fall
+	/// through to a stock <see cref="ControlRecycling"/>.
+	/// </para>
+	/// </summary>
+	public sealed class DockableViewRecycling : IControlRecycling
+	{
+		readonly ControlRecycling fallback = new();
+		readonly ViewLocator viewLocator = new();
+
+		// Exposed for tests: the stock recycler used only for non-owner dockables. Owners must
+		// never end up here -- that global, never-evicting cache is the leak the owned-view model
+		// replaces.
+		internal ControlRecycling FallbackCache => fallback;
+
+		public bool TryToUseIdAsKey {
+			get => fallback.TryToUseIdAsKey;
+			set => fallback.TryToUseIdAsKey = value;
+		}
+
+		public bool TryGetValue(object? data, out object? control)
+		{
+			if (data is IDockableViewOwner { OwnedView: { } view })
+			{
+				control = view;
+				return true;
+			}
+			return fallback.TryGetValue(data, out control);
+		}
+
+		public void Add(object data, object control)
+		{
+			if (data is IDockableViewOwner owner && control is Control view)
+				owner.OwnedView = view;
+			else
+				fallback.Add(data, control);
+		}
+
+		public void Clear() => fallback.Clear();
+
+		public object? Build(object? data, object? existing, object? parent)
+		{
+			if (data is not IDockableViewOwner owner)
+				return fallback.Build(data, existing, parent);
+
+			var view = owner.OwnedView ??= viewLocator.Build(data);
+			if (view is null)
+				return null;
+			if (ReferenceEquals(existing, view) || TryDetachFromParent(view))
+				return view;
+			// Detach failed: the owned view is still attached to its previous slot -- e.g. mid-drag
+			// the dock shows it in the source slot while this resolution targets the new slot, and
+			// the source's DeferredContentPresenter rebuilds its child synchronously so it won't
+			// release. Adopt a fresh view as the owned instance (the stuck one is discarded when its
+			// slot tears down) so the dockable actually moves. Mirrors stock ControlRecycling
+			// caching its BuildFallback result -- without re-adopting, OwnedView stays pinned to the
+			// stuck view and the dockable never relocates.
+			var fresh = viewLocator.Build(data);
+			owner.OwnedView = fresh;
+			return fresh;
+		}
+
+		// Faithful port of the stock ControlRecycling's TryDetachFromParent: detach the control
+		// from whatever container currently holds it so it can be re-parented into a new dock
+		// slot. Returns false when the control could not be released (its visual parent is still
+		// set afterwards) -- the caller then builds a fresh view instead of moving this one. The
+		// logical Parent is null when the control sits inside a templated host (Dock's
+		// DeferredContentPresenter is a ContentPresenter), so fall back to the visual parent.
+		static bool TryDetachFromParent(Control control)
+		{
+			var parent = control.Parent ?? control.GetVisualParent() as StyledElement;
+			switch (parent)
+			{
+				case null:
+					return true;
+				case Panel panel:
+					return panel.Children.Remove(control);
+				case ContentPresenter presenter:
+					if (!ReferenceEquals(presenter.Child, control))
+						return false;
+					presenter.SetCurrentValue(ContentPresenter.ContentProperty, null);
+					presenter.UpdateChild();
+					return control.GetVisualParent() is null;
+				case ContentControl contentControl:
+					if (!ReferenceEquals(contentControl.Content, control))
+						return false;
+					contentControl.SetCurrentValue(ContentControl.ContentProperty, null);
+					return true;
+				case Decorator decorator:
+					if (!ReferenceEquals(decorator.Child, control))
+						return false;
+					decorator.Child = null;
+					return true;
+				default:
+					return false;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/ILSpy/Docking/IDockableViewOwner.cs b/ILSpy/Docking/IDockableViewOwner.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..36e1832fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ILSpy/Docking/IDockableViewOwner.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2026 AlphaSierraPapa for the SharpDevelop Team
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this
+// software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software
+// without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge,
+// publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons
+// to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or
+// substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
+// INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+// PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE
+// FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
+// DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+using Avalonia.Controls;
+
+namespace ILSpy.Docking
+{
+	/// <summary>
+	/// A dockable view-model that owns its realised view instance. The dock chrome must render
+	/// one view per dockable identity (not one per dock slot) or two dockables sharing a slot
+	/// render each other's content; <see cref="DockableViewRecycling"/> satisfies that by handing
+	/// back the owner's <see cref="OwnedView"/> instead of pinning views in a global cache. The
+	/// view then lives and dies with the dockable: singleton dockables (tool panes, the Options /
+	/// About pages) keep one view for the app's life, and transient document tabs release theirs
+	/// for GC the moment the tab is dropped.
+	/// </summary>
+	public interface IDockableViewOwner
+	{
+		/// <summary>
+		/// The realised view for this dockable, created lazily by <see cref="DockableViewRecycling"/>
+		/// on first resolution and reused for every subsequent resolution (tab switch, drag to a new
+		/// slot). Null until first realised.
+		/// </summary>
+		Control? OwnedView { get; set; }
+	}
+}
diff --git a/ILSpy/ILSpy.csproj b/ILSpy/ILSpy.csproj
index 17d8ae42f..9a67f6b18 100644
--- a/ILSpy/ILSpy.csproj
+++ b/ILSpy/ILSpy.csproj
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
     <PackageReference Include="Avalonia.Xaml.Behaviors" />
     <PackageReference Include="Dock.Avalonia" />
     <PackageReference Include="Dock.Avalonia.Themes.Simple" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Dock.Controls.Recycling" />
     <PackageReference Include="Dock.Model.Mvvm" />
     <PackageReference Include="Dock.Serializer.SystemTextJson" />
     <PackageReference Include="ProDataGrid" />
diff --git a/ILSpy/ViewLocator.cs b/ILSpy/ViewLocator.cs
index fdc171a95..ecdb22c2d 100644
--- a/ILSpy/ViewLocator.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/ViewLocator.cs
@@ -17,42 +17,81 @@
 // DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 
 using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
 
 using Avalonia.Controls;
 using Avalonia.Controls.Templates;
 
+using Dock.Model.Core;
+
+using ILSpy.Analyzers;
+using ILSpy.AssemblyTree;
+using ILSpy.Compare;
+using ILSpy.Search;
+using ILSpy.TextView;
 using ILSpy.ViewModels;
+using ILSpy.Views;
 
 namespace ILSpy
 {
 	/// <summary>
-	/// Given a view model, returns the corresponding view if possible.
+	/// Single application-wide IDataTemplate that resolves a view-model to its view. Two
+	/// resolution paths:
+	///   1. Explicit <see cref="s_views"/> map (Dock-hosted view-models). Dispatched via
+	///      a parameter-less ctor delegate — equivalent to MvvmSample's compile-time
+	///      <c>[StaticViewLocator]</c>-generated dictionary.
+	///   2. Convention fallback for any <see cref="ViewModelBase"/>-derived viewmodel:
+	///      <c>SomeViewModel</c> → <c>SomeView</c> resolved via <see cref="Type.GetType(string)"/>.
+	///
+	/// <para>
+	/// One locator instance handles every <see cref="IDockable"/> (and any
+	/// <see cref="ViewModelBase"/>) rather than N typed
+	/// <c>&lt;DataTemplate DataType="..."/&gt;</c> blocks in App.axaml: the owned-view
+	/// resolver (<c>DockableViewRecycling</c>) builds each dockable's view through this map
+	/// once, and a single shared template keeps view resolution uniform across the dock
+	/// chrome. Mirrors <c>samples/DockMvvmSample</c>'s StaticViewLocator shape.
+	/// </para>
 	/// </summary>
 	[RequiresUnreferencedCode(
-		"Default implementation of ViewLocator involves reflection which may be trimmed away.",
+		"Convention fallback uses reflection (Type.GetType) which may be trimmed.",
 		Url = "https://docs.avaloniaui.net/docs/concepts/view-locator")]
 	public class ViewLocator : IDataTemplate
 	{
+		static readonly Dictionary<Type, Func<Control>> s_views = new() {
+			{ typeof(AssemblyTreeModel),       () => new AssemblyListPane() },
+			{ typeof(SearchPaneModel),         () => new SearchPane() },
+			{ typeof(AnalyzerTreeViewModel),   () => new AnalyzerTreeView() },
+			{ typeof(ContentTabPage),          () => new ContentTabPageView() },
+			{ typeof(DecompilerTabPageModel),  () => new DecompilerTextView() },
+			{ typeof(MetadataTablePageModel),  () => new MetadataTablePage() },
+			{ typeof(CompareTabPageModel),     () => new CompareView() },
+#if DEBUG
+			{ typeof(DebugStepsPaneModel),     () => new DebugSteps() },
+#endif
+		};
+
 		public Control? Build(object? param)
 		{
 			if (param is null)
 				return null;
-
+			if (s_views.TryGetValue(param.GetType(), out var ctor))
+				return ctor();
+			// Convention fallback for ViewModelBase-derived VMs not in the explicit map.
 			var name = param.GetType().FullName!.Replace("ViewModel", "View", StringComparison.Ordinal);
 			var type = Type.GetType(name);
-
 			if (type != null)
-			{
 				return (Control)Activator.CreateInstance(type)!;
-			}
-
 			return new TextBlock { Text = "Not Found: " + name };
 		}
 
 		public bool Match(object? data)
 		{
-			return data is ViewModelBase;
+			if (data is null)
+				return false;
+			return data is IDockable
+				|| data is ViewModelBase
+				|| s_views.ContainsKey(data.GetType());
 		}
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/ILSpy/ViewModels/ContentTabPage.cs b/ILSpy/ViewModels/ContentTabPage.cs
index 285d0fc08..998803837 100644
--- a/ILSpy/ViewModels/ContentTabPage.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/ViewModels/ContentTabPage.cs
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 
 using System.ComponentModel;
 
+using Avalonia.Controls;
+
 using CommunityToolkit.Mvvm.ComponentModel;
 
 using Dock.Controls.DeferredContentControl;
@@ -25,6 +27,8 @@ using Dock.Model.Core;
 
 using ICSharpCode.ILSpyX.TreeView;
 
+using ILSpy.Docking;
+
 namespace ILSpy.ViewModels
 {
 	/// <summary>
@@ -34,8 +38,11 @@ namespace ILSpy.ViewModels
 	/// which is visible — Dock.Avalonia's add+close-in-the-same-tick semantics otherwise
 	/// leave the previous view rendered when the tab type changes.
 	/// </summary>
-	public sealed partial class ContentTabPage : TabPageModel, IDeferredContentPresentation
+	public sealed partial class ContentTabPage : TabPageModel, IDeferredContentPresentation, IDockableViewOwner
 	{
+		// Each document tab owns its view; it is released for GC when the tab is dropped.
+		public Control? OwnedView { get; set; }
+
 		public ContentTabPage()
 		{
 			// Same reason as ToolPaneModel — Dock's chrome template binds against
diff --git a/ILSpy/ViewModels/ToolPaneModel.cs b/ILSpy/ViewModels/ToolPaneModel.cs
index 2e125b542..8b365a045 100644
--- a/ILSpy/ViewModels/ToolPaneModel.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/ViewModels/ToolPaneModel.cs
@@ -16,10 +16,14 @@
 // OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
 // DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 
+using Avalonia.Controls;
+
 using Dock.Controls.DeferredContentControl;
 using Dock.Model.Core;
 using Dock.Model.Mvvm.Controls;
 
+using ILSpy.Docking;
+
 namespace ILSpy.ViewModels
 {
 	/// <summary>
@@ -37,7 +41,7 @@ namespace ILSpy.ViewModels
 	/// startup logs a <c>[Binding]</c> error per property — adds up to ~30 errors per
 	/// launch.
 	/// </summary>
-	public abstract class ToolPaneModel : Tool, IDeferredContentPresentation
+	public abstract class ToolPaneModel : Tool, IDeferredContentPresentation, IDockableViewOwner
 	{
 		protected ToolPaneModel()
 		{
@@ -45,5 +49,8 @@ namespace ILSpy.ViewModels
 		}
 
 		bool IDeferredContentPresentation.DeferContentPresentation => false;
+
+		// Each tool pane is a singleton, so this holds its one view for the app's life.
+		public Control? OwnedView { get; set; }
 	}
 }