diff --git a/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/codeCache.cpp b/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/codeCache.cpp
index 5203d5c5d..a18d8c2e6 100644
--- a/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/codeCache.cpp
+++ b/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/codeCache.cpp
@@ -144,6 +144,33 @@ CodeCache::~CodeCache() {
   free(_build_id);  // Free build-id memory
 }
 
+long long CodeCache::memoryUsage() const {
+  // The blob array: _capacity entries of CodeBlob.
+  long long total = (long long)_capacity * sizeof(CodeBlob);
+
+  // This cache's own name, plus each symbol's name string. Each is a
+  // variable-length allocation whose size depends on the name length
+  // (see NativeFunc::allocSize). Both the name pointers and the array are fixed
+  // once the library is published (the same read the symbolication fast path
+  // does), so this is safe to read at dump time without extra synchronization.
+  total += (long long)NativeFunc::allocSize(_name);
+  for (int i = 0; i < _count; i++) {
+    total += (long long)NativeFunc::allocSize(_blobs[i]._name);
+  }
+
+  // The DWARF unwind table, when present (length only — no pointer deref).
+  total += (long long)_dwarf_table_length * sizeof(FrameDesc);
+
+  // The build-id string is intentionally NOT counted here: the background
+  // library refresher (Libraries::updateBuildIds) frees and replaces _build_id
+  // on already-published caches under _build_id_lock, which dump does not hold,
+  // so dereferencing it here would race. It is negligible (~tens of bytes per
+  // library) next to the symbol tables, so excluding it costs no meaningful
+  // accuracy while keeping this read lock-free.
+
+  return total;
+}
+
 void CodeCache::expand() {
   CodeBlob *old_blobs = _blobs;
   CodeBlob *new_blobs = new CodeBlob[_capacity * 2];
diff --git a/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/codeCache.h b/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/codeCache.h
index 92b45bf47..bfa65c660 100644
--- a/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/codeCache.h
+++ b/ddprof-lib/src/main/cpp/codeCache.h
@@ -74,6 +74,15 @@ class NativeFunc {
   static char *create(const char *name, short lib_index);
   static void destroy(char *name);
 
+  // Size of the heap allocation backing a name string produced by create().
+  // Mirrors the size computed there so callers can account for it. 0 if null.
+  static size_t allocSize(const char *name) {
+    if (name == nullptr) {
+      return 0;
+    }
+    return align_up(sizeof(NativeFunc) + 1 + strlen(name), sizeof(NativeFunc *));
+  }
+
   static short libIndex(const char *name) {
     if (name == nullptr) {
       return -1;
@@ -251,9 +260,14 @@ class CodeCache {
   void setDwarfTable(FrameDesc *table, int length, const FrameDesc &default_frame = FrameDesc::default_frame);
   FrameDesc findFrameDesc(const void *pc);
 
-  long long memoryUsage() {
-    return _capacity * sizeof(CodeBlob *) + _count * sizeof(NativeFunc);
-  }
+  // Live size of what this CodeCache owns on the heap: the blob array, the
+  // per-symbol name strings (variable length), this cache's own name, and the
+  // DWARF unwind table. Recomputed on demand (called only at dump time), so it
+  // reflects the current contents. The build-id string is deliberately excluded
+  // — it is mutated by the background refresher and negligible in size (see the
+  // definition). Const and lock-free: reads only fields that are stable once the
+  // library is published.
+  long long memoryUsage() const;
 
   int count() { return _count; }
   CodeBlob* blob(int idx) {
@@ -266,11 +280,10 @@ class CodeCacheArray {
   CodeCache *_libs[MAX_NATIVE_LIBS];
   volatile int _reserved;       // next slot to reserve (CAS by writers)
   volatile int _count;          // published count (all indices < _count have non-NULL pointers)
-  volatile size_t _used_memory;
   bool _overflow_reported;
 
 public:
-  CodeCacheArray() : _reserved(0), _count(0), _used_memory(0), _overflow_reported(false) {
+  CodeCacheArray() : _reserved(0), _count(0), _overflow_reported(false) {
     memset(_libs, 0, MAX_NATIVE_LIBS * sizeof(CodeCache *));
   }
 
@@ -296,7 +309,6 @@ class CodeCacheArray {
     } while (!__atomic_compare_exchange_n(&_reserved, &slot, slot + 1,
                                           true, __ATOMIC_RELAXED, __ATOMIC_RELAXED));
     assert(__atomic_load_n(&_libs[slot], __ATOMIC_RELAXED) == nullptr);
-    __atomic_fetch_add(&_used_memory, lib->memoryUsage(), __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
     // Store pointer before publishing count. The RELEASE here pairs with
     // the ACQUIRE load in operator[]/at() and count().
     __atomic_store_n(&_libs[slot], lib, __ATOMIC_RELEASE);
@@ -316,8 +328,21 @@ class CodeCacheArray {
     return __atomic_load_n(&_libs[index], __ATOMIC_ACQUIRE);
   }
 
+  // Sum the live memory of all registered libraries. Recomputed on demand
+  // (called only at dump time) so it reflects each library's current size,
+  // including symbols added after the library was registered. The array is
+  // append-only, so iterating the published prefix is safe alongside
+  // concurrent add()s.
   size_t memoryUsage() const {
-    return __atomic_load_n(&_used_memory, __ATOMIC_RELAXED);
+    size_t total = 0;
+    int n = count();
+    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+      CodeCache *lib = at(i);
+      if (lib != nullptr) {
+        total += (size_t)lib->memoryUsage();
+      }
+    }
+    return total;
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/ddprof-lib/src/test/cpp/codeCache_ut.cpp b/ddprof-lib/src/test/cpp/codeCache_ut.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a67964557
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ddprof-lib/src/test/cpp/codeCache_ut.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2026, Datadog, Inc.
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include "codeCache.h"
+
+// memoryUsage() must reflect the actual per-symbol name length, not a fixed
+// per-symbol constant: adding one symbol grows the reported usage by exactly
+// the allocation size of its name string.
+TEST(CodeCacheTest, MemoryUsageCountsSymbolNameLength) {
+    CodeCache cc("testlib");
+    long long base = cc.memoryUsage();
+
+    const char *name =
+        "a_long_symbol_name_well_beyond_sizeof_NativeFunc_padding_xxxxxxxxxxxx";
+    cc.add(reinterpret_cast<const void *>(0x1000), 16, name);
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(NativeFunc::allocSize(name), (size_t)(cc.memoryUsage() - base));
+}
+
+// A longer name costs more than a shorter one — the reported size scales with
+// the actual symbol-name length.
+TEST(CodeCacheTest, MemoryUsageGrowsWithNameLength) {
+    CodeCache shortc("lib");
+    CodeCache longc("lib");
+    long long short_base = shortc.memoryUsage();
+    long long long_base = longc.memoryUsage();
+
+    shortc.add(reinterpret_cast<const void *>(0x1000), 8, "f");
+    longc.add(reinterpret_cast<const void *>(0x1000), 8,
+              "an_extremely_long_symbol_name_padded_out_further_and_further_1234");
+
+    EXPECT_GT(longc.memoryUsage() - long_base, shortc.memoryUsage() - short_base);
+}
+
+// The blob array is counted at the full CodeBlob size (a CodeBlob is several
+// pointers wide): an empty cache already accounts for
+// capacity * sizeof(CodeBlob) plus its own name.
+TEST(CodeCacheTest, MemoryUsageCountsFullBlobArray) {
+    CodeCache cc("lib");
+    long long usage = cc.memoryUsage();
+    EXPECT_GT(usage, (long long)(INITIAL_CODE_CACHE_CAPACITY * sizeof(CodeBlob)));
+    // Sanity: a pointer-sized count would be far smaller than the real array.
+    EXPECT_GT((long long)(INITIAL_CODE_CACHE_CAPACITY * sizeof(CodeBlob)),
+              (long long)(INITIAL_CODE_CACHE_CAPACITY * sizeof(CodeBlob *)));
+}