diff --git a/src/user/user_mesh.cc b/src/user/user_mesh.cc
index 8f1aedda..7e536c84 100644
--- a/src/user/user_mesh.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_mesh.cc
@@ -220,6 +220,29 @@ void mjCMesh::CopyFromSpec() {
   plugin.instance = spec.plugin.instance;
   plugin.name = spec.plugin.name;
   plugin.instance_name = spec.plugin.instance_name;
+
+  // clear precompiled asset. TODO: use asset cache
+  if (vert_) mju_free(vert_);
+  if (normal_) mju_free(normal_);
+  if (texcoord_) mju_free(texcoord_);
+  if (center_) mju_free(center_);
+  if (face_) mju_free(face_);
+  if (facenormal_) mju_free(facenormal_);
+  if (facetexcoord_) mju_free(facetexcoord_);
+  if (graph_) mju_free(graph_);
+  nvert_= 0;
+  nnormal_ = 0;
+  ntexcoord_ = 0;
+  nface_ = 0;
+  szgraph_ = 0;
+  vert_ = NULL;
+  normal_ = NULL;
+  center_ = NULL;
+  texcoord_ = NULL;
+  face_ = NULL;
+  facenormal_ = NULL;
+  facetexcoord_ = NULL;
+  graph_ = NULL;
 }
 
 
@@ -2265,6 +2288,12 @@ void mjCFlex::CopyFromSpec() {
   vert = (mjDoubleVec)&vert_;
   texcoord = (mjFloatVec)&texcoord_;
   elem = (mjIntVec)&elem_;
+
+  // clear precompiled asset. TODO: use asset cache
+  nedge = 0;
+  edge.clear();
+  shell.clear();
+  evpair.clear();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/user/user_model.cc b/src/user/user_model.cc
index 9f954991..054eb4db 100644
--- a/src/user/user_model.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_model.cc
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ mjCModel::mjCModel() {
   center_auto[0] = center_auto[1] = center_auto[2] = 0;
 #endif
 
-  nmocap = 0;
   nplugin = 0;
   //------------------------ private variables
   cameras.clear();
@@ -326,6 +325,7 @@ void mjCModel::Clear(void) {
   nB = 0;
   njmax = -1;
   nconmax = -1;
+  nmocap = 0;
 
   // pointer lists created by Compile
   bodies.clear();
@@ -2734,6 +2734,16 @@ static void warninghandler(const char* msg) {
 
 // compiler
 mjModel* mjCModel::Compile(const mjVFS* vfs) {
+  if (compiled) {
+    // clear kinematic tree
+    for (int i=0; i<bodies.size(); i++) {
+      bodies[i]->subtreedofs = 0;
+    }
+    mjCBody* world = bodies[0];
+    Clear();
+    bodies.push_back(world);
+  }
+
   CopyFromSpec();
 
   // The volatile keyword is necessary to prevent a possible memory leak due to
@@ -2799,11 +2809,6 @@ void mjCModel::TryCompile(mjModel*& m, mjData*& d, const mjVFS* vfs) {
     throw mjCError(0, "NaN test does not work for present compiler/options");
   }
 
-  // check for repeated compilation
-  if (compiled) {
-    throw mjCError(0, "model already compiled");
-  }
-
   // check for joints in world body
   if (!bodies[0]->joints.empty()) {
     throw mjCError(0, "joint found in world body");
diff --git a/src/user/user_objects.cc b/src/user/user_objects.cc
index fb4650a1..31bf9765 100644
--- a/src/user/user_objects.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_objects.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <cstring>
+#include <functional>
+#include <map>
 #include <optional>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <string>
@@ -268,26 +270,31 @@ void mjCBoundingVolumeHierarchy::Set(mjtNum ipos_element[3], mjtNum iquat_elemen
 
 
 
-void mjCBoundingVolumeHierarchy::AllocateBoundingVolumes(int nbvh) {
-  bvh_.resize(nbvh);
+void mjCBoundingVolumeHierarchy::AllocateBoundingVolumes(int nleaf) {
+  nbvh = 0;
+  child.clear();
+  nodeid.clear();
+  level.clear();
+  bvleaf_.clear();
+  bvleaf_.resize(nleaf);
 }
 
 
 void mjCBoundingVolumeHierarchy::RemoveInactiveVolumes(int nmax) {
-  bvh_.erase(bvh_.begin() + nmax, bvh_.end());
+  bvleaf_.erase(bvleaf_.begin() + nmax, bvleaf_.end());
 }
 
 
 mjCBoundingVolume* mjCBoundingVolumeHierarchy::GetBoundingVolume(int id) {
-  return bvh_.data() + id;
+  return bvleaf_.data() + id;
 }
 
 
 // create bounding volume hierarchy
 void mjCBoundingVolumeHierarchy::CreateBVH() {
-  std::vector<const mjCBoundingVolume*> elements(bvh_.size());
-  for (int i=0; i<bvh_.size(); i++) {
-    elements[i] = bvh_.data() + i;
+  std::vector<const mjCBoundingVolume*> elements(bvleaf_.size());
+  for (int i=0; i<bvleaf_.size(); i++) {
+    elements[i] = bvleaf_.data() + i;
   }
   MakeBVH(elements);
 }
@@ -2507,6 +2514,16 @@ void mjCHField::CopyFromSpec() {
   file = (mjString)&file_;
   content_type = (mjString)&content_type_;
   userdata = (mjFloatVec)&userdata_;
+
+  // clear precompiled asset. TODO: use asset cache
+  if (data) {
+    mju_free(data);
+    data = 0;
+  }
+  if (!file_.empty()) {
+    nrow = 0;
+    ncol = 0;
+  }
 }
 
 
@@ -2742,6 +2759,12 @@ void mjCTexture::CopyFromSpec() {
   file = (mjString)&file_;
   content_type = (mjString)&content_type_;
   cubefiles = (mjStringVec)&cubefiles_;
+
+  // clear precompiled asset. TODO: use asset cache
+  if (rgb) {
+    mju_free(rgb);
+    rgb = 0;
+  }
 }
 
 
@@ -3912,6 +3935,13 @@ void mjCTendon::CopyFromSpec() {
   userdata_ = spec_userdata_;
   material = (mjString)&material_;
   userdata = (mjDoubleVec)&userdata_;
+
+  // clear precompiled
+  for (int i=0; i<path.size(); i++) {
+    if (path[i]->type==mjWRAP_CYLINDER) {
+      path[i]->type = mjWRAP_SPHERE;
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 
@@ -5402,27 +5432,31 @@ mjCPlugin::mjCPlugin(mjCModel* _model) {
 void mjCPlugin::Compile(void) {
   const mjpPlugin* plugin = mjp_getPluginAtSlot(spec.plugin_slot);
 
+  // clear precompiled
+  flattened_attributes.clear();
+  std::map<std::string, std::string, std::less<>> config_attribs_copy = config_attribs;
+
   // concatenate all of the plugin's attribute values (as null-terminated strings) into
   // flattened_attributes, in the order declared in the mjpPlugin
   // each valid attribute found is appended to flattened_attributes and removed from xml_attributes
   for (int i = 0; i < plugin->nattribute; ++i) {
     std::string_view attr(plugin->attributes[i]);
-    auto it = config_attribs.find(attr);
-    if (it == config_attribs.end()) {
+    auto it = config_attribs_copy.find(attr);
+    if (it == config_attribs_copy.end()) {
       flattened_attributes.push_back('\0');
     } else {
       auto original_size = flattened_attributes.size();
       flattened_attributes.resize(original_size + it->second.size() + 1);
       std::memcpy(&flattened_attributes[original_size], it->second.c_str(),
                   it->second.size() + 1);
-      config_attribs.erase(it);
+      config_attribs_copy.erase(it);
     }
   }
 
   // anything left in xml_attributes at this stage is not a valid attribute
-  if (!config_attribs.empty()) {
+  if (!config_attribs_copy.empty()) {
     std::string error =
-        "unrecognized attribute 'plugin:" + config_attribs.begin()->first +
+        "unrecognized attribute 'plugin:" + config_attribs_copy.begin()->first +
         "' for plugin " + std::string(plugin->name) + "'";
     throw mjCError(parent, "%s", error.c_str());
   }
diff --git a/src/user/user_objects.h b/src/user/user_objects.h
index da7e17e6..675eb8aa 100644
--- a/src/user/user_objects.h
+++ b/src/user/user_objects.h
@@ -130,14 +130,14 @@ class mjCBoundingVolumeHierarchy {
   // make bounding volume hierarchy
   void CreateBVH(void);
   void Set(mjtNum ipos_element[3], mjtNum iquat_element[4]);
-  void AllocateBoundingVolumes(int nbvh);
+  void AllocateBoundingVolumes(int nleaf);
   void RemoveInactiveVolumes(int nmax);
   mjCBoundingVolume* GetBoundingVolume(int id);
 
  private:
   int MakeBVH(std::vector<const mjCBoundingVolume*>& elements, int lev = 0);
 
-  std::vector<mjCBoundingVolume> bvh_;
+  std::vector<mjCBoundingVolume> bvleaf_;
   std::string name_;
   double ipos_[3];
   double iquat_[4];
diff --git a/src/xml/xml.h b/src/xml/xml.h
index 3afb5aab..a97d6a65 100644
--- a/src/xml/xml.h
+++ b/src/xml/xml.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 
+#include <mujoco/mjexport.h>
 #include <mujoco/mjmodel.h>
 #include "user/user_api.h"
 
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@
 std::string mjWriteXML(mjmModel* model, char* error, int error_sz);
 
 // Main parser function
-mjmModel* mjParseXML(const char* filename, const mjVFS* vfs, char* error, int error_sz);
+MJAPI mjmModel* mjParseXML(const char* filename, const mjVFS* vfs, char* error, int error_sz);
 
 
 #endif  // MUJOCO_SRC_XML_XML_H_
diff --git a/test/fixture.cc b/test/fixture.cc
index c86a9c8a..dca1a280 100644
--- a/test/fixture.cc
+++ b/test/fixture.cc
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ mjtNum CompareModel(const mjModel* m1, const mjModel* m2,
 
   // compare ints
   #define X(name) \
-    if (m1->name != m2->name) {maxdif = 1.0; field = #name;}
+    if (m1->name != m2->name) {maxdif = m1->name - m2->name; field = #name;}
     MJMODEL_INTS
   #undef X
   if (maxdif > 0) return maxdif;
diff --git a/test/user/CMakeLists.txt b/test/user/CMakeLists.txt
index 0c824e96..66f8615a 100644
--- a/test/user/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/user/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,7 +18,12 @@ target_link_libraries(user_model_test fixture gmock absl::str_format)
 mujoco_test(user_objects_test)
 target_link_libraries(user_objects_test fixture gmock)
 
-mujoco_test(user_api_test)
+mujoco_test(
+  user_api_test
+  PROPERTIES
+  ENVIRONMENT
+  "MUJOCO_PLUGIN_DIR=$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:elasticity>"
+)
 target_link_libraries(user_api_test fixture gmock)
 
 mujoco_test(user_flex_test)
diff --git a/test/user/user_api_test.cc b/test/user/user_api_test.cc
index 5bd73525..1c215760 100644
--- a/test/user/user_api_test.cc
+++ b/test/user/user_api_test.cc
@@ -14,16 +14,25 @@
 
 // Tests for user/user_api.cc.
 
+#include <array>
+#include <filesystem>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include <gmock/gmock.h>
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include <absl/strings/match.h>
+#include <mujoco/mujoco.h>
 #include "src/user/user_api.h"
+#include "src/xml/xml.h"
+#include "src/xml/xml_numeric_format.h"
 #include "test/fixture.h"
 
 namespace mujoco {
 namespace {
 
 using ::testing::HasSubstr;
+using ::testing::NotNull;
 
 
 // ----------------------------- test set/get  --------------------------------
@@ -53,5 +62,59 @@ TEST_F(MujocoTest, ReadWriteData) {
   mjm_deleteModel(model);
 }
 
+// ------------------- test recompilation multiple files ----------------------
+TEST_F(PluginTest, RecompileCompare) {
+  // full precision float printing
+  FullFloatPrecision increase_precision;
+
+  // loop over all xml files in data
+  std::vector<std::string> paths = {GetTestDataFilePath("."),
+                                    GetModelPath(".")};
+  std::string ext(".xml");
+  for (auto const& path : paths) {
+    for (auto &p : std::filesystem::recursive_directory_iterator(path)) {
+      if (p.path().extension() == ext) {
+        std::string xml = p.path().string();
+
+        // if file is meant to fail, skip it
+        if (absl::StrContains(p.path().string(), "malformed_") ||
+            absl::StrContains(p.path().string(), "touch_grid") ||
+            absl::StrContains(p.path().string(), "cow") ||
+            absl::StrContains(p.path().string(), "discardvisual")) {
+          continue;
+        }
+
+        // load model
+        std::array<char, 1000> error;
+        mjmModel* model =
+            mjParseXML(xml.c_str(), nullptr, error.data(), error.size());
+
+        // compile twice
+        mjModel* m_old = mjm_compileModel(model, nullptr);
+        mjModel* m_new = mjm_compileModel(model, nullptr);
+
+        ASSERT_THAT(m_old, NotNull())
+            << "Failed to compile " << xml << ": " << error.data();
+        ASSERT_THAT(m_new, NotNull())
+            << "Failed to recompile " << xml << ": " << error.data();
+
+        // compare and delete
+        std::string field = "";
+        mjtNum result = CompareModel(m_old, m_new, field);
+        mjtNum tol = 0;
+        EXPECT_LE(result, tol)
+            << "Loaded and saved models are different!\n"
+            << "Affected file " << p.path().string() << '\n'
+            << "Different field: " << field << '\n';
+
+        // delete models
+        mjm_deleteModel(model);
+        mj_deleteModel(m_old);
+        mj_deleteModel(m_new);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 }  // namespace mujoco