diff --git a/pyruse/counter.py b/pyruse/counter.py
index a32fc05..5ba3df3 100644
--- a/pyruse/counter.py
+++ b/pyruse/counter.py
@@ -1,53 +1,106 @@
 # pyruse is intended as a replacement to both fail2ban and epylog
-# Copyright © 2017 Y. Gablin
+# Copyright © 2017–2018 Y. Gablin
 # Full licensing information in the LICENSE file, or gnu.org/licences/gpl-3.0.txt if the file is missing.
 import datetime
 
+class _GraceAndTicks():
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.grace = None
+        self.ticks = []
+
+class _CounterData():
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._keyVals = {}
+
+    def clean(self, refDT):
+        for k in list(self._keyVals.keys()):
+            v = self._keyVals[k]
+            if v.grace and v.grace <= refDT:
+                v.grace = None
+            if v.grace is None:
+                # None values (∞) are at the end of the list
+                for i in range(0, len(v.ticks)):
+                    if v.ticks[i] and v.ticks[i] <= refDT:
+                        continue
+                    v.ticks = v.ticks[i:]
+                    break
+                else:
+                    del self._keyVals[k]
+
+    def graceActive(self, counterKey, refDT):
+        self.clean(refDT)
+        return counterKey in self._keyVals and self._keyVals[counterKey].grace
+
+    def augment(self, counterKey, refDT, until):
+        self.clean(refDT)
+
+        if counterKey in self._keyVals:
+            v = self._keyVals[counterKey]
+            if v.grace:
+                return 0
+        else:
+            v = _GraceAndTicks()
+            self._keyVals[counterKey] = v
+        l = len(v.ticks)
+
+        # chances are that until is greater than the last item
+        for i in range(l, 0, -1):
+            if until is None or (v.ticks[i - 1] and v.ticks[i - 1] < until):
+                v.ticks.insert(i, until)
+                break
+        else:
+            v.ticks.insert(0, until)
+        return l + 1
+
+    def lower(self, counterKey, refDT):
+        self.clean(refDT)
+
+        v = self._keyVals.get(counterKey, None)
+        if v is None or v.grace:
+            return 0
+
+        l = len(v.ticks)
+        if l == 1:
+            del self._keyVals[counterKey]
+            return 0
+
+        v.ticks.pop()
+        return l - 1
+
+    def reset(self, counterKey, refDT, graceUntil):
+        self.clean(refDT)
+        if graceUntil:
+            v = _GraceAndTicks()
+            v.grace = graceUntil
+            self._keyVals[counterKey] = v
+        elif counterKey in self._keyVals:
+            del self._keyVals[counterKey]
+
 class Counter():
     _counters = {}
 
-    def _getCounter(self, counterName):
-        if counterName not in Counter._counters:
-            Counter._counters[counterName] = {}
-        return Counter._counters[counterName]
-
-    def _cleanTicks(self, ticks, refDT):
-        for tick in list(ticks):
-            if tick and tick < refDT:
-                ticks.remove(tick)
-
     def __init__(self, counter):
-        self.counterName = counter
+        if counter not in Counter._counters:
+            Counter._counters[counter] = _CounterData()
+        self.counter = Counter._counters[counter]
 
     def augment(self, counterKey, duration = None):
-        counter = self._getCounter(self.counterName)
-        if counterKey not in counter:
-            counter[counterKey] = ([], None) # [countUntil,…], graceTermDate
-        (ticks, grace) = counter[counterKey]
         now = datetime.datetime.utcnow()
-        self._cleanTicks(ticks, now)
-        if grace and grace < now:
-            grace = None
-        if not grace:
-            ticks.append(now + duration if duration else None)
-            counter[counterKey] = (ticks, grace)
-        return len(ticks)
+        if self.counter.graceActive(counterKey, now):
+            return 0
+        else:
+            return self.counter.augment(counterKey, now, now + duration if duration else None)
 
     def lower(self, counterKey):
-        counter = self._getCounter(self.counterName)
-        if counterKey not in counter:
-            return 0
-        (ticks, _void) = counter[counterKey]
         now = datetime.datetime.utcnow()
-        self._cleanTicks(ticks, now)
-        if len(ticks) > 0:
-            ticks.pop()
-        return len(ticks)
+        if self.counter.graceActive(counterKey, now):
+            return 0
+        else:
+            return self.counter.lower(counterKey, now)
 
     def reset(self, counterKey, graceDuration = None):
-        counter = self._getCounter(self.counterName)
-        if graceDuration:
-            now = datetime.datetime.utcnow()
-            counter[counterKey] = ([], now + graceDuration)
-        elif counterKey in counter:
-            del(counter[counterKey])
+        now = datetime.datetime.utcnow()
+        self.counter.reset(
+            counterKey, now,
+            now + graceDuration if graceDuration else None
+        )