diff --git a/kernels/CMakeLists.txt b/kernels/CMakeLists.txt
index 7c2f43d..106b1d5 100644
--- a/kernels/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/kernels/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -208,6 +208,12 @@ embree_files(EMBREE_LIBRARY_FILES_AVX512 ${AVX512})
 #message("AVX2: ${EMBREE_LIBRARY_FILES_AVX2}")
 #message("AVX512: ${EMBREE_LIBRARY_FILES_AVX512}")
 
+# Bundle Neon2x into the main static library.
+IF(EMBREE_ISA_NEON2X AND EMBREE_STATIC_LIB)
+  LIST(APPEND EMBREE_LIBRARY_FILES ${EMBREE_LIBRARY_FILES_AVX2})
+  LIST(REMOVE_DUPLICATES EMBREE_LIBRARY_FILES)
+ENDIF()
+
 # replaces all .cpp files with a dummy file that includes that .cpp file
 # this is to work around an ICC name mangling issue related to lambda functions under windows
 MACRO (CreateISADummyFiles list isa)
@@ -311,7 +317,7 @@ IF (EMBREE_ISA_AVX  AND EMBREE_LIBRARY_FILES_AVX)
   ENDIF()
 ENDIF()
 
-IF (EMBREE_ISA_AVX2 AND EMBREE_LIBRARY_FILES_AVX2)
+IF (EMBREE_ISA_AVX2 AND EMBREE_LIBRARY_FILES_AVX2 AND NOT (EMBREE_ISA_NEON2X AND EMBREE_STATIC_LIB))
   DISABLE_STACK_PROTECTOR_FOR_INTERSECTORS(${EMBREE_LIBRARY_FILES_AVX2})
   ADD_LIBRARY(embree_avx2 STATIC ${EMBREE_LIBRARY_FILES_AVX2})
   TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(embree_avx2 PRIVATE tasking)
diff --git a/kernels/rthwif/rtbuild/rtbuild.cpp b/kernels/rthwif/rtbuild/rtbuild.cpp
index 6d439f939..367b1ce7b 100644
--- a/kernels/rthwif/rtbuild/rtbuild.cpp
+++ b/kernels/rthwif/rtbuild/rtbuild.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ namespace embree
 {
   using namespace embree::isa;
 
-  static std::unique_ptr<tbb::task_arena> g_arena;
+  static tbb::task_arena g_arena(tbb::this_task_arena::max_concurrency(),tbb::this_task_arena::max_concurrency());
   
   typedef enum _ze_raytracing_accel_format_internal_t {
     ZE_RTAS_DEVICE_FORMAT_EXP_INVALID = 0,      // invalid acceleration structure format
@@ -210,13 +210,10 @@ namespace embree
   
   RTHWIF_API void zeRTASInitExp()
   {
-    uint32_t numThreads = tbb::this_task_arena::max_concurrency();
-    g_arena.reset(new tbb::task_arena(numThreads,numThreads));
   }
   
   RTHWIF_API void zeRTASExitExp()
   {
-    g_arena.reset();
   }
 
   typedef struct _zet_base_desc_t
@@ -740,7 +737,7 @@ namespace embree
       //if (op->hBuilder != hBuilder)
       //  return ZE_RESULT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
       
-      g_arena->execute([&](){ op->group.run([=](){
+      g_arena.execute([&](){ op->group.run([=](){
          op->errorCode = zeRTASBuilderBuildExpInternal(args,
                                                        pScratchBuffer, scratchBufferSizeBytes,
                                                        pRtasBuffer, rtasBufferSizeBytes,
@@ -753,7 +750,7 @@ namespace embree
     else
     {
       ze_result_t errorCode = ZE_RESULT_SUCCESS;
-      g_arena->execute([&](){ errorCode = zeRTASBuilderBuildExpInternal(args,
+      g_arena.execute([&](){ errorCode = zeRTASBuilderBuildExpInternal(args,
                                                                         pScratchBuffer, scratchBufferSizeBytes,
                                                                         pRtasBuffer, rtasBufferSizeBytes,
                                                                         pBuildUserPtr, pBounds, pRtasBufferSizeBytes);
@@ -801,7 +798,7 @@ namespace embree
     VALIDATE(hParallelOperation);
     
     ze_rtas_parallel_operation_t* op = (ze_rtas_parallel_operation_t*) hParallelOperation;
-    g_arena->execute([&](){ op->group.wait(); });
+    g_arena.execute([&](){ op->group.wait(); });
     return op->errorCode;
   }
 }