diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5349b70..57f8b1f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,8 +14,12 @@ cache := adaptsize.New(adaptsize.Options{
 })
 defer cache.Close()
 
-_ = cache.Set("k1", []byte("v"))
-if v, ok := cache.Get("k1"); ok { _ = v }
+// For every request, record it and decide admission on misses.
+req := adaptsize.Request{Key: "k1", SizeBytes: 1234, Hit: false} // hit comes from your cache
+admit := cache.Request(req)
+if !req.Hit && admit {
+    // insert into your cache implementation
+}
 
 c := cache.ParameterC()
 _ = c
diff --git a/adaptsize/adaptsize.go b/adaptsize/adaptsize.go
index 2b87b61..668231c 100644
--- a/adaptsize/adaptsize.go
+++ b/adaptsize/adaptsize.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package adaptsize
 
 import (
-	"container/list"
 	crand "crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"math"
@@ -25,11 +24,6 @@ type Options struct {
 type Cache struct {
 	opts Options
 
-	mu    sync.RWMutex
-	used  int64
-	items map[string]*entry
-	lru   *list.List
-
 	// parameter c stored atomically
 	cBits atomic.Uint64
 
@@ -44,18 +38,19 @@ type Cache struct {
 	stopCh chan struct{}
 }
 
-type entry struct {
-	key  string
-	val  []byte
-	size int64
-	node *list.Element
-}
-
 type obs struct {
 	size int64
 	cnt  int64
 }
 
+// Request holds metrics about a cache access. The caller is responsible for
+// determining whether it was a hit in their underlying cache.
+type Request struct {
+	Key       string
+	SizeBytes int64
+	Hit       bool
+}
+
 func defaultRandom() *rand.PCG {
 	var s1, s2 uint64
 	if err := binary.Read(crand.Reader, binary.LittleEndian, &s1); err != nil {
@@ -93,8 +88,6 @@ func New(opts Options) *Cache {
 
 	c := &Cache{
 		opts:   opts,
-		items:  make(map[string]*entry),
-		lru:    list.New(),
 		obs:    make(map[string]*obs),
 		prevR:  make(map[string]float64),
 		tuneCh: make(chan struct{}, 1),
@@ -106,82 +99,29 @@ func New(opts Options) *Cache {
 }
 
 // Close stops background tuning.
-func (c *Cache) Close() { close(c.stopCh) }
-
-// Len returns number of cached entries.
-func (c *Cache) Len() int { c.mu.RLock(); defer c.mu.RUnlock(); return len(c.items) }
-
-// UsedBytes returns used capacity.
-func (c *Cache) UsedBytes() int64 { c.mu.RLock(); defer c.mu.RUnlock(); return c.used }
+func (c *Cache) Close() {
+	close(c.stopCh)
+}
 
 // ParameterC returns current c.
-func (c *Cache) ParameterC() float64 { return math.Float64frombits(c.cBits.Load()) }
-
-// Get returns value and ok. Touches LRU and records stats.
-func (c *Cache) Get(key string) ([]byte, bool) {
-	c.mu.Lock()
-	defer c.mu.Unlock()
-	if e, ok := c.items[key]; ok {
-		c.lru.MoveToFront(e.node)
-		c.record(key, e.size)
-		return e.val, true
-	}
-	c.record(key, 0)
-	return nil, false
+func (c *Cache) ParameterC() float64 {
+	return math.Float64frombits(c.cBits.Load())
 }
 
-// Set inserts or updates value. Admission is probabilistic.
-func (c *Cache) Set(key string, value []byte) error {
-	size := int64(len(value))
-	if size > c.opts.CapacityBytes {
-		return nil // never admit larger than capacity
+// Request records a cache request and returns whether a miss should be
+// admitted. On misses (Hit=false), the return value is the probabilistic
+// admission decision based on exp(-size/c).
+func (c *Cache) Request(req Request) bool {
+	c.record(req.Key, req.SizeBytes)
+	if req.Hit {
+		return false
+	}
+	if req.SizeBytes > c.opts.CapacityBytes {
+		return false // never admit larger than capacity
 	}
 	// admission using atomic c
 	cVal := math.Float64frombits(c.cBits.Load())
-	admit := c.opts.Rand.Float64() < math.Exp(-float64(size)/cVal)
-	if !admit {
-		c.record(key, size)
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	c.mu.Lock()
-	defer c.mu.Unlock()
-
-	if e, ok := c.items[key]; ok {
-		c.used += size - e.size
-		e.val = value
-		e.size = size
-		c.lru.MoveToFront(e.node)
-	} else {
-		for c.used+size > c.opts.CapacityBytes {
-			c.evictOne()
-		}
-		n := c.lru.PushFront(&entry{key: key})
-		e := &entry{key: key, val: value, size: size, node: n}
-		n.Value = e
-		c.items[key] = e
-		c.used += size
-	}
-	// stats
-	c.record(key, size)
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (c *Cache) evictOne() {
-	if c.lru.Len() == 0 {
-		return
-	}
-	b := c.lru.Back()
-	if b == nil {
-		return
-	}
-	e, ok := b.Value.(*entry)
-	if !ok {
-		return
-	}
-	delete(c.items, e.key)
-	c.used -= e.size
-	c.lru.Remove(b)
+	return c.opts.Rand.Float64() < math.Exp(-float64(req.SizeBytes)/cVal)
 }
 
 func (c *Cache) record(key string, size int64) {
@@ -207,4 +147,6 @@ func (c *Cache) record(key string, size int64) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *Cache) setC(v int64) { c.cBits.Store(math.Float64bits(float64(v))) }
+func (c *Cache) setC(v int64) {
+	c.cBits.Store(math.Float64bits(float64(v)))
+}
diff --git a/adaptsize/adaptsize_test.go b/adaptsize/adaptsize_test.go
index 271c16e..8b99cf1 100644
--- a/adaptsize/adaptsize_test.go
+++ b/adaptsize/adaptsize_test.go
@@ -29,12 +29,10 @@ func TestAdmissionMonotonic(t *testing.T) {
 	admittedSmall := 0
 	admittedLarge := 0
 	for i := 0; i < N; i++ {
-		_ = c.Set(randKey("s", i), make([]byte, 1<<10)) // 1 KiB
-		if _, ok := c.Get(randKey("s", i)); ok {
+		if c.Request(Request{Key: randKey("s", i), SizeBytes: 1 << 10, Hit: false}) { // miss
 			admittedSmall++
 		}
-		_ = c.Set(randKey("L", i), make([]byte, 4<<20)) // 4 MiB
-		if _, ok := c.Get(randKey("L", i)); ok {
+		if c.Request(Request{Key: randKey("L", i), SizeBytes: 4 << 20, Hit: false}) { // miss
 			admittedLarge++
 		}
 	}
@@ -45,17 +43,26 @@ func TestAdmissionMonotonic(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestLRUEviction(t *testing.T) {
-	c := newDeterministic(1024) // 1 KiB
+func TestRequestHitRecordsMetrics(t *testing.T) {
+	c := newDeterministic(1 << 20)
 	defer c.Close()
-	c.cBits.Store(math.Float64bits(1 << 30)) // admit almost always
-	_ = c.Set("a", make([]byte, 800))
-	_ = c.Set("b", make([]byte, 400)) // should evict a
-	if _, ok := c.Get("a"); ok {
-		t.Fatal("expected a evicted")
+	if c.Request(Request{Key: "a", SizeBytes: 800, Hit: true}) { // hit should not request admission
+		t.Fatal("expected hit to return false for admission")
 	}
-	if _, ok := c.Get("b"); !ok {
-		t.Fatal("expected b present")
+	c.winMu.Lock()
+	obs := c.obs["a"]
+	c.winMu.Unlock()
+	if obs == nil || obs.cnt != 1 || obs.size != 800 {
+		t.Fatalf("hit metrics not recorded: %+v", obs)
+	}
+	if c.Request(Request{Key: "a", SizeBytes: 1200, Hit: true}) {
+		t.Fatal("expected hit to return false for admission")
+	}
+	c.winMu.Lock()
+	obs = c.obs["a"]
+	c.winMu.Unlock()
+	if obs.cnt != 2 || obs.size != 1200 {
+		t.Fatalf("hit metrics not updated: %+v", obs)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -77,11 +84,11 @@ func TestBackgroundTuningMovesC(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := 0; i < 30_000; i++ {
 		// small hot keys cycle
 		k := randKey("hot", i%128)
-		_ = c.Set(k, make([]byte, 512))
-		c.Get(k)
+		_ = c.Request(Request{Key: k, SizeBytes: 512, Hit: false}) // miss then admit decision ignored here
+		_ = c.Request(Request{Key: k, SizeBytes: 512, Hit: true})  // subsequent hit to record hotness
 		// occasional large misses
 		if i%50 == 0 {
-			_ = c.Set(randKey("cold", i), make([]byte, 256<<10))
+			_ = c.Request(Request{Key: randKey("cold", i), SizeBytes: 256 << 10, Hit: false})
 		}
 	}
 	// give time for tuner to run
@@ -95,6 +102,65 @@ func TestBackgroundTuningMovesC(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRequestOversize(t *testing.T) {
+	c := newDeterministic(1024)
+	defer c.Close()
+	admit := c.Request(Request{Key: "big", SizeBytes: 2048, Hit: false})
+	if admit {
+		t.Fatal("expected oversize object not to be admitted")
+	}
+	c.winMu.Lock()
+	obs := c.obs["big"]
+	c.winMu.Unlock()
+	if obs == nil || obs.cnt != 1 || obs.size != 2048 {
+		t.Fatalf("oversize request not recorded: %+v", obs)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildRatesEMA(t *testing.T) {
+	c := newDeterministic(1 << 20)
+	prevAOld := 10.0
+	c.prevR["a"] = prevAOld
+	snap := map[string]obs{
+		"a": {size: 100, cnt: 2},
+		"b": {size: 200, cnt: 3},
+		"z": {size: 0, cnt: 5}, // should be ignored due to size 0
+	}
+	items, total := c.buildRates(snap)
+	if len(items) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 2 items, got %d", len(items))
+	}
+	if total <= 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected positive total, got %f", total)
+	}
+	expA := 0.5*float64(snap["a"].cnt) + 0.5*prevAOld
+	expB := 0.5 * float64(snap["b"].cnt)
+	if c.prevR["a"] != expA || c.prevR["b"] != expB {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected EMA values: prevR=%v", c.prevR)
+	}
+	rate := func(size int64) float64 {
+		for _, it := range items {
+			if it.s == size {
+				return it.r
+			}
+		}
+		return -1
+	}
+	if rate(100) != expA || rate(200) != expB {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected rates: %+v", items)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTuneOnceNoDataKeepsC(t *testing.T) {
+	c := newDeterministic(1 << 20)
+	defer c.Close()
+	c0 := c.ParameterC()
+	c.TuneOnce()
+	if c.ParameterC() != c0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected c unchanged without data, got %f -> %f", c0, c.ParameterC())
+	}
+}
+
 func randKey(prefix string, i int) string { return prefix + "-" + strconvI(i) }
 
 func strconvI(i int) string {
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 0cf2c6b..7342fc5 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 module example.com/adaptsize
 
-go 1.22
+go 1.25.3