diff --git a/src/syntax/src/QueryCache.zig b/src/syntax/src/QueryCache.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21870c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/syntax/src/QueryCache.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+const std = @import("std");
+const build_options = @import("build_options");
+
+const treez = if (build_options.use_tree_sitter)
+    @import("treez")
+else
+    @import("treez_dummy.zig");
+
+const Self = @This();
+
+pub const FileType = @import("file_type.zig");
+const Query = treez.Query;
+
+allocator: std.mem.Allocator,
+mutex: ?std.Thread.Mutex,
+highlights: std.StringHashMapUnmanaged(*Query) = .{},
+injections: std.StringHashMapUnmanaged(*Query) = .{},
+ref_count: usize = 1,
+
+pub const QueryType = enum {
+    highlights,
+    injections,
+};
+
+pub const QueryParseError = error{
+    InvalidSyntax,
+    InvalidNodeType,
+    InvalidField,
+    InvalidCapture,
+    InvalidStructure,
+    InvalidLanguage,
+};
+
+pub const Error = (error{
+    NotFound,
+    OutOfMemory,
+} || QueryParseError);
+
+pub fn create(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, opts: struct { lock: bool = false }) !*Self {
+    const self = try allocator.create(Self);
+    self.* = .{
+        .allocator = allocator,
+        .mutex = if (opts.lock) .{} else null,
+    };
+    return self;
+}
+
+pub fn deinit(self: *Self) void {
+    self.release_ref_unlocked_and_maybe_destroy();
+}
+
+fn add_ref_locked(self: *Self) void {
+    std.debug.assert(self.ref_count > 0);
+    self.ref_count += 1;
+}
+
+fn release_ref_unlocked_and_maybe_destroy(self: *Self) void {
+    {
+        if (self.mutex) |*mtx| mtx.lock();
+        defer if (self.mutex) |*mtx| mtx.unlock();
+        self.ref_count -= 1;
+        if (self.ref_count > 0) return;
+    }
+
+    var iter_highlights = self.highlights.iterator();
+    while (iter_highlights.next()) |p| {
+        self.allocator.free(p.key_ptr.*);
+        p.value_ptr.*.destroy();
+    }
+    var iter_injections = self.injections.iterator();
+    while (iter_injections.next()) |p| {
+        self.allocator.free(p.key_ptr.*);
+        p.value_ptr.*.destroy();
+    }
+    self.highlights.deinit(self.allocator);
+    self.injections.deinit(self.allocator);
+    self.allocator.destroy(self);
+}
+
+fn ReturnType(comptime query_type: QueryType) type {
+    return switch (query_type) {
+        .highlights => *Query,
+        .injections => ?*Query,
+    };
+}
+
+fn get_or_add_internal(self: *Self, file_type: *const FileType, comptime query_type: QueryType) Error!ReturnType(query_type) {
+    const hash = switch (query_type) {
+        .highlights => &self.highlights,
+        .injections => &self.injections,
+    };
+
+    return if (hash.get(file_type.name)) |query| query else blk: {
+        const lang = file_type.lang_fn() orelse std.debug.panic("tree-sitter parser function failed for language: {s}", .{file_type.name});
+        const query = try Query.create(lang, switch (query_type) {
+            .highlights => file_type.highlights,
+            .injections => if (file_type.injections) |injections| injections else return null,
+        });
+        errdefer query.destroy();
+        try hash.put(self.allocator, try self.allocator.dupe(u8, file_type.name), query);
+        break :blk query;
+    };
+}
+
+pub fn pre_load(self: *Self, lang_name: []const u8) Error!void {
+    if (self.mutex) |*mtx| mtx.lock();
+    defer if (self.mutex) |*mtx| mtx.unlock();
+    const file_type = FileType.get_by_name(lang_name) orelse return;
+    _ = try self.get_or_add_internal(file_type, .highlights);
+    _ = try self.get_or_add_internal(file_type, .injections);
+}
+
+pub fn get(self: *Self, file_type: *const FileType, comptime query_type: QueryType) Error!ReturnType(query_type) {
+    if (self.mutex) |*mtx| mtx.lock();
+    defer if (self.mutex) |*mtx| mtx.unlock();
+    const query = try self.get_or_add_internal(file_type, query_type);
+    self.add_ref_locked();
+    return query;
+}
+
+pub fn release(self: *Self, query: *Query, comptime query_type: QueryType) void {
+    _ = query;
+    _ = query_type;
+    self.release_ref_unlocked_and_maybe_destroy();
+}
diff --git a/src/syntax/src/syntax.zig b/src/syntax/src/syntax.zig
index b88362a..20f9b8e 100644
--- a/src/syntax/src/syntax.zig
+++ b/src/syntax/src/syntax.zig
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const Self = @This();
 
 pub const Edit = treez.InputEdit;
 pub const FileType = @import("file_type.zig");
+pub const QueryCache = @import("QueryCache.zig");
 pub const Range = treez.Range;
 pub const Point = treez.Point;
 const Input = treez.Input;
@@ -26,34 +27,37 @@ query: *Query,
 injections: ?*Query,
 tree: ?*treez.Tree = null,
 
-pub fn create(file_type: *const FileType, allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !*Self {
+pub fn create(file_type: *const FileType, allocator: std.mem.Allocator, query_cache: *QueryCache) !*Self {
+    const query = try query_cache.get(file_type, .highlights);
+    const injections = try query_cache.get(file_type, .injections);
     const self = try allocator.create(Self);
     self.* = .{
         .allocator = allocator,
         .lang = file_type.lang_fn() orelse std.debug.panic("tree-sitter parser function failed for language: {s}", .{file_type.name}),
         .file_type = file_type,
         .parser = try Parser.create(),
-        .query = try Query.create(self.lang, file_type.highlights),
-        .injections = if (file_type.injections) |injections| try Query.create(self.lang, injections) else null,
+        .query = query,
+        .injections = injections,
     };
-    errdefer self.destroy();
+    errdefer self.destroy(query_cache);
     try self.parser.setLanguage(self.lang);
     return self;
 }
 
-pub fn create_file_type(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, lang_name: []const u8) !*Self {
+pub fn create_file_type(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, lang_name: []const u8, query_cache: *QueryCache) !*Self {
     const file_type = FileType.get_by_name(lang_name) orelse return error.NotFound;
-    return create(file_type, allocator);
+    return create(file_type, allocator, query_cache);
 }
 
-pub fn create_guess_file_type(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, content: []const u8, file_path: ?[]const u8) !*Self {
+pub fn create_guess_file_type(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, content: []const u8, file_path: ?[]const u8, query_cache: *QueryCache) !*Self {
     const file_type = FileType.guess(file_path, content) orelse return error.NotFound;
-    return create(file_type, allocator);
+    return create(file_type, allocator, query_cache);
 }
 
-pub fn destroy(self: *Self) void {
+pub fn destroy(self: *Self, query_cache: *QueryCache) void {
     if (self.tree) |tree| tree.destroy();
-    self.query.destroy();
+    query_cache.release(self.query, .highlights);
+    if (self.injections) |injections| query_cache.release(injections, .injections);
     self.parser.destroy();
     self.allocator.destroy(self);
 }
diff --git a/src/tui/editor.zig b/src/tui/editor.zig
index 2f75a45..c0061ad 100644
--- a/src/tui/editor.zig
+++ b/src/tui/editor.zig
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ pub const Editor = struct {
         if (self.buffer) |_| self.write_state(meta.writer()) catch {};
         for (self.diagnostics.items) |*d| d.deinit(self.diagnostics.allocator);
         self.diagnostics.deinit();
-        if (self.syntax) |syn| syn.destroy();
+        if (self.syntax) |syn| syn.destroy(tui.query_cache());
         self.cursels.deinit();
         self.matches.deinit();
         self.handlers.deinit();
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ pub const Editor = struct {
                 const frame_ = tracy.initZone(@src(), .{ .name = "create" });
                 defer frame_.deinit();
                 break :blk if (syn_file_type) |ft|
-                    syntax.create(ft, self.allocator) catch null
+                    syntax.create(ft, self.allocator, tui.query_cache()) catch null
                 else
                     null;
             };
@@ -4301,7 +4301,7 @@ pub const Editor = struct {
             var content = std.ArrayList(u8).init(self.allocator);
             defer content.deinit();
             try root.store(content.writer(), eol_mode);
-            self.syntax = syntax.create_guess_file_type(self.allocator, content.items, self.file_path) catch |e| switch (e) {
+            self.syntax = syntax.create_guess_file_type(self.allocator, content.items, self.file_path, tui.query_cache()) catch |e| switch (e) {
                 error.NotFound => null,
                 else => return e,
             };
@@ -5447,7 +5447,7 @@ pub const Editor = struct {
         if (!try ctx.args.match(.{tp.extract(&file_type)}))
             return error.InvalidSetFileTypeArgument;
 
-        if (self.syntax) |syn| syn.destroy();
+        if (self.syntax) |syn| syn.destroy(tui.query_cache());
         self.syntax_last_rendered_root = null;
         self.syntax_refresh_full = true;
         self.syntax_incremental_reparse = false;
@@ -5457,7 +5457,7 @@ pub const Editor = struct {
             defer content.deinit();
             const root = try self.buf_root();
             try root.store(content.writer(), try self.buf_eol_mode());
-            const syn = syntax.create_file_type(self.allocator, file_type) catch null;
+            const syn = syntax.create_file_type(self.allocator, file_type, tui.query_cache()) catch null;
             if (syn) |syn_| if (self.file_path) |file_path|
                 project_manager.did_open(
                     file_path,
diff --git a/src/tui/tui.zig b/src/tui/tui.zig
index a3850dd..51386b3 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui.zig
+++ b/src/tui/tui.zig
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ pub const renderer = @import("renderer");
 const command = @import("command");
 const EventHandler = @import("EventHandler");
 const keybind = @import("keybind");
+const syntax = @import("syntax");
 
 const Widget = @import("Widget.zig");
 const MessageFilter = @import("MessageFilter.zig");
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ default_cursor: keybind.CursorShape = .default,
 fontface_: []const u8 = "",
 fontfaces_: std.ArrayListUnmanaged([]const u8) = .{},
 enable_mouse_idle_timer: bool = false,
+query_cache_: *syntax.QueryCache,
 
 const keepalive = std.time.us_per_day * 365; // one year
 const idle_frames = 0;
@@ -120,6 +122,7 @@ fn init(allocator: Allocator) !*Self {
         )),
         .theme_ = theme_,
         .no_sleep = tp.env.get().is("no-sleep"),
+        .query_cache_ = try syntax.QueryCache.create(allocator, .{}),
     };
     instance_ = self;
     defer instance_ = null;
@@ -211,6 +214,7 @@ fn deinit(self: *Self) void {
     self.rdr_.stop();
     self.rdr_.deinit();
     self.logger.deinit();
+    self.query_cache_.deinit();
     self.allocator.destroy(self);
 }
 
@@ -1052,6 +1056,10 @@ pub fn mini_mode() ?*MiniMode {
     return if (current().mini_mode_) |*p| p else null;
 }
 
+pub fn query_cache() *syntax.QueryCache {
+    return current().query_cache_;
+}
+
 pub fn config() *const @import("config") {
     return &current().config_;
 }