diff --git a/decnet/web/dependencies.py b/decnet/web/dependencies.py
index 20dd2d9..2c7f12c 100644
--- a/decnet/web/dependencies.py
+++ b/decnet/web/dependencies.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import asyncio
+import time
 from typing import Any, Optional
 
 import jwt
@@ -23,6 +25,49 @@ repo = get_repo()
 oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="/api/v1/auth/login")
 
 
+# Per-request user lookup was the hidden tax behind every authed endpoint —
+# SELECT users WHERE uuid=? ran once per call, serializing through aiosqlite.
+# 10s TTL is well below JWT expiry and we invalidate on all user writes.
+_USER_TTL = 10.0
+_user_cache: dict[str, tuple[Optional[dict[str, Any]], float]] = {}
+_user_cache_lock: Optional[asyncio.Lock] = None
+
+
+def _reset_user_cache() -> None:
+    global _user_cache, _user_cache_lock
+    _user_cache = {}
+    _user_cache_lock = None
+
+
+def invalidate_user_cache(user_uuid: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
+    """Drop a single user (or all users) from the auth cache.
+
+    Callers: password change, role change, user create/delete.
+    """
+    if user_uuid is None:
+        _user_cache.clear()
+    else:
+        _user_cache.pop(user_uuid, None)
+
+
+async def _get_user_cached(user_uuid: str) -> Optional[dict[str, Any]]:
+    global _user_cache_lock
+    entry = _user_cache.get(user_uuid)
+    now = time.monotonic()
+    if entry is not None and now - entry[1] < _USER_TTL:
+        return entry[0]
+    if _user_cache_lock is None:
+        _user_cache_lock = asyncio.Lock()
+    async with _user_cache_lock:
+        entry = _user_cache.get(user_uuid)
+        now = time.monotonic()
+        if entry is not None and now - entry[1] < _USER_TTL:
+            return entry[0]
+        user = await repo.get_user_by_uuid(user_uuid)
+        _user_cache[user_uuid] = (user, time.monotonic())
+        return user
+
+
 async def get_stream_user(request: Request, token: Optional[str] = None) -> str:
     """Auth dependency for SSE endpoints — accepts Bearer header OR ?token= query param.
     EventSource does not support custom headers, so the query-string fallback is intentional here only.
@@ -82,7 +127,7 @@ async def _decode_token(request: Request) -> str:
 async def get_current_user(request: Request) -> str:
     """Auth dependency — enforces must_change_password."""
     _user_uuid = await _decode_token(request)
-    _user = await repo.get_user_by_uuid(_user_uuid)
+    _user = await _get_user_cached(_user_uuid)
     if _user and _user.get("must_change_password"):
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN,
@@ -112,7 +157,7 @@ def require_role(*allowed_roles: str):
     """
     async def _check(request: Request) -> dict:
         user_uuid = await _decode_token(request)
-        user = await repo.get_user_by_uuid(user_uuid)
+        user = await _get_user_cached(user_uuid)
         if not user:
             raise HTTPException(
                 status_code=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED,
@@ -137,7 +182,7 @@ def require_stream_role(*allowed_roles: str):
     """Like ``require_role`` but for SSE endpoints that accept a query-param token."""
     async def _check(request: Request, token: Optional[str] = None) -> dict:
         user_uuid = await get_stream_user(request, token)
-        user = await repo.get_user_by_uuid(user_uuid)
+        user = await _get_user_cached(user_uuid)
         if not user or user["role"] not in allowed_roles:
             raise HTTPException(
                 status_code=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN,
diff --git a/decnet/web/router/auth/api_change_pass.py b/decnet/web/router/auth/api_change_pass.py
index efca5bf..592b11e 100644
--- a/decnet/web/router/auth/api_change_pass.py
+++ b/decnet/web/router/auth/api_change_pass.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, status
 
 from decnet.telemetry import traced as _traced
 from decnet.web.auth import ahash_password, averify_password
-from decnet.web.dependencies import get_current_user_unchecked, repo
+from decnet.web.dependencies import get_current_user_unchecked, invalidate_user_cache, repo
 from decnet.web.db.models import ChangePasswordRequest
 
 router = APIRouter()
@@ -30,4 +30,5 @@ async def change_password(request: ChangePasswordRequest, current_user: str = De
 
     _new_hash: str = await ahash_password(request.new_password)
     await repo.update_user_password(current_user, _new_hash, must_change_password=False)
+    invalidate_user_cache(current_user)
     return {"message": "Password updated successfully"}
diff --git a/decnet/web/router/config/api_get_config.py b/decnet/web/router/config/api_get_config.py
index de12516..d21f474 100644
--- a/decnet/web/router/config/api_get_config.py
+++ b/decnet/web/router/config/api_get_config.py
@@ -20,13 +20,45 @@ _STATE_TTL = 5.0
 _state_cache: dict[str, tuple[Optional[dict[str, Any]], float]] = {}
 _state_locks: dict[str, asyncio.Lock] = {}
 
+# Admin branch fetched repo.list_users() on every /config call — cache 5s,
+# invalidate on user create/update/delete so the admin UI stays consistent.
+_USERS_TTL = 5.0
+_users_cache: tuple[Optional[list[dict[str, Any]]], float] = (None, 0.0)
+_users_lock: Optional[asyncio.Lock] = None
+
 
 def _reset_state_cache() -> None:
     """Reset cached config state — used by tests."""
+    global _users_cache, _users_lock
     _state_cache.clear()
     # Drop any locks bound to the previous event loop — reusing one from
     # a dead loop deadlocks the next test.
     _state_locks.clear()
+    _users_cache = (None, 0.0)
+    _users_lock = None
+
+
+def invalidate_list_users_cache() -> None:
+    global _users_cache
+    _users_cache = (None, 0.0)
+
+
+async def _get_list_users_cached() -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
+    global _users_cache, _users_lock
+    value, ts = _users_cache
+    now = time.monotonic()
+    if value is not None and now - ts < _USERS_TTL:
+        return value
+    if _users_lock is None:
+        _users_lock = asyncio.Lock()
+    async with _users_lock:
+        value, ts = _users_cache
+        now = time.monotonic()
+        if value is not None and now - ts < _USERS_TTL:
+            return value
+        value = await repo.list_users()
+        _users_cache = (value, time.monotonic())
+        return value
 
 
 async def _get_state_cached(name: str) -> Optional[dict[str, Any]]:
@@ -76,7 +108,7 @@ async def api_get_config(user: dict = Depends(require_viewer)) -> dict:
     }
 
     if user["role"] == "admin":
-        all_users = await repo.list_users()
+        all_users = await _get_list_users_cached()
         base["users"] = [
             UserResponse(
                 uuid=u["uuid"],
diff --git a/decnet/web/router/config/api_manage_users.py b/decnet/web/router/config/api_manage_users.py
index 976c810..70e0fe9 100644
--- a/decnet/web/router/config/api_manage_users.py
+++ b/decnet/web/router/config/api_manage_users.py
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException
 
 from decnet.telemetry import traced as _traced
 from decnet.web.auth import ahash_password
-from decnet.web.dependencies import require_admin, repo
+from decnet.web.dependencies import require_admin, invalidate_user_cache, repo
+from decnet.web.router.config.api_get_config import invalidate_list_users_cache
 from decnet.web.db.models import (
     CreateUserRequest,
     UpdateUserRoleRequest,
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ async def api_create_user(
         "role": req.role,
         "must_change_password": True,  # nosec B105 — not a password
     })
+    invalidate_list_users_cache()
     return UserResponse(
         uuid=user_uuid,
         username=req.username,
@@ -71,6 +73,8 @@ async def api_delete_user(
     deleted = await repo.delete_user(user_uuid)
     if not deleted:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="User not found")
+    invalidate_user_cache(user_uuid)
+    invalidate_list_users_cache()
     return {"message": "User deleted"}
 
 
@@ -99,6 +103,8 @@ async def api_update_user_role(
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="User not found")
 
     await repo.update_user_role(user_uuid, req.role)
+    invalidate_user_cache(user_uuid)
+    invalidate_list_users_cache()
     return {"message": "User role updated"}
 
 
@@ -128,4 +134,6 @@ async def api_reset_user_password(
         await ahash_password(req.new_password),
         must_change_password=True,
     )
+    invalidate_user_cache(user_uuid)
+    invalidate_list_users_cache()
     return {"message": "Password reset successfully"}
diff --git a/tests/api/conftest.py b/tests/api/conftest.py
index aa1ddbf..d7dc8b3 100644
--- a/tests/api/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/api/conftest.py
@@ -62,8 +62,10 @@ async def setup_db(monkeypatch) -> AsyncGenerator[None, None]:
     from decnet.web.router.bounty import api_get_bounties as _b
     from decnet.web.router.logs import api_get_histogram as _lh
     from decnet.web.router.fleet import api_get_deckies as _d
+    from decnet.web import dependencies as _deps
     _h._reset_db_cache()
     _c._reset_state_cache()
+    _deps._reset_user_cache()
     _s._reset_stats_cache()
     _l._reset_total_cache()
     _a._reset_total_cache()