diff --git a/folder_paths.py b/folder_paths.py
index 1f03c08d8..26b4fcb37 100644
--- a/folder_paths.py
+++ b/folder_paths.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import threading
 import os
 import time
 import mimetypes
 import logging
 from typing import Set, List, Dict, Tuple, Literal
 from collections.abc import Collection
+from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
 
 supported_pt_extensions: set[str] = {'.ckpt', '.pt', '.bin', '.pth', '.safetensors', '.pkl', '.sft'}
 
@@ -46,6 +48,8 @@ user_directory = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), "user
 
 filename_list_cache: dict[str, tuple[list[str], dict[str, float], float]] = {}
 
+async_executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(32)
+
 class CacheHelper:
     """
     Helper class for managing file list cache data.
@@ -210,6 +214,22 @@ def get_folder_paths(folder_name: str) -> list[str]:
     folder_name = map_legacy(folder_name)
     return folder_names_and_paths[folder_name][0][:]
 
+
+def prebuild_lists():
+    start_time = time.perf_counter()
+
+    with ThreadPoolExecutor(32) as executor:
+        calls = []
+        for folder_name in folder_names_and_paths:
+            calls.append(executor.submit(lambda: get_filename_list(folder_name)))
+
+        for call in calls:
+            call.result()
+
+    end_time = time.perf_counter()
+    logging.info(f"Scanned model lists in {end_time - start_time:.2f} seconds")
+
+
 def recursive_search(directory: str, excluded_dir_names: list[str] | None=None) -> tuple[list[str], dict[str, float]]:
     if not os.path.isdir(directory):
         return [], {}
@@ -225,33 +245,43 @@ def recursive_search(directory: str, excluded_dir_names: list[str] | None=None)
         dirs[directory] = os.path.getmtime(directory)
     except FileNotFoundError:
         logging.warning(f"Warning: Unable to access {directory}. Skipping this path.")
+        return [], {}
 
     logging.debug("recursive file list on directory {}".format(directory))
-    dirpath: str
-    subdirs: list[str]
-    filenames: list[str]
 
-    for dirpath, subdirs, filenames in os.walk(directory, followlinks=True, topdown=True):
-        subdirs[:] = [d for d in subdirs if d not in excluded_dir_names]
-        for file_name in filenames:
-            relative_path = os.path.relpath(os.path.join(dirpath, file_name), directory)
-            result.append(relative_path)
+    calls = []
+
+    def proc_subdir(path: str):
+        dirs[path] = os.path.getmtime(path)
+
+    def handle(file):
+        try:
+            if not os.path.isdir(file):
+                relative_path = os.path.relpath(file, directory)
+                result.append(relative_path)
+                return
+
+            calls.append(async_executor.submit(lambda f=file: proc_subdir(f)))
+
+            for subdir in os.listdir(file):
+                if subdir not in excluded_dir_names:
+                    path = os.path.join(file, subdir)
+                    calls.append(async_executor.submit(lambda p=path: handle(p)))
+        except Exception as e:
+            logging.error(f"recursive_search encountered error while handling '{file}': {e}")
+
+    calls.append(async_executor.submit(lambda: handle(directory)))
+    while len(calls) > 0:
+        calls.pop().result()
 
-        for d in subdirs:
-            path: str = os.path.join(dirpath, d)
-            try:
-                dirs[path] = os.path.getmtime(path)
-            except FileNotFoundError:
-                logging.warning(f"Warning: Unable to access {path}. Skipping this path.")
-                continue
     logging.debug("found {} files".format(len(result)))
     return result, dirs
 
+
 def filter_files_extensions(files: Collection[str], extensions: Collection[str]) -> list[str]:
     return sorted(list(filter(lambda a: os.path.splitext(a)[-1].lower() in extensions or len(extensions) == 0, files)))
 
 
-
 def get_full_path(folder_name: str, filename: str) -> str | None:
     global folder_names_and_paths
     folder_name = map_legacy(folder_name)
@@ -293,26 +323,39 @@ def cached_filename_list_(folder_name: str) -> tuple[list[str], dict[str, float]
     strong_cache = cache_helper.get(folder_name)
     if strong_cache is not None:
         return strong_cache
-    
+
     global filename_list_cache
     global folder_names_and_paths
     folder_name = map_legacy(folder_name)
     if folder_name not in filename_list_cache:
         return None
     out = filename_list_cache[folder_name]
+    must_invalidate = threading.Event()
+    folders = folder_names_and_paths[folder_name]
+
+    def check_folder_mtime(folder: str, time_modified: float):
+        if os.path.getmtime(folder) != time_modified:
+            must_invalidate.set()
+
+    def check_new_dirs(x: str):
+        if os.path.isdir(x):
+            if x not in out[1]:
+                must_invalidate.set()
+
+    calls = []
 
     for x in out[1]:
         time_modified = out[1][x]
-        folder = x
-        if os.path.getmtime(folder) != time_modified:
-            return None
+        calls.append(async_executor.submit(lambda f=x, t=time_modified: check_folder_mtime(f, t)))
 
-    folders = folder_names_and_paths[folder_name]
     for x in folders[0]:
-        if os.path.isdir(x):
-            if x not in out[1]:
-                return None
+        calls.append(async_executor.submit(lambda f=x: check_new_dirs(f)))
 
+    for call in calls:
+        call.result()
+
+    if must_invalidate.is_set():
+        return None
     return out
 
 def get_filename_list(folder_name: str) -> list[str]:
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index c23210861..703269609 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -212,6 +212,8 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     nodes.init_extra_nodes(init_custom_nodes=not args.disable_all_custom_nodes)
 
+    folder_paths.prebuild_lists()
+
     cuda_malloc_warning()
 
     server.add_routes()