diff --git a/main.ts b/main.ts
index 5147443..b83fee4 100644
--- a/main.ts
+++ b/main.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ const CSSPlugin: Plugin = {
     };
   },
 };
-await prepareSecretKey();
 
 async function startServer(manifest: Manifest, options: StartOptions = {}) {
   const ctx = await ServerContext.fromManifest(manifest, options);
@@ -86,7 +85,10 @@ if (import.meta.main) {
     .option("--db-path <path:string>", "The path to the database file.", {
       default: ":memory:",
     })
-    .option("--id-password <idpassword:string>", "The password to use. (Not recommended). id:password format.")
+    .option(
+      "--id-password <idpassword:string>",
+      "The password to use. (Not recommended). id:password format.",
+    )
     .arguments("[hostname:string]")
     .action(async ({ debug, port, auth, dbPath, idPassword }, hostname) => {
       hostname ??= "localhost";
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ if (import.meta.main) {
       }
       if (idPassword) {
         Deno.env.set("AUTH_REQUIRED", "true");
-        const db = connectDB();
+        const db = await connectDB();
         const [username, password] = idPassword.split(":");
         const new_user = await users.createUser(username, password);
         await users.addUser(db, new_user);
@@ -106,6 +108,7 @@ if (import.meta.main) {
       if (debug) {
         console.log("Debug mode enabled.");
       }
+      await prepareSecretKey();
       await prepareDocs();
       await start({
         port: port,
diff --git a/routes/_middleware.ts b/routes/_middleware.ts
index 8184a8f..63c7eb5 100644
--- a/routes/_middleware.ts
+++ b/routes/_middleware.ts
@@ -3,12 +3,11 @@ import { getCookies } from "http/cookie.ts";
 import { verify } from "djwt";
 import { prepareSecretKey } from "../util/secret.ts";
 
-const secret_key = await prepareSecretKey();
-
 export const handler = async (
   req: Request,
   ctx: MiddlewareHandlerContext<Record<string, unknown>>,
 ) => {
+  const secret_key = await prepareSecretKey();
   const cookies = getCookies(req.headers);
   const jwt = cookies["auth"];
   try {
diff --git a/routes/api/login.ts b/routes/api/login.ts
index 8a8a0a6..0d9c3f1 100644
--- a/routes/api/login.ts
+++ b/routes/api/login.ts
@@ -6,17 +6,16 @@ import { getUser, verifyUser } from "../../src/user/user.ts";
 import { create as createJWT } from "djwt";
 import { prepareSecretKey } from "../../util/secret.ts";
 
-const SECRET_KEY = await prepareSecretKey();
-
-async function POST(req: Request, ctx: HandlerContext): Promise<Response> {
+async function POST(req: Request, _ctx: HandlerContext): Promise<Response> {
   const url = new URL(req.url);
   const form = await req.formData();
   const username = form.get("username");
   const password = form.get("password");
   if (username && password) {
-    const DB = connectDB();
+    const DB = await connectDB();
     const user = await getUser(DB, username.toString());
     if (user) {
+      const SECRET_KEY = await prepareSecretKey();
       if (await verifyUser(user, password.toString())) {
         const headers = new Headers();
         const jwt = await createJWT({ alg: "HS512", typ: "JWT" }, {
diff --git a/src/user/db.ts b/src/user/db.ts
index 4dec24d..38032a8 100644
--- a/src/user/db.ts
+++ b/src/user/db.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,31 @@
 import { DB } from "sqlite";
 import { createSchema } from "./user.ts";
 
-export function connectDB(): DB {
+let inmemoryDB: DB | undefined;
+let previousPath = "";
+let dbCache: DB | undefined;
+
+export async function connectDB(): Promise<DB> {
   let DB_path = Deno.env.get("DB_PATH");
-  if (DB_path === undefined) {
-    Deno.env.set("DB_PATH", "./db.sqlite");
-    DB_path = "./db.sqlite";
+  if (DB_path === ":memory:") {
+    if (inmemoryDB === undefined) {
+      inmemoryDB = new DB(":memory:");
+      await createSchema(inmemoryDB);
+    }
+    return inmemoryDB;
+  } else if (DB_path === undefined) {
+    Deno.env.set("DB_PATH", "db.sqlite");
+    DB_path = "db.sqlite";
   }
-  let db = new DB(DB_path);
-  createSchema(db);
+  if (dbCache !== undefined && DB_path === previousPath) {
+    return dbCache;
+  } else {
+    dbCache?.close();
+    dbCache = undefined;
+  }
+  const db = new DB(DB_path);
+  previousPath = DB_path;
+  dbCache = db;
+  await createSchema(db);
   return db;
 }
diff --git a/user.ts b/user.ts
index 907527f..9473380 100644
--- a/user.ts
+++ b/user.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export const user_command = new Command()
         Deno.exit(1);
       }
     }
-    const db = connectDB();
+    const db = await connectDB();
     const new_user = await users.createUser(username, password);
     await users.addUser(db, new_user);
     if (!quiet) {
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export const user_command = new Command()
   .arguments("<username:string>")
   .option("-q, --quiet", "Quiet output.")
   .action(async ({ quiet }, username) => {
-    const db = connectDB();
+    const db = await connectDB();
     await users.deleteUser(db, username);
     if (!quiet) {
       console.log(`Deleting user ${username}`);
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export const user_command = new Command()
   })
   .command("list", "list all users")
   .action(async () => {
-    const db = connectDB();
+    const db = await connectDB();
     const all_users = await users.getAllUsers(db);
     for (const user of all_users) {
       console.log(`${user.name}`);
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ export const user_command = new Command()
   .arguments("<username:string> <password:string>")
   .option("-q, --quiet", "quiet output.")
   .action(async ({ quiet }, [username, password]) => {
-    const db = connectDB();
+    const db = await connectDB();
     const new_user = await users.createUser(username, password);
     await users.updateUser(db, new_user);
     if (!quiet) {
diff --git a/util/secret.ts b/util/secret.ts
index 5292c9d..5696186 100644
--- a/util/secret.ts
+++ b/util/secret.ts
@@ -8,10 +8,17 @@ export async function generateSecretKey() {
   return key;
 }
 
+let cacheKey: CryptoKey | undefined;
+let previousKey = "invalid";
+
 export async function prepareSecretKey() {
   const key = Deno.env.get("SECRET_KEY");
+  if (key === previousKey) {
+    return cacheKey!;
+  }
   if (key) {
     const jwk = JSON.parse(key) as JsonWebKey;
+    previousKey = key;
     {
       const key = await crypto.subtle.importKey(
         "jwk",
@@ -20,12 +27,16 @@ export async function prepareSecretKey() {
         true,
         ["sign", "verify"],
       );
+      cacheKey = key;
       return key;
     }
   } else {
     const key = await generateSecretKey();
     const out = await crypto.subtle.exportKey("jwk", key);
-    Deno.env.set("SECRET_KEY", JSON.stringify(out));
+    const outStr = JSON.stringify(out);
+    Deno.env.set("SECRET_KEY", outStr);
+    cacheKey = key;
+    previousKey = outStr;
     return key;
   }
 }