diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
index 6011f1a..6ad9afa 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
           node-version: '20'
+          cache: 'npm'
 
       - name: Build frontend
         run: npm ci && npm run build
@@ -112,6 +113,20 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: '3.11'
+          cache: 'pip'
+          cache-dependency-path: pyproject.toml
+
+      - name: Cache embedded Python
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: build/python-embed.zip
+          key: python-embed-3.11.9
+
+      - name: Cache Windows wheels
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: build/win-wheels
+          key: win-wheels-${{ hashFiles('build-dist-windows.sh', 'pyproject.toml') }}
 
       - name: Install build tools
         run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends nsis zip
@@ -179,6 +194,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
           node-version: '20'
+          cache: 'npm'
 
       - name: Build frontend
         run: npm ci && npm run build
@@ -186,6 +202,8 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: '3.11'
+          cache: 'pip'
+          cache-dependency-path: pyproject.toml
 
       - name: Build Linux distribution
         run: |
diff --git a/build-dist-windows.sh b/build-dist-windows.sh
index b585b6a..690a221 100644
--- a/build-dist-windows.sh
+++ b/build-dist-windows.sh
@@ -19,10 +19,15 @@ BUILD_OUTPUT="build/MediaServer-v${VERSION_CLEAN}-win-x64"
 
 clean_dist "${DIST_DIR}" "${WHEEL_DIR}" "${SITE_PACKAGES}"
 
-# --- Download embedded Python ---
-echo "Downloading embedded Python ${PYTHON_VERSION}..."
-curl -sL "https://www.python.org/ftp/python/${PYTHON_VERSION}/python-${PYTHON_VERSION}-embed-amd64.zip" \
-    -o build/python-embed.zip
+# --- Download embedded Python (cache-friendly) ---
+mkdir -p build
+if [ ! -f build/python-embed.zip ]; then
+    echo "Downloading embedded Python ${PYTHON_VERSION}..."
+    curl -sL "https://www.python.org/ftp/python/${PYTHON_VERSION}/python-${PYTHON_VERSION}-embed-amd64.zip" \
+        -o build/python-embed.zip
+else
+    echo "Using cached embedded Python ${PYTHON_VERSION}"
+fi
 unzip -qo build/python-embed.zip -d "${DIST_DIR}/python"
 
 # Patch ._pth to enable site-packages and app source
@@ -64,15 +69,19 @@ VIS_DEPS=(
 
 ALL_DEPS=("${CORE_DEPS[@]}" "${WIN_DEPS[@]}" "${VIS_DEPS[@]}")
 
-for dep in "${ALL_DEPS[@]}"; do
-    pip download --quiet --no-cache-dir --dest "$WHEEL_DIR" \
+# Reuse wheels from a previous cached run — only download if cache is empty
+if [ -d "$WHEEL_DIR" ] && [ -n "$(ls -A "$WHEEL_DIR" 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
+    echo "Using cached wheels from $WHEEL_DIR"
+else
+    # Single pip-download call — pip resolves all deps together, much faster than a loop
+    pip download --quiet --dest "$WHEEL_DIR" \
         --platform win_amd64 --python-version "${PYTHON_SHORT}" \
         --implementation cp --only-binary :all: \
-        "$dep" 2>/dev/null || \
-    pip download --quiet --no-cache-dir --dest "$WHEEL_DIR" \
+        "${ALL_DEPS[@]}" 2>/dev/null || \
+    pip download --quiet --dest "$WHEEL_DIR" \
         --only-binary :all: \
-        "$dep"
-done
+        "${ALL_DEPS[@]}"
+fi
 
 # Remove numpy 2.x wheels pulled as transitive deps (soundcard requires <2.0)
 for f in "$WHEEL_DIR"/numpy-2*; do