diff --git a/chain/src/store.rs b/chain/src/store.rs
index 50eeb3117..ed697c7ca 100644
--- a/chain/src/store.rs
+++ b/chain/src/store.rs
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ pub struct ChainStore {
 	db: store::Store,
 	header_cache: Arc<RwLock<LruCache<Hash, BlockHeader>>>,
 	block_input_bitmap_cache: Arc<RwLock<LruCache<Hash, Vec<u8>>>>,
+	block_sums_cache: Arc<RwLock<LruCache<Hash, BlockSums>>>,
 }
 
 impl ChainStore {
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ impl ChainStore {
 			db,
 			header_cache: Arc::new(RwLock::new(LruCache::new(1_000))),
 			block_input_bitmap_cache: Arc::new(RwLock::new(LruCache::new(1_000))),
+			block_sums_cache: Arc::new(RwLock::new(LruCache::new(1_000))),
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -92,12 +94,31 @@ impl ChainStore {
 		self.db.exists(&to_key(BLOCK_PREFIX, &mut h.to_vec()))
 	}
 
-	pub fn get_block_sums(&self, bh: &Hash) -> Result<BlockSums, Error> {
-		option_to_not_found(
-			self.db
-				.get_ser(&to_key(BLOCK_SUMS_PREFIX, &mut bh.to_vec())),
-			&format!("Block sums for block: {}", bh),
-		)
+	pub fn get_block_sums(&self, h: &Hash) -> Result<BlockSums, Error> {
+		{
+			let mut block_sums_cache = self.block_sums_cache.write().unwrap();
+
+			// cache hit - return the value from the cache
+			if let Some(block_sums) = block_sums_cache.get_mut(h) {
+				return Ok(block_sums.clone());
+			}
+		}
+
+		let block_sums: Result<BlockSums, Error> = option_to_not_found(
+			self.db.get_ser(&to_key(BLOCK_SUMS_PREFIX, &mut h.to_vec())),
+			&format!("Block sums for block: {}", h),
+		);
+
+		// cache miss - so adding to the cache for next time
+		if let Ok(block_sums) = block_sums {
+			{
+				let mut block_sums_cache = self.block_sums_cache.write().unwrap();
+				block_sums_cache.insert(*h, block_sums.clone());
+			}
+			Ok(block_sums)
+		} else {
+			block_sums
+		}
 	}
 
 	pub fn get_block_header(&self, h: &Hash) -> Result<BlockHeader, Error> {
@@ -176,8 +197,10 @@ impl ChainStore {
 	/// Builds a new batch to be used with this store.
 	pub fn batch(&self) -> Result<Batch, Error> {
 		Ok(Batch {
-			store: self,
 			db: self.db.batch()?,
+			header_cache: self.header_cache.clone(),
+			block_input_bitmap_cache: self.block_input_bitmap_cache.clone(),
+			block_sums_cache: self.block_sums_cache.clone(),
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -185,8 +208,10 @@ impl ChainStore {
 /// An atomic batch in which all changes can be committed all at once or
 /// discarded on error.
 pub struct Batch<'a> {
-	store: &'a ChainStore,
 	db: store::Batch<'a>,
+	header_cache: Arc<RwLock<LruCache<Hash, BlockHeader>>>,
+	block_sums_cache: Arc<RwLock<LruCache<Hash, BlockSums>>>,
+	block_input_bitmap_cache: Arc<RwLock<LruCache<Hash, Vec<u8>>>>,
 }
 
 #[allow(missing_docs)]
@@ -257,14 +282,12 @@ impl<'a> Batch<'a> {
 		self.db.exists(&to_key(BLOCK_PREFIX, &mut h.to_vec()))
 	}
 
-	/// Save the block and its header
+	/// Save the block and its header, caching the header.
 	pub fn save_block(&self, b: &Block) -> Result<(), Error> {
+		self.save_block_header(&b.header)?;
 		self.db
 			.put_ser(&to_key(BLOCK_PREFIX, &mut b.hash().to_vec())[..], b)?;
-		self.db.put_ser(
-			&to_key(BLOCK_HEADER_PREFIX, &mut b.hash().to_vec())[..],
-			&b.header,
-		)
+		Ok(())
 	}
 
 	/// Delete a full block. Does not delete any record associated with a block
@@ -283,10 +306,16 @@ impl<'a> Batch<'a> {
 		Ok(())
 	}
 
-	pub fn save_block_header(&self, bh: &BlockHeader) -> Result<(), Error> {
-		let hash = bh.hash();
+	pub fn save_block_header(&self, header: &BlockHeader) -> Result<(), Error> {
+		let hash = header.hash();
+
+		{
+			let mut header_cache = self.header_cache.write().unwrap();
+			header_cache.insert(hash, header.clone());
+		}
+
 		self.db
-			.put_ser(&to_key(BLOCK_HEADER_PREFIX, &mut hash.to_vec())[..], bh)?;
+			.put_ser(&to_key(BLOCK_HEADER_PREFIX, &mut hash.to_vec())[..], header)?;
 		Ok(())
 	}
 
@@ -320,11 +349,31 @@ impl<'a> Batch<'a> {
 	}
 
 	pub fn get_block_header(&self, h: &Hash) -> Result<BlockHeader, Error> {
-		option_to_not_found(
+		{
+			let mut header_cache = self.header_cache.write().unwrap();
+
+			// cache hit - return the value from the cache
+			if let Some(header) = header_cache.get_mut(h) {
+				return Ok(header.clone());
+			}
+		}
+
+		let header: Result<BlockHeader, Error> = option_to_not_found(
 			self.db
 				.get_ser(&to_key(BLOCK_HEADER_PREFIX, &mut h.to_vec())),
-			&format!("Block header for block: {}", h),
-		)
+			&format!("BLOCK HEADER: {}", h),
+		);
+
+		// cache miss - so adding to the cache for next time
+		if let Ok(header) = header {
+			{
+				let mut header_cache = self.header_cache.write().unwrap();
+				header_cache.insert(*h, header.clone());
+			}
+			Ok(header)
+		} else {
+			header
+		}
 	}
 
 	fn save_block_input_bitmap(&self, bh: &Hash, bm: &Bitmap) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -339,17 +388,41 @@ impl<'a> Batch<'a> {
 			.delete(&to_key(BLOCK_INPUT_BITMAP_PREFIX, &mut bh.to_vec()))
 	}
 
-	pub fn save_block_sums(&self, bh: &Hash, sums: &BlockSums) -> Result<(), Error> {
+	pub fn save_block_sums(&self, h: &Hash, sums: &BlockSums) -> Result<(), Error> {
+		{
+			let mut block_sums_cache = self.block_sums_cache.write().unwrap();
+			block_sums_cache.insert(*h, sums.clone());
+		}
+
 		self.db
-			.put_ser(&to_key(BLOCK_SUMS_PREFIX, &mut bh.to_vec())[..], &sums)
+			.put_ser(&to_key(BLOCK_SUMS_PREFIX, &mut h.to_vec())[..], &sums)
 	}
 
-	pub fn get_block_sums(&self, bh: &Hash) -> Result<BlockSums, Error> {
-		option_to_not_found(
-			self.db
-				.get_ser(&to_key(BLOCK_SUMS_PREFIX, &mut bh.to_vec())),
-			&format!("Block sums for block: {}", bh),
-		)
+	pub fn get_block_sums(&self, h: &Hash) -> Result<BlockSums, Error> {
+		{
+			let mut block_sums_cache = self.block_sums_cache.write().unwrap();
+
+			// cache hit - return the value from the cache
+			if let Some(block_sums) = block_sums_cache.get_mut(h) {
+				return Ok(block_sums.clone());
+			}
+		}
+
+		let block_sums: Result<BlockSums, Error> = option_to_not_found(
+			self.db.get_ser(&to_key(BLOCK_SUMS_PREFIX, &mut h.to_vec())),
+			&format!("Block sums for block: {}", h),
+		);
+
+		// cache miss - so adding to the cache for next time
+		if let Ok(block_sums) = block_sums {
+			{
+				let mut block_sums_cache = self.block_sums_cache.write().unwrap();
+				block_sums_cache.insert(*h, block_sums.clone());
+			}
+			Ok(block_sums)
+		} else {
+			block_sums
+		}
 	}
 
 	fn delete_block_sums(&self, bh: &Hash) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -405,7 +478,7 @@ impl<'a> Batch<'a> {
 		self.save_header_height(&header)?;
 
 		if header.height > 0 {
-			let mut prev_header = self.store.get_block_header(&header.previous)?;
+			let mut prev_header = self.get_block_header(&header.previous)?;
 			while prev_header.height > 0 {
 				if !force {
 					if let Ok(_) = self.is_on_current_chain(&prev_header) {
@@ -414,7 +487,7 @@ impl<'a> Batch<'a> {
 				}
 				self.save_header_height(&prev_header)?;
 
-				prev_header = self.store.get_block_header(&prev_header.previous)?;
+				prev_header = self.get_block_header(&prev_header.previous)?;
 			}
 		}
 		Ok(())
@@ -438,7 +511,7 @@ impl<'a> Batch<'a> {
 		self.save_block_input_bitmap(&block.hash(), &bitmap)?;
 
 		// Finally cache it locally for use later.
-		let mut cache = self.store.block_input_bitmap_cache.write().unwrap();
+		let mut cache = self.block_input_bitmap_cache.write().unwrap();
 		cache.insert(block.hash(), bitmap.serialize());
 
 		Ok(bitmap)
@@ -446,7 +519,7 @@ impl<'a> Batch<'a> {
 
 	pub fn get_block_input_bitmap(&self, bh: &Hash) -> Result<Bitmap, Error> {
 		{
-			let mut cache = self.store.block_input_bitmap_cache.write().unwrap();
+			let mut cache = self.block_input_bitmap_cache.write().unwrap();
 
 			// cache hit - return the value from the cache
 			if let Some(bytes) = cache.get_mut(bh) {
@@ -488,8 +561,10 @@ impl<'a> Batch<'a> {
 	/// commit, abandoned otherwise.
 	pub fn child(&mut self) -> Result<Batch, Error> {
 		Ok(Batch {
-			store: self.store,
 			db: self.db.child()?,
+			header_cache: self.header_cache.clone(),
+			block_sums_cache: self.block_sums_cache.clone(),
+			block_input_bitmap_cache: self.block_input_bitmap_cache.clone(),
 		})
 	}
 }