diff --git a/src/autoload.cpp b/src/autoload.cpp
index 807a44311..dba7525cd 100644
--- a/src/autoload.cpp
+++ b/src/autoload.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,126 @@
 /// The time before we'll recheck an autoloaded file.
 static const int kAutoloadStalenessInterval = 15;
 
+/// Represents a file that we might want to autoload.
+struct autoloadable_file_t {
+    /// The path to the file.
+    wcstring path;
+
+    /// The metadata for the file.
+    file_id_t file_id;
+};
+
+/// Class representing a cache of files that may be autoloaded.
+/// This is responsible for performing cached accesses to a set of paths.
+class autoload_file_cache_t {
+    /// A timestamp is a monotonic point in time.
+    using timestamp_t = std::chrono::time_point<std::chrono::steady_clock>;
+
+    /// The directories from which to load.
+    const wcstring_list_t dirs_;
+
+    /// Our LRU cache of checks that were misses.
+    /// The key is the command, the  value is the time of the check.
+    struct misses_lru_cache_t : public lru_cache_t<misses_lru_cache_t, timestamp_t> {};
+    misses_lru_cache_t misses_cache_;
+
+    /// The set of files that we have returned to the caller, along with the time of the check.
+    /// The key is the command (not the path).
+    struct known_file_t {
+        autoloadable_file_t file;
+        timestamp_t last_checked;
+    };
+    std::unordered_map<wcstring, known_file_t> known_files_;
+
+    /// \return the current timestamp.
+    static timestamp_t current_timestamp() { return std::chrono::steady_clock::now(); }
+
+    /// \return whether a timestamp is fresh enough to use.
+    static bool is_fresh(timestamp_t then, timestamp_t now);
+
+    /// Attempt to find an autoloadable file by searching our path list for a given comand.
+    /// \return the file, or none() if none.
+    maybe_t<autoloadable_file_t> locate_file(const wcstring &cmd) const;
+
+   public:
+    /// Initialize with a set of directories.
+    explicit autoload_file_cache_t(wcstring_list_t dirs) : dirs_(std::move(dirs)) {}
+
+    /// \return the directories.
+    const wcstring_list_t &dirs() const { return dirs_; }
+
+    /// Check if a command \p cmd can be loaded.
+    /// If \p allow_stale is true, allow stale entries; otherwise discard them.
+    /// This returns an autoloadable file, or none() if there is no such file.
+    maybe_t<autoloadable_file_t> check(const wcstring &cmd, bool allow_stale = false);
+};
+
+maybe_t<autoloadable_file_t> autoload_file_cache_t::locate_file(const wcstring &cmd) const {
+    // Re-use the storage for path.
+    wcstring path;
+    for (const wcstring &dir : dirs()) {
+        // Construct the path as dir/cmd.fish
+        path = dir;
+        path += L"/";
+        path += cmd;
+        path += L".fish";
+
+        file_id_t file_id = file_id_for_path(path);
+        if (file_id != kInvalidFileID) {
+            // Found it.
+            autoloadable_file_t result;
+            result.path = std::move(path);
+            result.file_id = file_id;
+            return result;
+        }
+    }
+    return none();
+}
+
+bool autoload_file_cache_t::is_fresh(timestamp_t then, timestamp_t now) {
+    auto seconds = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::seconds>(now - then);
+    return seconds.count() < kAutoloadStalenessInterval;
+}
+
+maybe_t<autoloadable_file_t> autoload_file_cache_t::check(const wcstring &cmd, bool allow_stale) {
+    const auto now = current_timestamp();
+
+    // Check hits.
+    auto iter = known_files_.find(cmd);
+    if (iter != known_files_.end()) {
+        if (allow_stale || is_fresh(iter->second.last_checked, now)) {
+            // Re-use this cached hit.
+            return iter->second.file;
+        }
+        // The file is stale, remove it.
+        known_files_.erase(iter);
+    }
+
+    // Check misses.
+    if (timestamp_t *miss = misses_cache_.get(cmd)) {
+        if (allow_stale || is_fresh(*miss, now)) {
+            // Re-use this cached miss.
+            return none();
+        }
+        // The miss is stale, remove it.
+        misses_cache_.evict_node(cmd);
+    }
+
+    // We couldn't satisfy this request from the cache. Hit the disk.
+    // Don't re-use 'now', the disk access could have taken a long time.
+    maybe_t<autoloadable_file_t> file = locate_file(cmd);
+    if (file.has_value()) {
+        auto ins = known_files_.emplace(cmd, known_file_t{*file, current_timestamp()});
+        assert(ins.second && "Known files cache should not have contained this cmd");
+        (void)ins;
+    } else {
+        bool ins = misses_cache_.insert(cmd, current_timestamp());
+        assert(ins && "Misses cache should not have contained this cmd");
+        (void)ins;
+    }
+    return file;
+}
+
 file_access_attempt_t access_file(const wcstring &path, int mode) {
     file_access_attempt_t result = {};
     file_id_t file_id = file_id_for_path(path);