diff --git a/gateway/integrations/guardails.py b/gateway/integrations/guardails.py
index a793f0d..6944e1e 100644
--- a/gateway/integrations/guardails.py
+++ b/gateway/integrations/guardails.py
@@ -1,13 +1,107 @@
 """Utility functions for Guardrails execution."""
 
+import asyncio
 import os
+import time
 from typing import Any, Dict, List
+from functools import wraps
 
 import httpx
+from common.request_context_data import RequestContextData
 
 DEFAULT_API_URL = "https://guardrail.invariantnet.com"
 
 
+# Timestamps of last API calls per guardrails string
+_guardrails_cache = {}
+# Locks per guardrails string
+_guardrails_locks = {}
+
+
+def rate_limit(expiration_time: int = 3600):
+    """
+    Decorator to limit API calls to once per expiration_time seconds
+    per unique guardrails string.
+
+    Args:
+        expiration_time (int): Time in seconds to cache the guardrails.
+    """
+
+    def decorator(func):
+        @wraps(func)
+        async def wrapper(guardrails: str, *args, **kwargs):
+            now = time.time()
+
+            # Get or create a per-guardrail lock
+            if guardrails not in _guardrails_locks:
+                _guardrails_locks[guardrails] = asyncio.Lock()
+            guardrail_lock = _guardrails_locks[guardrails]
+
+            async with guardrail_lock:
+                last_called = _guardrails_cache.get(guardrails)
+
+                if last_called and (now - last_called < expiration_time):
+                    # Skipping API call: Guardrails '{guardrails}' already
+                    # preloaded within expiration_time
+                    return
+
+                # Update cache timestamp
+                _guardrails_cache[guardrails] = now
+
+            try:
+                await func(guardrails, *args, **kwargs)
+            finally:
+                _guardrails_locks.pop(guardrails, None)
+
+        return wrapper
+
+    return decorator
+
+
+@rate_limit(3600)  # Don't preload the same guardrails string more than once per hour
+async def _preload(guardrails: str, invariant_authorization: str) -> None:
+    """
+    Calls the Guardrails API to preload the provided policy for faster checking later.
+
+    Args:
+        guardrails (str): The guardrails to preload.
+        invariant_authorization (str): Value of the
+                                       invariant-authorization header.
+    """
+    async with httpx.AsyncClient() as client:
+        url = os.getenv("GUADRAILS_API_URL", DEFAULT_API_URL).rstrip("/")
+        try:
+            await client.post(
+                f"{url}/api/v1/policy/load",
+                json={"policy": guardrails},
+                headers={
+                    "Authorization": invariant_authorization,
+                    "Accept": "application/json",
+                },
+            )
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"Failed to load guardrails: {e}")
+
+
+async def preload_guardrails(context: RequestContextData) -> None:
+    """
+    Preloads the guardrails for faster checking later.
+
+    Args:
+        context: RequestContextData object.
+    """
+    if not context.config or not context.config.guardrails:
+        return
+
+    try:
+        task = asyncio.create_task(
+            _preload(context.config.guardrails, context.invariant_authorization)
+        )
+        asyncio.shield(task)
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"Error scheduling preload_guardrails task: {e}")
+
+
 async def check_guardrails(
     messages: List[Dict[str, Any]], guardrails: str, invariant_authorization: str
 ) -> Dict[str, Any]:
@@ -23,19 +117,19 @@ async def check_guardrails(
     Returns:
         Dict: Response containing guardrail check results.
     """
-    client = httpx.AsyncClient()
-    url = os.getenv("GUADRAILS_API_URL", DEFAULT_API_URL).rstrip("/")
-    try:
-        result = await client.post(
-            f"{url}/api/v1/policy/check",
-            json={"messages": messages, "policy": guardrails},
-            headers={
-                "Authorization": invariant_authorization,
-                "Accept": "application/json",
-            },
-        )
-        print(f"Guardrail check response: {result.json()}")
-        return result.json()
-    except Exception as e:
-        print(f"Failed to verify guardrails: {e}")
-        return {"error": str(e)}
+    async with httpx.AsyncClient() as client:
+        url = os.getenv("GUADRAILS_API_URL", DEFAULT_API_URL).rstrip("/")
+        try:
+            result = await client.post(
+                f"{url}/api/v1/policy/check",
+                json={"messages": messages, "policy": guardrails},
+                headers={
+                    "Authorization": invariant_authorization,
+                    "Accept": "application/json",
+                },
+            )
+            print(f"Guardrail check response: {result.json()}")
+            return result.json()
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"Failed to verify guardrails: {e}")
+            return {"error": str(e)}
diff --git a/gateway/routes/open_ai.py b/gateway/routes/open_ai.py
index d972911..ce04c95 100644
--- a/gateway/routes/open_ai.py
+++ b/gateway/routes/open_ai.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from common.constants import (
     IGNORED_HEADERS,
 )
 from integrations.explorer import create_annotations_from_guardrails_errors, push_trace
-from integrations.guardails import check_guardrails
+from integrations.guardails import check_guardrails, preload_guardrails
 from common.authorization import extract_authorization_from_headers
 from common.request_context_data import RequestContextData
 
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ async def openai_chat_completions_gateway(
         invariant_authorization=invariant_authorization,
         config=config,
     )
+    asyncio.create_task(preload_guardrails(context))
 
     if request_json.get("stream", False):
         return await stream_response(