diff --git a/lua/lazy/core/cache.lua b/lua/lazy/core/cache.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index 8614190..0000000
--- a/lua/lazy/core/cache.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,96 +0,0 @@
--- Simple string cache with fast saving and loading from file
-local M = {}
-
-M.dirty = false
-
-local cache_path = vim.fn.stdpath("state") .. "/lazy.state"
----@type string
-local cache_hash = ""
----@type table<string,boolean>
-local used = {}
----@type table<string,string>
-local cache = {}
-
----@return string?
-function M.get(key)
-  if cache[key] then
-    used[key] = true
-    return cache[key]
-  end
-end
-
-function M.debug()
-  local ret = {}
-  for key, value in pairs(cache) do
-    ret[key] = #value
-  end
-  return ret
-end
-
-function M.set(key, value)
-  cache[key] = value
-  used[key] = true
-  M.dirty = true
-end
-
-function M.del(key)
-  cache[key] = nil
-  M.dirty = true
-end
-
-function M.hash(file)
-  local stat = vim.loop.fs_stat(file)
-  return stat and (stat.mtime.sec .. stat.mtime.nsec .. stat.size)
-end
-
-function M.setup()
-  cache = {}
-  local f = io.open(cache_path, "rb")
-  if f then
-    cache_hash = M.hash(cache_path)
-    ---@type string
-    local data = f:read("*a")
-    f:close()
-
-    local from = 1
-    local to = data:find("\0", from, true)
-    while to do
-      local key = data:sub(from, to - 1)
-      from = to + 1
-      to = data:find("\0", from, true)
-      local len = tonumber(data:sub(from, to - 1))
-      from = to + 1
-      cache[key] = data:sub(from, from + len - 1)
-      from = from + len
-      to = data:find("\0", from, true)
-    end
-  end
-end
-
-function M.autosave()
-  vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("VimLeavePre", {
-    callback = function()
-      if M.dirty then
-        local hash = M.hash(cache_path)
-        -- abort when the file was changed in the meantime
-        if hash == nil or cache_hash == hash then
-          M.save()
-        end
-      end
-    end,
-  })
-end
-
-function M.save()
-  require("lazy.core.module").save()
-
-  local f = assert(io.open(cache_path, "wb"))
-  for key, value in pairs(cache) do
-    if used[key] then
-      f:write(key, "\0", tostring(#value), "\0", value)
-    end
-  end
-  f:close()
-end
-
-return M
diff --git a/lua/lazy/core/config.lua b/lua/lazy/core/config.lua
index 641c94f..802695e 100644
--- a/lua/lazy/core/config.lua
+++ b/lua/lazy/core/config.lua
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ function M.setup(opts)
     pattern = "VeryLazy",
     once = true,
     callback = function()
-      require("lazy.core.cache").autosave()
+      require("lazy.core.module").autosave()
       require("lazy.view").setup()
     end,
   })
diff --git a/lua/lazy/core/module.lua b/lua/lazy/core/module.lua
index 3eb5780..6d59254 100644
--- a/lua/lazy/core/module.lua
+++ b/lua/lazy/core/module.lua
@@ -1,51 +1,50 @@
-local Cache = require("lazy.core.cache")
+local ffi = require("ffi")
+---@diagnostic disable-next-line: no-unknown
+local uv = vim.loop
 
 local M = {}
+M.dirty = false
 
----@type table<string, string>
-M.hashes = {}
+local cache_path = vim.fn.stdpath("state") .. "/lazy.state"
+---@type CacheHash
+local cache_hash
+
+---@alias CacheHash {mtime: {sec:number, nsec:number}, size:number}
+---@alias CacheEntry {hash:CacheHash, chunk:string, used:boolean}
+---@type table<string,CacheEntry?>
+M.cache = {}
 
 ---@param modname string
 ---@param modpath string
 ---@return any
 function M.load(modname, modpath)
-  local err
-  ---@type (string|fun())?
-  local chunk = Cache.get(modname)
+  local entry = M.cache[modname]
+  local hash = assert(M.hash(modpath))
 
-  local hash = Cache.hash(modpath)
-  if hash ~= M.hashes[modname] then
-    M.hashes[modname] = hash
-    Cache.del(modname)
-    chunk = nil
+  if entry and not M.eq(entry.hash, hash) then
+    entry = nil
   end
 
-  if chunk then
-    chunk, err = load(chunk --[[@as string]], "@" .. modpath, "b")
+  local chunk, err
+  if entry then
+    entry.used = true
+    chunk, err = load(entry.chunk --[[@as string]], "@" .. modpath, "b")
   else
     vim.schedule(function()
       vim.notify("loadfile(" .. modname .. ")")
     end)
     chunk, err = loadfile(modpath)
-    if chunk and not err then
-      Cache.set(modname, string.dump(chunk))
+    if chunk then
+      M.dirty = true
+      M.cache[modname] = { hash = hash, chunk = string.dump(chunk), used = true }
     end
   end
 
-  if chunk then
-    return chunk()
-  else
-    error(err)
-  end
+  return chunk and chunk() or error(err)
 end
 
 function M.setup()
-  -- load cache
-  local value = Cache.get("cache.modules")
-  if value then
-    M.hashes = vim.json.decode(value)
-  end
-
+  M.load_cache()
   -- preload core modules
   local root = vim.fn.fnamemodify(debug.getinfo(1, "S").source:sub(2), ":p:h:h")
   for _, name in ipairs({ "util", "config", "loader", "plugin", "handler" }) do
@@ -58,8 +57,67 @@ function M.setup()
   return M
 end
 
-function M.save()
-  Cache.set("cache.modules", vim.json.encode(M.hashes))
+---@return CacheHash?
+function M.hash(file)
+  return uv.fs_stat(file)
+end
+
+---@param h1 CacheHash
+---@param h2 CacheHash
+function M.eq(h1, h2)
+  return h1 and h2 and h1.size == h2.size and h1.mtime.sec == h2.mtime.sec and h1.mtime.nsec == h2.mtime.nsec
+end
+
+function M.save_cache()
+  local f = assert(uv.fs_open(cache_path, "w", 438))
+  vim.loop.fs_ftruncate(f, 0)
+  for modname, entry in pairs(M.cache) do
+    if entry.used then
+      entry.modname = modname
+      local header = { entry.hash.size, entry.hash.mtime.sec, entry.hash.mtime.nsec, #modname, #entry.chunk }
+      uv.fs_write(f, ffi.string(ffi.new("const uint32_t[5]", header), 20))
+      uv.fs_write(f, modname)
+      uv.fs_write(f, entry.chunk)
+    end
+  end
+  uv.fs_close(f)
+end
+
+function M.load_cache()
+  M.cache = {}
+  local f = uv.fs_open(cache_path, "r", 438)
+  if f then
+    cache_hash = uv.fs_fstat(f) --[[@as CacheHash]]
+    local data = uv.fs_read(f, cache_hash.size, 0) --[[@as string]]
+    uv.fs_close(f)
+
+    local offset = 1
+    while offset + 1 < #data do
+      local header = ffi.cast("uint32_t*", ffi.new("const char[20]", data:sub(offset, offset + 19)))
+      offset = offset + 20
+      local modname = data:sub(offset, offset + header[3] - 1)
+      offset = offset + header[3]
+      local chunk = data:sub(offset, offset + header[4] - 1)
+      offset = offset + header[4]
+      M.cache[modname] = { hash = { size = header[0], mtime = { sec = header[1], nsec = header[2] } }, chunk = chunk }
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+function M.autosave()
+  vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("VimLeavePre", {
+    callback = function()
+      if M.dirty then
+        local hash = M.hash(cache_path)
+        -- abort when the file was changed in the meantime
+        if hash == nil or M.eq(cache_hash, hash) then
+          vim.fn.system("echo start >> foo.txt")
+          M.save_cache()
+          vim.fn.system("echo stop >> foo.txt")
+        end
+      end
+    end,
+  })
 end
 
 return M
diff --git a/lua/lazy/init.lua b/lua/lazy/init.lua
index 50aa05f..49a978c 100644
--- a/lua/lazy/init.lua
+++ b/lua/lazy/init.lua
@@ -2,9 +2,6 @@ local M = {}
 
 ---@param opts? LazyConfig
 function M.setup(opts)
-  local cache_start = vim.loop.hrtime()
-  require("lazy.core.cache").setup()
-
   local module_start = vim.loop.hrtime()
   require("lazy.core.module").setup()
   local Util = require("lazy.core.util")
@@ -13,7 +10,6 @@ function M.setup(opts)
   local Handler = require("lazy.core.handler")
   local Plugin = require("lazy.core.plugin")
 
-  Util.track("cache", module_start - cache_start)
   Util.track("module", vim.loop.hrtime() - module_start)
 
   Util.track("setup")
@@ -29,10 +25,7 @@ function M.setup(opts)
     for _, plugin in pairs(Config.plugins) do
       if not plugin._.installed then
         vim.cmd("do User LazyInstallPre")
-        require("lazy.manage").install({
-          wait = true,
-          show = Config.options.interactive,
-        })
+        require("lazy.manage").install({ wait = true, show = Config.options.interactive })
         break
       end
     end
@@ -43,9 +36,10 @@ function M.setup(opts)
   Handler.setup()
   Util.track()
 
-  local lazy_delta = vim.loop.hrtime() - cache_start
+  local lazy_delta = vim.loop.hrtime() - module_start
 
   Util.track() -- end setup
+
   Loader.init_plugins()
 
   if Config.plugins["lazy.nvim"] then