diff --git a/modules/extra_networks.py b/modules/extra_networks.py
index b9533677..04249dff 100644
--- a/modules/extra_networks.py
+++ b/modules/extra_networks.py
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ def parse_prompts(prompts):
     return res, extra_data
 
 
-def get_user_metadata(filename):
+def get_user_metadata(filename, lister=None):
     if filename is None:
         return {}
 
@@ -215,7 +215,8 @@ def get_user_metadata(filename):
 
     metadata = {}
     try:
-        if os.path.isfile(metadata_filename):
+        exists = lister.exists(metadata_filename) if lister else os.path.exists(metadata_filename)
+        if exists:
             with open(metadata_filename, "r", encoding="utf8") as file:
                 metadata = json.load(file)
     except Exception as e:
diff --git a/modules/ui_extra_networks.py b/modules/ui_extra_networks.py
index e1c679ec..c06c8664 100644
--- a/modules/ui_extra_networks.py
+++ b/modules/ui_extra_networks.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import os.path
 import urllib.parse
 from pathlib import Path
 
-from modules import shared, ui_extra_networks_user_metadata, errors, extra_networks
+from modules import shared, ui_extra_networks_user_metadata, errors, extra_networks, util
 from modules.images import read_info_from_image, save_image_with_geninfo
 import gradio as gr
 import json
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ class ExtraNetworksPage:
         self.allow_negative_prompt = False
         self.metadata = {}
         self.items = {}
+        self.lister = util.MassFileLister()
 
     def refresh(self):
         pass
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ class ExtraNetworksPage:
 
     def link_preview(self, filename):
         quoted_filename = urllib.parse.quote(filename.replace('\\', '/'))
-        mtime = os.path.getmtime(filename)
+        mtime, _ = self.lister.mctime(filename)
         return f"./sd_extra_networks/thumb?filename={quoted_filename}&mtime={mtime}"
 
     def search_terms_from_path(self, filename, possible_directories=None):
@@ -137,6 +138,8 @@ class ExtraNetworksPage:
         return ""
 
     def create_html(self, tabname):
+        self.lister.reset()
+
         items_html = ''
 
         self.metadata = {}
@@ -282,10 +285,10 @@ class ExtraNetworksPage:
         List of default keys used for sorting in the UI.
         """
         pth = Path(path)
-        stat = pth.stat()
+        mtime, ctime = self.lister.mctime(path)
         return {
-            "date_created": int(stat.st_ctime or 0),
-            "date_modified": int(stat.st_mtime or 0),
+            "date_created": int(mtime),
+            "date_modified": int(ctime),
             "name": pth.name.lower(),
             "path": str(pth.parent).lower(),
         }
@@ -298,7 +301,7 @@ class ExtraNetworksPage:
         potential_files = sum([[path + "." + ext, path + ".preview." + ext] for ext in allowed_preview_extensions()], [])
 
         for file in potential_files:
-            if os.path.isfile(file):
+            if self.lister.exists(file):
                 return self.link_preview(file)
 
         return None
@@ -308,6 +311,9 @@ class ExtraNetworksPage:
         Find and read a description file for a given path (without extension).
         """
         for file in [f"{path}.txt", f"{path}.description.txt"]:
+            if not self.lister.exists(file):
+                continue
+
             try:
                 with open(file, "r", encoding="utf-8", errors="replace") as f:
                     return f.read()
diff --git a/modules/util.py b/modules/util.py
index 4861bcb0..c2a27590 100644
--- a/modules/util.py
+++ b/modules/util.py
@@ -66,3 +66,73 @@ def truncate_path(target_path, base_path=cwd):
     except ValueError:
         pass
     return abs_target
+
+
+class MassFileListerCachedDir:
+    """A class that caches file metadata for a specific directory."""
+
+    def __init__(self, dirname):
+        self.files = None
+        self.files_cased = None
+        self.dirname = dirname
+
+        stats = ((x.name, x.stat(follow_symlinks=False)) for x in os.scandir(self.dirname))
+        files = [(n, s.st_mtime, s.st_ctime) for n, s in stats]
+        self.files = {x[0].lower(): x for x in files}
+        self.files_cased = {x[0]: x for x in files}
+
+
+class MassFileLister:
+    """A class that provides a way to check for the existence and mtime/ctile of files without doing more than one stat call per file."""
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.cached_dirs = {}
+
+    def find(self, path):
+        """
+        Find the metadata for a file at the given path.
+
+        Returns:
+            tuple or None: A tuple of (name, mtime, ctime) if the file exists, or None if it does not.
+        """
+
+        dirname, filename = os.path.split(path)
+
+        cached_dir = self.cached_dirs.get(dirname)
+        if cached_dir is None:
+            cached_dir = MassFileListerCachedDir(dirname)
+            self.cached_dirs[dirname] = cached_dir
+
+        stats = cached_dir.files_cased.get(filename)
+        if stats is not None:
+            return stats
+
+        stats = cached_dir.files.get(filename.lower())
+        if stats is None:
+            return None
+
+        try:
+            os_stats = os.stat(path, follow_symlinks=False)
+            return filename, os_stats.st_mtime, os_stats.st_ctime
+        except Exception:
+            return None
+
+    def exists(self, path):
+        """Check if a file exists at the given path."""
+
+        return self.find(path) is not None
+
+    def mctime(self, path):
+        """
+        Get the modification and creation times for a file at the given path.
+
+        Returns:
+            tuple: A tuple of (mtime, ctime) if the file exists, or (0, 0) if it does not.
+        """
+
+        stats = self.find(path)
+        return (0, 0) if stats is None else stats[1:3]
+
+    def reset(self):
+        """Clear the cache of all directories."""
+        self.cached_dirs.clear()