diff --git a/emission/core/get_database.py b/emission/core/get_database.py
index 0939b41d9..047598ad7 100644
--- a/emission/core/get_database.py
+++ b/emission/core/get_database.py
@@ -37,9 +37,18 @@
 _current_db = MongoClient(url, uuidRepresentation='pythonLegacy')[db_name]
 #config_file.close()
 
+# Store the latest model globally for implementing controlled access and allow model loading only once
+_model_db = None
+
 def _get_current_db():
     return _current_db
 
+def _get_model_db():
+    return _model_db
+
+def _set_model_db(model_db):
+    _model_db = model_db
+
 def get_token_db():
     Tokens= _get_current_db().Stage_Tokens
     return Tokens
@@ -100,7 +109,6 @@ def update_routeDistanceMatrix_db(user_id, method, updatedMatrix):
     f.write(json.dumps(updatedMatrix))
     f.close()   
 
-
 def get_client_db():
     # current_db=MongoClient().Stage_database
     Clients = _get_current_db().Stage_clients
@@ -231,10 +239,16 @@ def get_model_db():
     " will eventually delete them. This means that the elements are essentially
     " getting updated, only over time and as a log-structured filesystem.
     """
-    ModelDB = _get_current_db().Stage_updateable_models
-    ModelDB.create_index([("user_id", pymongo.ASCENDING)])
-    ModelDB.create_index([("metadata.key", pymongo.ASCENDING)])
-    ModelDB.create_index([("metadata.write_ts", pymongo.DESCENDING)])
+    ModelDB = _get_model_db()
+    if ModelDB == None:
+        logging.debug("Started model load in edb.get_model_db()...")
+        ModelDB = _get_current_db().Stage_updateable_models
+        ModelDB.create_index([("user_id", pymongo.ASCENDING)])
+        ModelDB.create_index([("metadata.key", pymongo.ASCENDING)])
+        ModelDB.create_index([("metadata.write_ts", pymongo.DESCENDING)])
+        _set_model_db(ModelDB)
+        logging.debug("Finished model load in edb.get_model_db()...")
+    logging.debug("Fetched model in edb.get_model_db()")       
     return ModelDB
 
 def _create_analysis_result_indices(tscoll):
diff --git a/emission/storage/modifiable/builtin_model_storage.py b/emission/storage/modifiable/builtin_model_storage.py
index 35f0f601f..255fc6d18 100644
--- a/emission/storage/modifiable/builtin_model_storage.py
+++ b/emission/storage/modifiable/builtin_model_storage.py
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ def __init__(self, user_id):
         super(BuiltinModelStorage, self).__init__(user_id)
         self.key_query = lambda key: {"metadata.key": key}
         self.user_query = {"user_id": self.user_id} # UUID is mandatory for this version
+        self.current_model = None
+
+    def _get_model():
+        return self.current_model
+
+    def _set_model(model):
+        self.current_model = model
 
     def upsert_model(self, key:str, model: ecwb.WrapperBase):
         """
@@ -34,12 +41,18 @@ def get_current_model(self, key:str) -> Optional[Dict]:
         :return: the most recent database entry for this key
         """
         find_query = {"user_id": self.user_id, "metadata.key": key}
-        result_it = edb.get_model_db().find(find_query).sort("metadata.write_ts", -1).limit(1)
-        # this differs from the timeseries `get_first_entry` only in the find query
-        # and the fact that the sort key and sort order are hardcoded
-        # everything below this point is identical
-        # but it is also fairly trivial, so I am not sure it is worth pulling
-        # out into common code at this point
+        result_it = _get_model()
+        if result_it == None:
+            logging.debug("Started model load in builtin_model_storage.get_current_model()...")
+            result_it = edb.get_model_db().find(find_query).sort("metadata.write_ts", -1).limit(1)
+            # this differs from the timeseries `get_first_entry` only in the find query
+            # and the fact that the sort key and sort order are hardcoded
+            # everything below this point is identical
+            # but it is also fairly trivial, so I am not sure it is worth pulling
+            # out into common code at this point
+            _set_model(result_it)
+            logging.debug("Finished model load in builtin_model_storage.get_current_model()...")
+        logging.debug("Fetched model in builtin_model_storage.get_current_model()...")
         result_list = list(result_it)
         if len(result_list) == 0:
             return None