diff --git a/src/kernels/raw/finder/localKernelSpecFinderBase.node.ts b/src/kernels/raw/finder/localKernelSpecFinderBase.node.ts
index 33a7160f29e..d5d1812c74f 100644
--- a/src/kernels/raw/finder/localKernelSpecFinderBase.node.ts
+++ b/src/kernels/raw/finder/localKernelSpecFinderBase.node.ts
@@ -280,15 +280,20 @@ export abstract class LocalKernelSpecFinderBase<
         this.promiseMonitor.push(promise);
         return promise;
     }
-
-    protected async writeToMementoCache(values: T[], cacheKey: string) {
-        await this.memento.update(
-            cacheKey,
-            JSON.stringify({
-                kernels: values.map((item) => item.toJSON()),
-                extensionVersion: this.env.extensionVersion
-            })
-        );
+    private timeouts = new Map<string, IDisposable>();
+    protected writeToMementoCache(values: T[], cacheKey: string) {
+        this.timeouts.get(cacheKey)?.dispose();
+        // This can get called very quickly and very often.
+        const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+            void this.memento.update(
+                cacheKey,
+                JSON.stringify({
+                    kernels: values.map((item) => item.toJSON()),
+                    extensionVersion: this.env.extensionVersion
+                })
+            );
+        }, 500);
+        this.timeouts.set(cacheKey, { dispose: () => clearTimeout(timer) });
     }
     protected async isValidCachedKernel(kernel: LocalKernelConnectionMetadata): Promise<boolean> {
         switch (kernel.kind) {
diff --git a/src/kernels/raw/finder/localKnownPathKernelSpecFinder.node.ts b/src/kernels/raw/finder/localKnownPathKernelSpecFinder.node.ts
index 4ad34e5eb08..8e402ec9c3b 100644
--- a/src/kernels/raw/finder/localKnownPathKernelSpecFinder.node.ts
+++ b/src/kernels/raw/finder/localKnownPathKernelSpecFinder.node.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export class LocalKnownPathKernelSpecFinder
     }
     @debounce(100)
     private writeKernelsToMemento() {
-        this.writeToMementoCache(Array.from(this._kernels.values()), localKernelSpecsCacheKey()).catch(noop);
+        this.writeToMementoCache(Array.from(this._kernels.values()), localKernelSpecsCacheKey());
     }
     private async listKernelSpecs(cancelToken: CancellationToken): Promise<LocalKernelSpecConnectionMetadata[]> {
         const fn = async () => {
diff --git a/src/kernels/raw/finder/localPythonAndRelatedNonPythonKernelSpecFinder.node.ts b/src/kernels/raw/finder/localPythonAndRelatedNonPythonKernelSpecFinder.node.ts
index 2f7cc416d62..19c2ec75d48 100644
--- a/src/kernels/raw/finder/localPythonAndRelatedNonPythonKernelSpecFinder.node.ts
+++ b/src/kernels/raw/finder/localPythonAndRelatedNonPythonKernelSpecFinder.node.ts
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ export class LocalPythonAndRelatedNonPythonKernelSpecFinder extends LocalKernelS
         this._onDidChangeKernels.fire();
         const kernels = Array.from(this._kernels.values());
         this.updateCachePromise = this.updateCachePromise.finally(() =>
-            this.writeToMementoCache(kernels, localPythonKernelsCacheKey()).catch(noop)
+            this.writeToMementoCache(kernels, localPythonKernelsCacheKey())
         );
         return this.updateCachePromise;
     }
diff --git a/src/notebooks/controllers/connectionDisplayData.node.ts b/src/notebooks/controllers/connectionDisplayData.node.ts
index 3cff4f2567c..2220fac3e89 100644
--- a/src/notebooks/controllers/connectionDisplayData.node.ts
+++ b/src/notebooks/controllers/connectionDisplayData.node.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import {
 import { DataScience } from '../../platform/common/utils/localize';
 import { getJupyterDisplayName } from '../../kernels/jupyter/connection/jupyterServerProviderRegistry';
 import {
-    getCachedEnvironments,
+    getCachedEnvironment,
     isCondaEnvironmentWithoutPython,
     resolvedPythonEnvToJupyterEnv
 } from '../../platform/interpreter/helpers';
@@ -68,9 +68,7 @@ export class ConnectionDisplayDataProvider implements IConnectionDisplayDataProv
             ) {
                 const updateInterpreterInfo = (e: PythonEnvironment[]) => {
                     const changedEnv = e.find((env) => env.id === connection.interpreter?.id);
-                    const interpreter = resolvedPythonEnvToJupyterEnv(
-                        getCachedEnvironments().find((env) => env.id === changedEnv?.id)
-                    );
+                    const interpreter = resolvedPythonEnvToJupyterEnv(getCachedEnvironment(changedEnv));
                     if (connection.kind === 'startUsingPythonInterpreter' && interpreter) {
                         connection.updateInterpreter(interpreter);
                         const newLabel = getDisplayNameOrNameOfKernelConnection(connection);
diff --git a/src/notebooks/controllers/kernelSource/localPythonEnvKernelSourceSelector.node.ts b/src/notebooks/controllers/kernelSource/localPythonEnvKernelSourceSelector.node.ts
index 3c89de30fe5..16d44763783 100644
--- a/src/notebooks/controllers/kernelSource/localPythonEnvKernelSourceSelector.node.ts
+++ b/src/notebooks/controllers/kernelSource/localPythonEnvKernelSourceSelector.node.ts
@@ -181,7 +181,10 @@ export class LocalPythonEnvNotebookKernelSourceSelector
             .catch(noop);
     }
     private getKernelSpecsDir() {
-        return this.tempDirForKernelSpecs || this.jupyterPaths.getKernelSpecTempRegistrationFolder();
+        if (!this.tempDirForKernelSpecs) {
+            this.tempDirForKernelSpecs = this.jupyterPaths.getKernelSpecTempRegistrationFolder();
+        }
+        return this.tempDirForKernelSpecs;
     }
     private apiHooked = false;
     private async hookupPythonApi() {
diff --git a/src/platform/interpreter/helpers.ts b/src/platform/interpreter/helpers.ts
index 9122f28e86a..03b36d3c209 100644
--- a/src/platform/interpreter/helpers.ts
+++ b/src/platform/interpreter/helpers.ts
@@ -123,9 +123,23 @@ export async function getInterpreterInfo(interpreter?: { id: string }) {
     return api.environments.resolveEnvironment(interpreter.id);
 }
 
+// let cachedKnown: typeof pythonApi.environments.known | undefined;
+let cachedKnownDict = new Map<string, Environment>();
 let pythonApi: PythonExtension;
 export function setPythonApi(api: PythonExtension) {
+    if (pythonApi === api) {
+        return;
+    }
     pythonApi = api;
+    api.environments.known.forEach((e) => cachedKnownDict.set(e.id, e));
+    api.environments.onDidChangeEnvironments((e) => {
+        // cachedKnown = undefined;
+        if (e.type === 'remove') {
+            cachedKnownDict.delete(e.env.id);
+        } else {
+            cachedKnownDict.set(e.env.id, e.env);
+        }
+    });
 }
 
 export function isCondaEnvironmentWithoutPython(interpreter?: { id: string }) {
@@ -140,6 +154,14 @@ export function isCondaEnvironmentWithoutPython(interpreter?: { id: string }) {
     return env && getEnvironmentType(env) === EnvironmentType.Conda && !env.executable.uri;
 }
 
+// function getCachedEnvs() {
+//     if (!cachedKnown) {
+//         cachedKnown = pythonApi.environments.known;
+//         // cachedKnownDict.clear();
+//         // cachedKnown.forEach((i) => cachedKnownDict.set(i.id, i));
+//     }
+//     return { known: cachedKnown, map: cachedKnownDict };
+// }
 export function getCachedEnvironment(interpreter?: { id: string }) {
     if (!interpreter) {
         return;
@@ -147,7 +169,7 @@ export function getCachedEnvironment(interpreter?: { id: string }) {
     if (!pythonApi) {
         throw new Error('Python API not initialized');
     }
-    return pythonApi.environments.known.find((i) => i.id === interpreter.id);
+    return cachedKnownDict.get(interpreter.id);
 }
 
 export async function getSysPrefix(interpreter?: { id: string }) {
@@ -155,7 +177,7 @@ export async function getSysPrefix(interpreter?: { id: string }) {
         return;
     }
     if (pythonApi) {
-        const cachedInfo = pythonApi.environments.known.find((i) => i.id === interpreter.id);
+        const cachedInfo = cachedKnownDict.get(interpreter.id);
         if (cachedInfo?.executable?.sysPrefix) {
             return cachedInfo.executable.sysPrefix;
         }
@@ -176,7 +198,7 @@ export function getCachedSysPrefix(interpreter?: { id: string }) {
     if (!pythonApi) {
         throw new Error('Python API not initialized');
     }
-    const cachedInfo = pythonApi.environments.known.find((i) => i.id === interpreter.id);
+    const cachedInfo = cachedKnownDict.get(interpreter.id);
     return cachedInfo?.executable?.sysPrefix;
 }
 export async function getVersion(interpreter?: { id?: string }, ignoreCache = false) {
@@ -184,7 +206,7 @@ export async function getVersion(interpreter?: { id?: string }, ignoreCache = fa
         return;
     }
     if (pythonApi && !ignoreCache) {
-        const cachedInfo = pythonApi.environments.known.find((i) => i.id === interpreter.id);
+        const cachedInfo = cachedKnownDict.get(interpreter.id);
         if (cachedInfo?.version) {
             return cachedInfo.version;
         }
@@ -205,7 +227,7 @@ export function getCachedVersion(interpreter?: { id?: string }) {
     if (!pythonApi) {
         throw new Error('Python API not initialized');
     }
-    const cachedInfo = pythonApi.environments.known.find((i) => i.id === interpreter.id);
+    const cachedInfo = cachedKnownDict.get(interpreter.id);
     return cachedInfo?.version;
 }
 
@@ -213,7 +235,8 @@ export function getCachedEnvironments() {
     if (!pythonApi) {
         return [];
     }
-    return pythonApi.environments.known;
+    return Array.from(cachedKnownDict.values());
+    // return getCachedEnvs().known;
 }
 export function resolvedPythonEnvToJupyterEnv(env?: Environment): PythonEnvironment | undefined {
     if (!env) {