diff --git a/src/fontra_compile/builder.py b/src/fontra_compile/builder.py
index a8598a7..5b35e80 100644
--- a/src/fontra_compile/builder.py
+++ b/src/fontra_compile/builder.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ async def setup(self):
         self.defaultLocation = {k: v[1] for k, v in self.globalAxisDict.items()}
 
         self.cachedSourceGlyphs = {}
+        self.cachedComponentBaseInfo = {}
 
         self.glyphs = {}
         self.cmap = {}
@@ -231,7 +232,7 @@ async def collectComponentInfo(self, glyph):
                     attrName: [] for attrName in VAR_COMPONENT_TRANSFORM_MAPPING
                 },
                 location={axisName: [] for axisName in axisNames},
-                **await self.setupComponentBaseInfo(compo.name),
+                **await self.getComponentBaseInfo(compo.name),
             )
             for compo, axisNames in zip(
                 firstSourceGlyph.components, allComponentAxisNames
@@ -297,6 +298,13 @@ async def collectComponentInfo(self, glyph):
 
         return components
 
+    async def getComponentBaseInfo(self, baseGlyphName):
+        baseInfo = self.cachedComponentBaseInfo.get(baseGlyphName)
+        if baseInfo is None:
+            baseInfo = await self.setupComponentBaseInfo(baseGlyphName)
+            self.cachedComponentBaseInfo[baseGlyphName] = baseInfo
+        return baseInfo
+
     async def setupComponentBaseInfo(self, baseGlyphName):
         # Ideally we need the full "made of" graph, so we can normalize
         # nested var composites, but then again, our local axis name -> fvar tag name