diff --git a/biofuse/encoder_host.py b/biofuse/encoder_host.py
index e9f5f13..13feb4e 100644
--- a/biofuse/encoder_host.py
+++ b/biofuse/encoder_host.py
@@ -83,6 +83,14 @@ def __init__(
     async def read(self, off: int, size: int) -> bytes:
         if self._closed:
             raise OSError(errno.EIO, "stream handle is closed")
+        # Fast path: serve from the encoder's in-memory cache without
+        # taking the lock or dispatching to a worker thread.
+        # ``try_cached_read`` is documented thread-safe and never
+        # advances the iterator, so it is safe to call concurrently
+        # with an in-flight slow-path ``encoder.read`` on another task.
+        cached = self._encoder.try_cached_read(off, size)
+        if cached is not None:
+            return cached
         async with self._lock:
             if self._closed:
                 raise OSError(errno.EIO, "stream handle is closed")
diff --git a/tests/test_encoder_host.py b/tests/test_encoder_host.py
index 2e4f117..35fd41f 100644
--- a/tests/test_encoder_host.py
+++ b/tests/test_encoder_host.py
@@ -74,8 +74,13 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         self.release_read = threading.Event()
         self.entered_read = threading.Event()
         self.read_calls: list[tuple[int, int]] = []
+        self.try_cached_read_calls: list[tuple[int, int]] = []
         self.close_calls = 0
         self._payload = b"X"
+        # When set, ``try_cached_read`` returns a slice of this buffer
+        # so the StreamHandle fast path can be exercised. Default ``None``
+        # means cache miss — every call falls back to ``read``.
+        self.cached_payload: bytes | None = None
 
     def set_payload(self, body: bytes) -> None:
         self._payload = body
@@ -86,6 +91,12 @@ def read(self, off: int, size: int) -> bytes:
         self.release_read.wait()
         return self._payload
 
+    def try_cached_read(self, off: int, size: int) -> bytes | None:
+        self.try_cached_read_calls.append((off, size))
+        if self.cached_payload is None:
+            return None
+        return self.cached_payload[off : off + size]
+
     def close(self) -> None:
         self.close_calls += 1
 
@@ -140,6 +151,63 @@ async def test_read_after_close_raises_eio(self):
         assert excinfo.value.errno == errno.EIO
 
 
+class TestStreamHandleCachedFastPath:
+    async def test_cache_hit_returns_bytes_without_thread_dispatch(self):
+        encoder = _FakeEncoder()
+        encoder.cached_payload = b"hello"
+        # release_read deliberately not set: if the fast path doesn't
+        # short-circuit, the slow-path worker thread will block forever
+        # and the test will hang.
+        handle = encoder_host.StreamHandle(encoder)
+        try:
+            got = await handle.read(0, 5)
+            assert got == b"hello"
+            assert encoder.try_cached_read_calls == [(0, 5)]
+            assert encoder.read_calls == []
+            assert not encoder.entered_read.is_set()
+        finally:
+            encoder.release_read.set()
+            await handle.aclose()
+
+    async def test_cache_miss_falls_back_to_slow_path(self):
+        encoder = _FakeEncoder()
+        encoder.set_payload(b"world")
+        encoder.release_read.set()
+        handle = encoder_host.StreamHandle(encoder)
+        try:
+            got = await handle.read(0, 5)
+            assert got == b"world"
+            assert encoder.try_cached_read_calls == [(0, 5)]
+            assert encoder.read_calls == [(0, 5)]
+        finally:
+            await handle.aclose()
+
+    async def test_cache_hit_does_not_enter_encoder_read(self):
+        encoder = _FakeEncoder()
+        encoder.cached_payload = b"ABCDEFGH"
+        handle = encoder_host.StreamHandle(encoder)
+        try:
+            async with trio.open_nursery() as nursery:
+                for off in range(4):
+                    nursery.start_soon(handle.read, off, 2)
+            assert len(encoder.try_cached_read_calls) == 4
+            assert encoder.read_calls == []
+        finally:
+            encoder.release_read.set()
+            await handle.aclose()
+
+    async def test_cache_hit_after_close_raises_eio_without_calling_encoder(self):
+        encoder = _FakeEncoder()
+        encoder.cached_payload = b"never seen"
+        encoder.release_read.set()
+        handle = encoder_host.StreamHandle(encoder)
+        await handle.aclose()
+        with pytest.raises(OSError, match="stream handle is closed") as excinfo:
+            await handle.read(0, 1)
+        assert excinfo.value.errno == errno.EIO
+        assert encoder.try_cached_read_calls == []
+
+
 class TestStreamHandleSerialisation:
     async def test_concurrent_reads_serialise_on_one_handle(self):
         """Two concurrent ``handle.read`` calls must not enter the
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index d769d41..3b2d3c5 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -1737,8 +1737,8 @@ all = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "vcztools"
-version = "0.1.3.dev353"
-source = { git = "https://github.com/sgkit-dev/vcztools.git?rev=main#725a92378115025d5d6e77bd4b79da3708f9d087" }
+version = "0.1.3.dev356"
+source = { git = "https://github.com/sgkit-dev/vcztools.git?rev=main#11ead2fe565c81dc7b8d024dae9ce373a45be4ba" }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "click" },
     { name = "humanfriendly" },