diff --git a/src/config.py b/src/config.py
index 35f82d9..a6dbe00 100644
--- a/src/config.py
+++ b/src/config.py
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ class Config:
     # TTL for the /measurements/latest response cache (hottest endpoint)
     LATEST_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS = int(os.getenv("LATEST_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS", "45"))
 
+    # TTL for /health check results (includes an external RID-API probe)
+    HEALTH_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS = int(os.getenv("HEALTH_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS", "10"))
+
     # Web server worker processes. Above 1, uvicorn forks workers and a
     # localhost lock port elects a single background-collection leader.
     WEB_WORKERS = int(os.getenv("WEB_WORKERS", "2"))
diff --git a/src/web_api.py b/src/web_api.py
index 73b987d..4b06ec5 100644
--- a/src/web_api.py
+++ b/src/web_api.py
@@ -408,11 +408,27 @@ async def get_health():
     if not health_manager:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=503, detail="Health manager not initialized")
 
-    # Run health checks (populates state read by get_health_summary).
-    # In a thread: DatabaseHealthCheck and APIHealthCheck do blocking I/O and
-    # would otherwise stall the event loop for every other request.
-    await asyncio.to_thread(health_manager.run_all_checks)
-    summary = health_manager.get_health_summary()
+    # Health checks include a DB query and an external RID-API probe (seconds
+    # of blocking I/O). Cached briefly so hammering /health cannot flood the
+    # shared thread-pool executor; fresh hits answer inline.
+    summary = _cache_fresh(
+        HEALTH_CACHE, HEALTH_CACHE_LOCK, "health", Config.HEALTH_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS
+    )
+    if summary is None:
+
+        def compute():
+            health_manager.run_all_checks()
+            return health_manager.get_health_summary()
+
+        summary, _ = await asyncio.to_thread(
+            _ttl_cached_stale,
+            HEALTH_CACHE,
+            HEALTH_CACHE_LOCK,
+            _HEALTH_COMPUTE_LOCK,
+            "health",
+            Config.HEALTH_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS,
+            compute,
+        )
 
     return HealthResponse(**summary)
 
@@ -702,6 +718,21 @@ _HII_COMPUTE_LOCKS = {"rain": Lock(), "waterlevel": Lock()}
 LATEST_CACHE: Dict[str, Any] = {}
 LATEST_CACHE_LOCK = Lock()
 _LATEST_COMPUTE_LOCK = Lock()
+HEALTH_CACHE: Dict[str, Any] = {}
+HEALTH_CACHE_LOCK = Lock()
+_HEALTH_COMPUTE_LOCK = Lock()
+
+
+def _cache_fresh(cache, cache_lock, key, ttl):
+    """Non-blocking fresh-cache read for the async fast path. On-box load
+    testing showed cache HITS queuing ~11s behind slow work in the shared
+    thread-pool executor — so handlers must check the cache inline and only
+    dispatch to a thread on a miss."""
+    with cache_lock:
+        entry = cache.get(key)
+        if entry and time.monotonic() - entry[0] < ttl:
+            return entry[1]
+    return None
 
 
 def _ttl_cached_stale(cache, cache_lock, compute_lock, key, ttl, compute):
@@ -764,6 +795,11 @@ async def get_hii_rainfall_latest(
               GROUP BY station_id) latest
           ON latest.station_id = m.station_id AND latest.latest_ts = m.timestamp
     """
+    rows = _cache_fresh(
+        HII_CACHE, HII_CACHE_LOCK, f"rain:{hours}", Config.HII_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS
+    )
+    if rows is not None:
+        return rows
     rows, stale = await asyncio.to_thread(_hii_cached, "rain", hours, sql)
     if stale:
         response.headers["X-Data-Stale"] = "true"
@@ -789,6 +825,11 @@ async def get_hii_waterlevel_latest(
               GROUP BY station_id) latest
           ON latest.station_id = m.station_id AND latest.latest_ts = m.timestamp
     """
+    rows = _cache_fresh(
+        HII_CACHE, HII_CACHE_LOCK, f"waterlevel:{hours}", Config.HII_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS
+    )
+    if rows is not None:
+        return rows
     rows, stale = await asyncio.to_thread(_hii_cached, "waterlevel", hours, sql)
     if stale:
         response.headers["X-Data-Stale"] = "true"
@@ -904,19 +945,26 @@ async def get_latest_measurements(response: Response, limit: int = 100):
         return scraper.get_latest_data(limit=limit)
 
     try:
-        # Cached + single-flight in a thread: this is the most frequently hit
-        # endpoint (every dashboard poll); the source data changes hourly.
-        measurements, stale = await asyncio.to_thread(
-            _ttl_cached_stale,
+        # Fresh cache hits are answered inline (no executor round-trip); only
+        # misses pay for a thread. This is the most frequently hit endpoint.
+        measurements = _cache_fresh(
             LATEST_CACHE,
             LATEST_CACHE_LOCK,
-            _LATEST_COMPUTE_LOCK,
             f"latest:{limit}",
             Config.LATEST_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS,
-            compute,
         )
-        if stale:
-            response.headers["X-Data-Stale"] = "true"
+        if measurements is None:
+            measurements, stale = await asyncio.to_thread(
+                _ttl_cached_stale,
+                LATEST_CACHE,
+                LATEST_CACHE_LOCK,
+                _LATEST_COMPUTE_LOCK,
+                f"latest:{limit}",
+                Config.LATEST_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS,
+                compute,
+            )
+            if stale:
+                response.headers["X-Data-Stale"] = "true"
         return [_to_measurement_response(m) for m in measurements]
 
     except Exception as e: