diff --git a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/clearAllCaches.st b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/clearAllCaches.st
index 09a67c1..d228b52 100644
--- a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/clearAllCaches.st
+++ b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/clearAllCaches.st
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ clearAllCaches
 	self terminateBackgroundWorkerFor: #conversations.
 	
 	allConversations := conversations := #().
+	cachedConversationColumns := nil.
 	"Invalidate lists in case clearing gets curtailed."
 	self inbox class clearAllCaches.
 	TalkProject clearAllCaches.
diff --git a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/conversationColumns.st b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/conversationColumns.st
index 5891544..655bc73 100644
--- a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/conversationColumns.st
+++ b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/conversationColumns.st
@@ -9,10 +9,15 @@ conversationColumns
 		[:conversation | "involvement icon"
 		'']} withIndexCollect: [:columnBlock :columnIndex |
 		self conversations collect: [:conversation |
-			conversation = #searching ifFalse: [columnBlock value: conversation] ifTrue: [
-				columnIndex = 1
-					ifTrue: [
-						'Searching...' asText
-							addAttribute: TextEmphasis italic;
-							yourself]
-					ifFalse: ['']]]]
\ No newline at end of file
+			conversation = #searching
+				ifFalse:
+					[((cachedConversationColumns ifNil: [cachedConversationColumns := Dictionary new])
+						at: columnIndex ifAbsentPut: [WeakIdentityKeyDictionary new])
+							at: conversation ifAbsentPut: [columnBlock value: conversation]]
+				ifTrue:
+					[columnIndex = 1
+						ifTrue: [
+							'Searching...' asText
+								addAttribute: TextEmphasis italic;
+								yourself]
+						ifFalse: ['']]]]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/open.st b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/open.st
index 896fea8..0da9ff4 100644
--- a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/open.st
+++ b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/open.st
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ toolbuilder
 open
 
 	| result |
+	conversations := #().
 	result := super open.
-	self selectConversation: nil.
+	self startGatheringConversations. "run in the background for faster UI responsiveness"
 	^ result
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/startGatheringConversations.st b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/startGatheringConversations.st
index 5b14364..a5cbcb5 100644
--- a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/startGatheringConversations.st
+++ b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/instance/startGatheringConversations.st
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ startGatheringConversations
 	self containingWindow ifNil: [^ self].
 	
 	conversations := newConversations := OrderedCollection with: #searching.
+	cachedConversationColumns := nil.
 	self
 		backgroundWorkerFor: #conversations
 		do: [:updateBlock |
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ startGatheringConversations
 					newConversations add: conversation beforeIndex: newConversations size.
 					updateBlock value].
 				
-				newConversations removeLast.
+				newConversations removeLast. "#searching"
 				updateBlock value] ifCurtailed: [
 				conversations := #().
 				self changed: #conversations]]
diff --git a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/methodProperties.json b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/methodProperties.json
index c99de78..7c7af94 100644
--- a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/methodProperties.json
+++ b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/methodProperties.json
@@ -81,12 +81,12 @@
 		"buildWith:" : "mt 1/11/2023 11:00",
 		"changed:" : "ct 7/3/2021 02:04",
 		"changedDependent:" : "ct 7/24/2021 02:02",
-		"clearAllCaches" : "ct 11/26/2022 23:52",
+		"clearAllCaches" : "ct 7/10/2024 22:42",
 		"columnNameAt:" : "ct 7/20/2021 20:22",
 		"combineContributionConversations:" : "ct 7/2/2021 17:00",
 		"contents" : "ct 7/3/2021 02:00",
 		"contributeMenu:" : "ct 7/8/2021 13:32",
-		"conversationColumns" : "ct 5/15/2023 19:37",
+		"conversationColumns" : "ct 7/10/2024 22:42",
 		"conversationHelpAtRow:atColumn:" : "ct 2/1/2024 20:11",
 		"conversationHelpFor:atColumnNamed:" : "ct 7/20/2021 20:24",
 		"conversationIconAtRow:atColumn:" : "ct 2/1/2024 20:06",
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@
 		"offerAppMenu" : "ct 7/7/2021 23:00",
 		"offerContributeMenu" : "ct 7/8/2021 13:19",
 		"offerFilterMenu" : "ct 6/30/2021 22:45",
-		"open" : "ct 7/23/2021 16:56",
+		"open" : "ct 11/18/2024 21:08",
 		"openConversation" : "ct 7/22/2021 20:27",
 		"openMonticello" : "ct 7/8/2021 13:32",
 		"openPreferences" : "ct 7/20/2021 20:13",
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@
 		"showCredits" : "ct 6/25/2023 21:24",
 		"simpleContents" : "ct 7/22/2021 16:24",
 		"startComputingContents" : "ct 7/23/2021 17:41",
-		"startGatheringConversations" : "ct 7/23/2021 16:55",
+		"startGatheringConversations" : "ct 11/18/2024 03:20",
 		"step" : "ct 1/10/2023 17:43",
 		"subjectFor:" : "ct 6/30/2021 19:52",
 		"totalFilter" : "ct 7/2/2021 16:07",
diff --git a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/properties.json b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/properties.json
index 1ca5ad8..b489eef 100644
--- a/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/properties.json
+++ b/packages/SqueakInboxTalk.package/TalkInboxBrowser.class/properties.json
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
 		"numberOfConversations",
 		"conversations",
 		"menuFilter",
-		"contents" ],
+		"contents",
+		"cachedConversationColumns" ],
 	"name" : "TalkInboxBrowser",
 	"pools" : [
 		 ],