diff --git a/src/bin/background-worker.rs b/src/bin/background-worker.rs
index 99b31489ca..fd185b1fc7 100644
--- a/src/bin/background-worker.rs
+++ b/src/bin/background-worker.rs
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@ use crates_io::worker::swirl::Runner;
 use crates_io::worker::{Environment, RunnerExt};
 use crates_io::{db, ssh};
 use crates_io_env_vars::{var, var_parsed};
-use crates_io_index::{Repository, RepositoryConfig};
+use crates_io_index::RepositoryConfig;
 use diesel::r2d2;
 use diesel::r2d2::ConnectionManager;
 use reqwest::blocking::Client;
 use secrecy::ExposeSecret;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::thread::sleep;
-use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+use std::time::Duration;
 
 fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let _sentry = crates_io::sentry::init();
@@ -59,18 +59,11 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     let job_start_timeout = var_parsed("BACKGROUND_JOB_TIMEOUT")?.unwrap_or(30);
 
-    info!("Cloning index");
-
     if var("HEROKU")?.is_some() {
         ssh::write_known_hosts_file().unwrap();
     }
 
-    let clone_start = Instant::now();
     let repository_config = RepositoryConfig::from_environment()?;
-    let repository = Repository::open(&repository_config).expect("Failed to clone index");
-
-    let clone_duration = clone_start.elapsed();
-    info!(duration = ?clone_duration, "Index cloned");
 
     let cloudfront = CloudFront::from_environment();
     let fastly = Fastly::from_environment();
@@ -81,10 +74,19 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         .build()
         .expect("Couldn't build client");
 
-    let environment = Environment::new(repository, client, cloudfront, fastly, storage);
+    let environment = Environment::new(repository_config, client, cloudfront, fastly, storage);
 
     let environment = Arc::new(environment);
 
+    std::thread::spawn({
+        let environment = environment.clone();
+        move || {
+            if let Err(err) = environment.lock_index() {
+                warn!(%err, "Failed to clone index");
+            };
+        }
+    });
+
     let connection_pool = r2d2::Pool::builder()
         .max_size(10)
         .min_idle(Some(0))
diff --git a/src/tests/util/test_app.rs b/src/tests/util/test_app.rs
index 861dcc4b43..6ab4c7436b 100644
--- a/src/tests/util/test_app.rs
+++ b/src/tests/util/test_app.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use crates_io::worker::{Environment, RunnerExt};
 use crates_io::{App, Emails, Env};
 use crates_io_env_vars::required_var;
 use crates_io_index::testing::UpstreamIndex;
-use crates_io_index::{Credentials, Repository as WorkerRepository, RepositoryConfig};
+use crates_io_index::{Credentials, RepositoryConfig};
 use crates_io_test_db::TestDatabase;
 use diesel::PgConnection;
 use futures_util::TryStreamExt;
@@ -252,9 +252,8 @@ impl TestAppBuilder {
                 index_location: UpstreamIndex::url(),
                 credentials: Credentials::Missing,
             };
-            let index = WorkerRepository::open(&repository_config).expect("Could not clone index");
             let environment = Environment::new(
-                index,
+                repository_config,
                 app.http_client().clone(),
                 None,
                 None,
diff --git a/src/worker/environment.rs b/src/worker/environment.rs
index 4186560392..fb9e79efba 100644
--- a/src/worker/environment.rs
+++ b/src/worker/environment.rs
@@ -2,12 +2,15 @@ use crate::cloudfront::CloudFront;
 use crate::fastly::Fastly;
 use crate::storage::Storage;
 use crate::worker::swirl::PerformError;
-use crates_io_index::Repository;
+use crates_io_index::{Repository, RepositoryConfig};
 use reqwest::blocking::Client;
+use std::ops::{Deref, DerefMut};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, MutexGuard, PoisonError};
+use std::time::Instant;
 
 pub struct Environment {
-    index: Mutex<Repository>,
+    repository_config: RepositoryConfig,
+    repository: Mutex<Option<Repository>>,
     http_client: Client,
     cloudfront: Option<CloudFront>,
     fastly: Option<Fastly>,
@@ -16,14 +19,15 @@ pub struct Environment {
 
 impl Environment {
     pub fn new(
-        index: Repository,
+        repository_config: RepositoryConfig,
         http_client: Client,
         cloudfront: Option<CloudFront>,
         fastly: Option<Fastly>,
         storage: Arc<Storage>,
     ) -> Self {
         Self {
-            index: Mutex::new(index),
+            repository_config,
+            repository: Mutex::new(None),
             http_client,
             cloudfront,
             fastly,
@@ -32,10 +36,25 @@ impl Environment {
     }
 
     #[instrument(skip_all)]
-    pub fn lock_index(&self) -> Result<MutexGuard<'_, Repository>, PerformError> {
-        let repo = self.index.lock().unwrap_or_else(PoisonError::into_inner);
-        repo.reset_head()?;
-        Ok(repo)
+    pub fn lock_index(&self) -> Result<RepositoryLock<'_>, PerformError> {
+        let mut repo = self
+            .repository
+            .lock()
+            .unwrap_or_else(PoisonError::into_inner);
+
+        if repo.is_none() {
+            info!("Cloning index");
+            let clone_start = Instant::now();
+
+            *repo = Some(Repository::open(&self.repository_config)?);
+
+            let clone_duration = clone_start.elapsed();
+            info!(duration = ?clone_duration, "Index cloned");
+        }
+
+        let repo_lock = RepositoryLock { repo };
+        repo_lock.reset_head()?;
+        Ok(repo_lock)
     }
 
     /// Returns a client for making HTTP requests to upload crate files.
@@ -51,3 +70,21 @@ impl Environment {
         self.fastly.as_ref()
     }
 }
+
+pub struct RepositoryLock<'a> {
+    repo: MutexGuard<'a, Option<Repository>>,
+}
+
+impl Deref for RepositoryLock<'_> {
+    type Target = Repository;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        self.repo.as_ref().unwrap()
+    }
+}
+
+impl DerefMut for RepositoryLock<'_> {
+    fn deref_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Self::Target {
+        self.repo.as_mut().unwrap()
+    }
+}