diff --git a/src/modes/server.rs b/src/modes/server.rs
index 643c568..e4d2432 100644
--- a/src/modes/server.rs
+++ b/src/modes/server.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use tower_http::cors::CorsLayer;
 use tower::ServiceBuilder;
 use tower_http::trace::TraceLayer;
 use crate::config;
+use crate::services::item_service::ItemService;
 
 pub mod common;
 mod api;
@@ -53,17 +54,21 @@ pub fn mode_server(
         password_hash: settings.server_password_hash(),
     };
     
+    // Create ItemService once
+    let item_service = ItemService::new(data_path.clone());
+    
     // We need to move the connection into the async runtime
     let rt = tokio::runtime::Runtime::new()?;
     // Take ownership of the connection and move it into the async runtime
     let owned_conn = std::mem::replace(conn, rusqlite::Connection::open_in_memory()?);
-    rt.block_on(run_server(server_config, owned_conn, data_path))
+    rt.block_on(run_server(server_config, owned_conn, data_path, item_service))
 }
 
 async fn run_server(
     config: common::ServerConfig,
     conn: rusqlite::Connection,
     data_dir: PathBuf,
+    item_service: ItemService,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     // Construct address with port
     let bind_address = if let Some(port) = config.port {
@@ -80,6 +85,7 @@ async fn run_server(
     let state = AppState {
         db: db_conn,
         data_dir: data_dir.clone(),
+        item_service: Arc::new(item_service),
     };
     
     // Create MCP router
diff --git a/src/modes/server/api/item.rs b/src/modes/server/api/item.rs
index 0380f36..f830c23 100644
--- a/src/modes/server/api/item.rs
+++ b/src/modes/server/api/item.rs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ pub async fn handle_list_items(
         .map(|s| s.split(',').map(|t| t.trim().to_string()).collect())
         .unwrap_or_default();
 
-    let item_service = AsyncItemService::new(state.data_dir.clone(), state.db.clone());
+    let item_service = AsyncItemService::new(state.data_dir.clone(), state.db.clone(), state.item_service.clone());
     let mut items_with_meta = item_service
         .list_items(tags, HashMap::new())
         .await
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ pub async fn handle_get_item_latest_content(
         .map(|s| s.split(',').map(|t| t.trim().to_string()).collect())
         .unwrap_or_default();
 
-    let item_service = AsyncItemService::new(state.data_dir.clone(), state.db.clone());
+    let item_service = AsyncItemService::new(state.data_dir.clone(), state.db.clone(), state.item_service.clone());
 
     // First get the item metadata to check if it's binary and get MIME type
     let item_with_meta = item_service
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ pub async fn handle_get_item_content(
         return Err(StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST);
     }
 
-    let item_service = AsyncItemService::new(state.data_dir.clone(), state.db.clone());
+    let item_service = AsyncItemService::new(state.data_dir.clone(), state.db.clone(), state.item_service.clone());
     stream_item_content_response(&item_service, item_id, params.allow_binary, params.offset, params.length).await
 }
 
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ pub async fn handle_get_item_latest_meta(
         .map(|s| s.split(',').map(|t| t.trim().to_string()).collect())
         .unwrap_or_default();
 
-    let item_service = AsyncItemService::new(state.data_dir.clone(), state.db.clone());
+    let item_service = AsyncItemService::new(state.data_dir.clone(), state.db.clone(), state.item_service.clone());
 
     match item_service.find_item(vec![], tags, HashMap::new()).await {
         Ok(item_with_meta) => {
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ pub async fn handle_get_item_meta(
     State(state): State<AppState>,
     Path(item_id): Path<i64>,
 ) -> Result<Json<ApiResponse<HashMap<String, String>>>, StatusCode> {
-    let item_service = AsyncItemService::new(state.data_dir.clone(), state.db.clone());
+    let item_service = AsyncItemService::new(state.data_dir.clone(), state.db.clone(), state.item_service.clone());
 
     match item_service.get_item(item_id).await {
         Ok(item_with_meta) => {
diff --git a/src/modes/server/common.rs b/src/modes/server/common.rs
index 61d53b4..17f60c4 100644
--- a/src/modes/server/common.rs
+++ b/src/modes/server/common.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Instant;
 use tokio::sync::Mutex;
 use utoipa::ToSchema;
+use crate::services::item_service::ItemService;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct ServerConfig {
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ pub struct ServerConfig {
 pub struct AppState {
     pub db: Arc<Mutex<rusqlite::Connection>>,
     pub data_dir: PathBuf,
+    pub item_service: Arc<ItemService>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, ToSchema)]
diff --git a/src/services/async_item_service.rs b/src/services/async_item_service.rs
index 408a278..e7dd30f 100644
--- a/src/services/async_item_service.rs
+++ b/src/services/async_item_service.rs
@@ -17,21 +17,21 @@ use tokio_util::io::ReaderStream;
 pub struct AsyncItemService {
     pub data_dir: PathBuf,
     db: Arc<Mutex<Connection>>,
+    item_service: Arc<ItemService>,
 }
 
 #[allow(dead_code)]
 impl AsyncItemService {
-    pub fn new(data_dir: PathBuf, db: Arc<Mutex<Connection>>) -> Self {
-        Self { data_dir, db }
+    pub fn new(data_dir: PathBuf, db: Arc<Mutex<Connection>>, item_service: Arc<ItemService>) -> Self {
+        Self { data_dir, db, item_service }
     }
 
     pub async fn get_item(&self, id: i64) -> Result<ItemWithMeta, CoreError> {
-        let data_dir = self.data_dir.clone();
         let db = self.db.clone();
+        let item_service = self.item_service.clone();
 
         tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             let conn = db.blocking_lock();
-            let item_service = ItemService::new(data_dir);
             item_service.get_item(&conn, id)
         })
         .await
@@ -39,12 +39,11 @@ impl AsyncItemService {
     }
 
     pub async fn get_item_content(&self, id: i64) -> Result<ItemWithContent, CoreError> {
-        let data_dir = self.data_dir.clone();
         let db = self.db.clone();
+        let item_service = self.item_service.clone();
 
         tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             let conn = db.blocking_lock();
-            let item_service = ItemService::new(data_dir);
             item_service.get_item_content(&conn, id)
         })
         .await
@@ -59,13 +58,12 @@ impl AsyncItemService {
         offset: u64,
         length: u64,
     ) -> Result<(std::pin::Pin<Box<dyn tokio_stream::Stream<Item = Result<tokio_util::bytes::Bytes, std::io::Error>> + Send>>, String), CoreError> {
-        let data_dir = self.data_dir.clone();
         let db = self.db.clone();
+        let item_service = self.item_service.clone();
 
         // Get item metadata first to check binary status and get MIME type
         let item_with_content = tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             let conn = db.blocking_lock();
-            let item_service = ItemService::new(data_dir);
             item_service.get_item_content(&conn, item_id)
         })
         .await
@@ -120,12 +118,11 @@ impl AsyncItemService {
         tags: Vec<String>,
         meta: HashMap<String, String>,
     ) -> Result<ItemWithMeta, CoreError> {
-        let data_dir = self.data_dir.clone();
         let db = self.db.clone();
+        let item_service = self.item_service.clone();
 
         tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             let conn = db.blocking_lock();
-            let item_service = ItemService::new(data_dir);
             item_service.find_item(&conn, &ids, &tags, &meta)
         })
         .await
@@ -137,12 +134,11 @@ impl AsyncItemService {
         tags: Vec<String>,
         meta: HashMap<String, String>,
     ) -> Result<Vec<ItemWithMeta>, CoreError> {
-        let data_dir = self.data_dir.clone();
         let db = self.db.clone();
+        let item_service = self.item_service.clone();
 
         tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             let conn = db.blocking_lock();
-            let item_service = ItemService::new(data_dir);
             item_service.list_items(&conn, &tags, &meta)
         })
         .await
@@ -150,12 +146,11 @@ impl AsyncItemService {
     }
 
     pub async fn delete_item(&self, id: i64) -> Result<(), CoreError> {
-        let data_dir = self.data_dir.clone();
         let db = self.db.clone();
+        let item_service = self.item_service.clone();
 
         tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             let mut conn = db.blocking_lock();
-            let item_service = ItemService::new(data_dir);
             item_service.delete_item(&mut conn, id)
         })
         .await
@@ -168,12 +163,11 @@ impl AsyncItemService {
         tags: Vec<String>,
         metadata: HashMap<String, String>,
     ) -> Result<ItemWithMeta, CoreError> {
-        let data_dir = self.data_dir.clone();
         let db = self.db.clone();
+        let item_service = self.item_service.clone();
 
         tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             let mut conn = db.blocking_lock();
-            let item_service = ItemService::new(data_dir);
             item_service.save_item_from_mcp(&content, &tags, &metadata, &mut conn)
         })
         .await