diff --git a/apps/server/src/routes/api_docs.ts b/apps/server/src/routes/api_docs.ts
index d2fc1b04a..d20a6e70a 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/routes/api_docs.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/routes/api_docs.ts
@@ -3,34 +3,53 @@ import swaggerUi from "swagger-ui-express";
 import { join } from "path";
 import yaml from "js-yaml";
 import type { JsonObject } from "swagger-ui-express";
-import { readFileSync, existsSync } from "fs";
+import fs from "fs";
 import { RESOURCE_DIR } from "../services/resource_dir";
 import log from "../services/log";
 
-export default function register(app: Application) {
+// Cache the documents to avoid repeated file reads, especially important for ASAR archives
+let etapiDocument: JsonObject | null = null;
+let apiDocument: JsonObject | null = null;
+
+function loadDocuments(): { etapi: JsonObject | null; api: JsonObject | null } {
+    if (etapiDocument && apiDocument) {
+        return { etapi: etapiDocument, api: apiDocument };
+    }
+
     try {
         const etapiPath = join(RESOURCE_DIR, "etapi.openapi.yaml");
         const apiPath = join(RESOURCE_DIR, "api-openapi.yaml");
         
-        // Check if files exist
-        if (!existsSync(etapiPath)) {
-            log.error(`ETAPI OpenAPI spec not found at: ${etapiPath}`);
-            return;
-        }
-        if (!existsSync(apiPath)) {
-            log.error(`API OpenAPI spec not found at: ${apiPath}`);
-            return;
-        }
+        // Load and cache the documents
+        const etapiYaml = fs.readFileSync(etapiPath, "utf8");
+        etapiDocument = yaml.load(etapiYaml) as JsonObject;
         
-        const etapiDocument = yaml.load(readFileSync(etapiPath, "utf8")) as JsonObject;
-        const apiDocument = yaml.load(readFileSync(apiPath, "utf8")) as JsonObject;
+        const apiYaml = fs.readFileSync(apiPath, "utf8");
+        apiDocument = yaml.load(apiYaml) as JsonObject;
+        
+        log.info("OpenAPI documents loaded successfully");
+        return { etapi: etapiDocument, api: apiDocument };
+    } catch (error) {
+        log.error(`Failed to load OpenAPI documents from ${RESOURCE_DIR}: ${error}`);
+        return { etapi: null, api: null };
+    }
+}
+
+export default function register(app: Application) {
+    try {
+        const docs = loadDocuments();
+        
+        if (!docs.etapi || !docs.api) {
+            log.error("OpenAPI documents could not be loaded, skipping API documentation setup");
+            return;
+        }
 
         // Use serveFiles for multiple Swagger instances
         // Note: serveFiles returns an array of middleware, so we need to spread it
         app.use(
             "/etapi/docs", 
-            ...swaggerUi.serveFiles(etapiDocument), 
-            swaggerUi.setup(etapiDocument, {
+            ...swaggerUi.serveFiles(docs.etapi), 
+            swaggerUi.setup(docs.etapi, {
                 explorer: true,
                 customSiteTitle: "TriliumNext ETAPI Documentation"
             })
@@ -38,8 +57,8 @@ export default function register(app: Application) {
 
         app.use(
             "/api/docs", 
-            ...swaggerUi.serveFiles(apiDocument), 
-            swaggerUi.setup(apiDocument, {
+            ...swaggerUi.serveFiles(docs.api), 
+            swaggerUi.setup(docs.api, {
                 explorer: true,
                 customSiteTitle: "TriliumNext Internal API Documentation",
                 customCss: '.swagger-ui .topbar { display: none }'