diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 2fdea0c5..ff998dc6 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package config
 
 import (
 	"log/slog"
+	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/santhosh-tekuri/jsonschema/v6"
 
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ func NewValidationOptions(opts ...Option) *ValidationOptions {
 		SecurityValidation: true,
 		OpenAPIMode:        true,                    // Enable OpenAPI vocabulary by default
 		SchemaCache:        cache.NewDefaultCache(), // Enable caching by default
+		RegexCache:         &sync.Map{},            // Enable regex caching by default
 	}
 
 	for _, opt := range opts {
diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index dddd739a..daa95585 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ func TestNewValidationOptions_Defaults(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.OpenAPIMode)          // Default is true
 	assert.False(t, opts.AllowScalarCoercion) // Default is false
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.NotNil(t, opts.RegexCache) // Default is enabled (like SchemaCache)
 }
 
 func TestNewValidationOptions_WithNilOption(t *testing.T) {
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func TestNewValidationOptions_WithNilOption(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.OpenAPIMode)          // Default is true
 	assert.False(t, opts.AllowScalarCoercion) // Default is false
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.NotNil(t, opts.RegexCache) // Default is enabled (like SchemaCache)
 }
 
 func TestWithFormatAssertions(t *testing.T) {
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func TestWithFormatAssertions(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.OpenAPIMode)          // Default is true
 	assert.False(t, opts.AllowScalarCoercion) // Default is false
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.NotNil(t, opts.RegexCache) // Default is enabled (like SchemaCache)
 }
 
 func TestWithContentAssertions(t *testing.T) {
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func TestWithContentAssertions(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.OpenAPIMode)          // Default is true
 	assert.False(t, opts.AllowScalarCoercion) // Default is false
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.NotNil(t, opts.RegexCache) // Default is enabled (like SchemaCache)
 }
 
 func TestWithoutSecurityValidation(t *testing.T) {
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func TestWithoutSecurityValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.OpenAPIMode)          // Default is true
 	assert.False(t, opts.AllowScalarCoercion) // Default is false
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.NotNil(t, opts.RegexCache) // Default is enabled (like SchemaCache)
 }
 
 func TestWithRegexEngine(t *testing.T) {
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ func TestWithRegexEngine(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.OpenAPIMode)          // Default is true
 	assert.False(t, opts.AllowScalarCoercion) // Default is false
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.NotNil(t, opts.RegexCache) // Default is enabled (like SchemaCache)
 }
 
 func TestWithExistingOpts(t *testing.T) {
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func TestWithExistingOpts_NilSource(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.OpenAPIMode)          // Default is true
 	assert.False(t, opts.AllowScalarCoercion) // Default is false
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.NotNil(t, opts.RegexCache) // Default is enabled (like SchemaCache)
 }
 
 func TestMultipleOptions(t *testing.T) {
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func TestMultipleOptions(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.OpenAPIMode)          // Default is true
 	assert.False(t, opts.AllowScalarCoercion) // Default is false
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.NotNil(t, opts.RegexCache) // Default is enabled (like SchemaCache)
 }
 
 func TestOptionOverride(t *testing.T) {
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ func TestOptionOverride(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.OpenAPIMode)          // Default is true
 	assert.False(t, opts.AllowScalarCoercion) // Default is false
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.NotNil(t, opts.RegexCache) // Default is enabled (like SchemaCache)
 }
 
 func TestWithExistingOpts_PartialOverride(t *testing.T) {
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func TestWithExistingOpts_PartialOverride(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine) // Both should be nil
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)   // Copied from original (nil/zero value)
 	assert.True(t, opts.FormatAssertions)    // From original
 	assert.True(t, opts.ContentAssertions)   // Reapplied, but same value
 	assert.False(t, opts.SecurityValidation) // From original
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ func TestComplexScenario(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.ContentAssertions)   // Added
 	assert.False(t, opts.SecurityValidation) // From base
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)          // Should be nil
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)           // Copied from baseOpts (nil/zero value)
 }
 
 func TestMultipleOptionsWithSecurityDisabled(t *testing.T) {
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ func TestMultipleOptionsWithSecurityDisabled(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.ContentAssertions)
 	assert.False(t, opts.SecurityValidation)
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.NotNil(t, opts.RegexCache) // Default is enabled (like SchemaCache)
 }
 
 func TestWithExistingOpts_SecurityValidationCopied(t *testing.T) {
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ func TestComplexOpenAPIScenario(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, opts.ContentAssertions)
 	assert.False(t, opts.SecurityValidation)
 	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexEngine)
-	assert.Nil(t, opts.RegexCache)
+	assert.NotNil(t, opts.RegexCache) // Default is enabled (like SchemaCache)
 }
 
 func TestWithExistingOpts_OpenAPIFields(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/validator.go b/validator.go
index e905dc7c..f326d7ee 100644
--- a/validator.go
+++ b/validator.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/pb33f/libopenapi"
@@ -99,6 +100,9 @@ func NewValidatorFromV3Model(m *v3.Document, opts ...config.Option) Validator {
 	// (warmSchemaCaches checks for nil cache and skips if disabled)
 	warmSchemaCaches(m, options)
 
+	// warm the regex cache by pre-compiling all path parameter regexes
+	warmRegexCache(m, options)
+
 	v := &validator{options: options, v3Model: m}
 
 	// create a new parameter validator
@@ -198,6 +202,12 @@ func (v *validator) ValidateHttpRequestResponse(
 }
 
 func (v *validator) ValidateHttpRequest(request *http.Request) (bool, []*errors.ValidationError) {
+	// Fast path: use synchronous validation for GET/HEAD/OPTIONS/DELETE requests
+	// without a body to avoid unnecessary goroutine and channel overhead.
+	if request.Body == nil || request.ContentLength == 0 {
+		return v.ValidateHttpRequestSync(request)
+	}
+
 	pathItem, errs, foundPath := paths.FindPath(request, v.v3Model, v.options)
 	if len(errs) > 0 {
 		return false, errs
@@ -570,3 +580,31 @@ func warmParameterSchema(param *v3.Parameter, schemaCache cache.SchemaCache, opt
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// warmRegexCache pre-compiles all path parameter regexes in the OpenAPI document and stores them in the regex cache.
+// This frontloads the compilation cost so that runtime validation doesn't need to compile regexes for path segments.
+func warmRegexCache(doc *v3.Document, options *config.ValidationOptions) {
+	if doc == nil || doc.Paths == nil || doc.Paths.PathItems == nil || options.RegexCache == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	for pathPair := doc.Paths.PathItems.First(); pathPair != nil; pathPair = pathPair.Next() {
+		pathKey := pathPair.Key()
+		segments := strings.Split(pathKey, "/")
+		for _, segment := range segments {
+			if segment == "" {
+				continue
+			}
+			// Only compile segments that contain path parameters (have braces)
+			if !strings.Contains(segment, "{") {
+				continue
+			}
+			if _, found := options.RegexCache.Load(segment); !found {
+				r, err := helpers.GetRegexForPath(segment)
+				if err == nil {
+					options.RegexCache.Store(segment, r)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}