diff --git a/appview/repo/artifact.go b/appview/repo/artifact.go
index 1dd39eb5..06dd4aec 100644
--- a/appview/repo/artifact.go
+++ b/appview/repo/artifact.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	comatproto "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/api/atproto"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/syntax"
 	lexutil "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/lex/util"
-	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
 	"github.com/dustin/go-humanize"
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
@@ -308,7 +307,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) resolveTag(ctx context.Context, f *models.Repo, tagParam string)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 
 	xrpcBytes, err := tangled.GitTempListTags(ctx, xrpcc, "", 0, f.RepoDid)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/appview/repo/blob.go b/appview/repo/blob.go
index d1bd951e..bc2f6f1a 100644
--- a/appview/repo/blob.go
+++ b/appview/repo/blob.go
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"tangled.org/core/types"
 	xrpcclient "tangled.org/core/xrpc/xrpcclient"
 
-	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/util"
-	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
 	enry "github.com/go-enry/go-enry/v2"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
@@ -60,7 +58,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) Blob(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	ctx := r.Context()
 
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 	resp, err := tangled.GitTempGetEntry(ctx, xrpcc, filePath, ref, f.RepoDid)
 	if xrpcerr := xrpcclient.HandleXrpcErr(err); xrpcerr != nil {
 		l.Error("failed to call XRPC git.getEntry", "xrpcerr", xrpcerr, "err", err)
@@ -97,7 +95,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) Blob(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return models.BlobView{}, err
 		}
-		blobResp, err := util.RobustHTTPClient().Do(blobReq)
+		blobResp, err := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient().Client.Do(blobReq)
 		if err != nil {
 			return models.BlobView{}, err
 		}
@@ -253,7 +251,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) RepoBlobRaw(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
 			return
 		}
-		resp, err := util.RobustHTTPClient().Do(req)
+		resp, err := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient().Client.Do(req)
 		if err != nil || resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
 			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadGateway)
 			return
diff --git a/appview/repo/branches.go b/appview/repo/branches.go
index f6705915..ac3c3179 100644
--- a/appview/repo/branches.go
+++ b/appview/repo/branches.go
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"tangled.org/core/appview/pages"
 	"tangled.org/core/types"
 	xrpcclient "tangled.org/core/xrpc/xrpcclient"
-
-	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
 )
 
 func (rp *Repo) Branches(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
@@ -21,7 +19,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) Branches(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		l.Error("failed to get repo and knot", "err", err)
 		return
 	}
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 
 	xrpcBytes, err := tangled.GitTempListBranches(r.Context(), xrpcc, "", 0, f.RepoDid)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/appview/repo/compare.go b/appview/repo/compare.go
index 5b6442e0..0d319b39 100644
--- a/appview/repo/compare.go
+++ b/appview/repo/compare.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) CompareNew(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 
 	branchBytes, err := tangled.GitTempListBranches(r.Context(), xrpcc, "", 0, f.RepoDid)
 	if xrpcerr := xrpcclient.HandleXrpcErr(err); xrpcerr != nil {
diff --git a/appview/repo/feed.go b/appview/repo/feed.go
index d3644c8e..ec78ed7d 100644
--- a/appview/repo/feed.go
+++ b/appview/repo/feed.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/identity"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/syntax"
-	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
 	"github.com/gorilla/feeds"
 )
 
@@ -207,7 +206,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) createIssueItem(ctx context.Context, issue models.Issue, ownerSl
 }
 
 func (rp *Repo) createCommitItems(ctx context.Context, repo *models.Repo, ownerSlashRepo string) ([]*feeds.Item, error) {
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 
 	xrpcBytes, err := tangled.GitTempListCommits(ctx, xrpcc, "", 100, "", repo.RepoDid)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -246,7 +245,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) createCommitItems(ctx context.Context, repo *models.Repo, ownerS
 }
 
 func (rp *Repo) createTagItems(ctx context.Context, repo *models.Repo, ownerSlashRepo string) ([]*feeds.Item, error) {
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 
 	tagBytes, err := tangled.GitTempListTags(ctx, xrpcc, "", 100, repo.RepoDid)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/appview/repo/index.go b/appview/repo/index.go
index 8abb4350..9aef7ce1 100644
--- a/appview/repo/index.go
+++ b/appview/repo/index.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/syntax"
-	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
 	"tangled.org/core/api/tangled"
 	"tangled.org/core/appview/commitverify"
@@ -232,10 +231,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) getLanguageInfo(
 	ref string,
 ) ([]*tangled.GitTempListLanguages_Language, error) {
 	// non-fatal, fetch langs from knotmirror via XRPC
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{
-		Host:   rp.config.KnotMirror.Url,
-		Client: http.DefaultClient,
-	}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 	out, err := tangled.GitTempListLanguages(ctx, xrpcc, ref, repoId.String())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("calling knotmirror git.listLanguages: %w", err)
@@ -283,7 +279,7 @@ func makeLanguageStats(langs []*tangled.GitTempListLanguages_Language) []types.R
 
 // buildIndexResponse creates a RepoIndexResponse by combining multiple xrpc calls in parallel
 func (rp *Repo) buildIndexResponse(ctx context.Context, repo *models.Repo, ref string) (*types.RepoIndexResponse, error) {
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 
 	branchesBytes, err := tangled.GitTempListBranches(ctx, xrpcc, "", 0, repo.RepoDid)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/appview/repo/knotmirror_client.go b/appview/repo/knotmirror_client.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4673ff35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appview/repo/knotmirror_client.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package repo
+
+import (
+	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/util"
+	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
+)
+
+// newKnotMirrorXRPCClient is created once per Repo service. A nil
+// indigoxrpc.Client creates a new RobustHTTPClient for each XRPC call, which
+// also creates a new transport and defeats connection reuse.
+func newKnotMirrorXRPCClient(host string) *indigoxrpc.Client {
+	return &indigoxrpc.Client{
+		Host:   host,
+		Client: util.RobustHTTPClient(),
+	}
+}
+
+func (rp *Repo) knotMirrorXRPCClient() *indigoxrpc.Client {
+	return rp.knotMirrorXRPC
+}
diff --git a/appview/repo/log.go b/appview/repo/log.go
index 25fb360f..cf7a8929 100644
--- a/appview/repo/log.go
+++ b/appview/repo/log.go
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) Log(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	ref := chi.URLParam(r, "ref")
 	ref, _ = url.PathUnescape(ref)
 
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 
 	limit := int64(60)
 	cursor := ""
diff --git a/appview/repo/repo.go b/appview/repo/repo.go
index 7cffd930..a989858b 100644
--- a/appview/repo/repo.go
+++ b/appview/repo/repo.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/atclient"
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/syntax"
 	lexutil "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/lex/util"
-
+	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
 )
 
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ type Repo struct {
 	cfClient     *cloudflare.Client
 	ogreClient   *ogre.Client
 	codesearch   *codesearch.CodeSearch
+
+	knotMirrorXRPC *indigoxrpc.Client
 }
 
 func New(
@@ -89,6 +91,8 @@ func New(
 		cfClient:     cfClient,
 		ogreClient:   ogre.NewClient(config.Ogre.Host),
 		codesearch:   codesearch,
+
+		knotMirrorXRPC: newKnotMirrorXRPCClient(config.KnotMirror.Url),
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/appview/repo/settings.go b/appview/repo/settings.go
index 2bdae1c4..d93f9aaf 100644
--- a/appview/repo/settings.go
+++ b/appview/repo/settings.go
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) generalSettings(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	f, err := rp.repoResolver.Resolve(r)
 	user := rp.oauth.GetMultiAccountUser(r)
 
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 
 	xrpcBytes, err := tangled.GitTempListBranches(r.Context(), xrpcc, "", 0, f.RepoDid)
 	var result types.RepoBranchesResponse
diff --git a/appview/repo/tags.go b/appview/repo/tags.go
index ae751ae9..4acfe8ce 100644
--- a/appview/repo/tags.go
+++ b/appview/repo/tags.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"tangled.org/core/types"
 	xrpcclient "tangled.org/core/xrpc/xrpcclient"
 
-	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
 )
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) Tags(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		l.Error("failed to get repo and knot", "err", err)
 		return
 	}
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 	xrpcBytes, err := tangled.GitTempListTags(r.Context(), xrpcc, "", 0, f.RepoDid)
 	if err != nil {
 		l.Error("failed to call XRPC repo.tags", "err", err)
@@ -89,7 +88,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) Tag(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 
 	xrpcBytes, err := tangled.GitTempGetTag(r.Context(), xrpcc, f.RepoDid, tag)
 	if xrpcerr := xrpcclient.HandleXrpcErr(err); xrpcerr != nil {
diff --git a/appview/repo/tree.go b/appview/repo/tree.go
index f54fbbda..16807c59 100644
--- a/appview/repo/tree.go
+++ b/appview/repo/tree.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 	"tangled.org/core/types"
 	xrpcclient "tangled.org/core/xrpc/xrpcclient"
 
-	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
 )
@@ -36,7 +35,7 @@ func (rp *Repo) Tree(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	treePath, _ = url.PathUnescape(treePath)
 	treePath = strings.TrimSuffix(treePath, "/")
 
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: rp.config.KnotMirror.Url}
+	xrpcc := rp.knotMirrorXRPCClient()
 	xrpcResp, err := tangled.GitTempGetTree(r.Context(), xrpcc, treePath, ref, f.RepoDid)
 	if xrpcerr := xrpcclient.HandleXrpcErr(err); xrpcerr != nil {
 		l.Error("failed to call XRPC repo.tree", "xrpcerr", xrpcerr, "err", err)