diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index e51cab5..ace8bd5 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -4,11 +4,14 @@ go 1.20
 
 require (
 	github.com/hashicorp/go-retryablehttp v0.7.4
+	github.com/klauspost/compress v1.16.7
 	github.com/psanford/memfs v0.0.0-20230130182539-4dbf7e3e865e
 	github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.9.3
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.4
 	gitlab.alpinelinux.org/alpine/go v0.7.0
 	go.lsp.dev/uri v0.3.0
+	go.opentelemetry.io/otel v1.16.0
+	go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace v1.16.0
 	golang.org/x/build v0.0.0-20220928220451-9294235e16f5
 	golang.org/x/sync v0.3.0
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.9.0
@@ -19,14 +22,9 @@ require (
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/go-logr/logr v1.2.4 // indirect
 	github.com/go-logr/stdr v1.2.2 // indirect
-	github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.9 // indirect
 	github.com/hashicorp/go-cleanhttp v0.5.2 // indirect
-	github.com/klauspost/compress v1.16.7 // indirect
-	github.com/klauspost/readahead v1.4.0 // indirect
 	github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 // indirect
-	go.opentelemetry.io/otel v1.16.0 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/otel/metric v1.16.0 // indirect
-	go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace v1.16.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/ini.v1 v1.67.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 188457a..69b7f3a 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ github.com/go-logr/stdr v1.2.2/go.mod h1:mMo/vtBO5dYbehREoey6XUKy/eSumjCCveDpRre
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.4.0/go.mod h1:v8dTdLbMG2kIc/vJvl+f65V22dbkXbowE6jgT/gNBxE=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.4/go.mod h1:v8dTdLbMG2kIc/vJvl+f65V22dbkXbowE6jgT/gNBxE=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.9 h1:O2Tfq5qg4qc4AmwVlvv0oLiVAGB7enBSJ2x2DqQFi38=
-github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.9/go.mod h1:17dUlkBOakJ0+DkrSSNjCkIjxS6bF9zb3elmeNGIjoY=
 github.com/hashicorp/go-cleanhttp v0.5.2 h1:035FKYIWjmULyFRBKPs8TBQoi0x6d9G4xc9neXJWAZQ=
 github.com/hashicorp/go-cleanhttp v0.5.2/go.mod h1:kO/YDlP8L1346E6Sodw+PrpBSV4/SoxCXGY6BqNFT48=
 github.com/hashicorp/go-hclog v0.9.2 h1:CG6TE5H9/JXsFWJCfoIVpKFIkFe6ysEuHirp4DxCsHI=
@@ -20,8 +19,6 @@ github.com/hashicorp/go-retryablehttp v0.7.4 h1:ZQgVdpTdAL7WpMIwLzCfbalOcSUdkDZn
 github.com/hashicorp/go-retryablehttp v0.7.4/go.mod h1:Jy/gPYAdjqffZ/yFGCFV2doI5wjtH1ewM9u8iYVjtX8=
 github.com/klauspost/compress v1.16.7 h1:2mk3MPGNzKyxErAw8YaohYh69+pa4sIQSC0fPGCFR9I=
 github.com/klauspost/compress v1.16.7/go.mod h1:ntbaceVETuRiXiv4DpjP66DpAtAGkEQskQzEyD//IeE=
-github.com/klauspost/readahead v1.4.0 h1:w4hQ3BpdLjBnRQkZyNi+nwdHU7eGP9buTexWK9lU7gY=
-github.com/klauspost/readahead v1.4.0/go.mod h1:7bolpMKhT5LKskLwYXGSDOyA2TYtMFgdgV0Y8gy7QhA=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/psanford/memfs v0.0.0-20230130182539-4dbf7e3e865e h1:51xcRlSMBU5rhM9KahnJGfEsBPVPz3182TgFRowA8yY=
diff --git a/pkg/apk/expandapk.go b/pkg/apk/expandapk.go
index 7bab7ee..9981da8 100644
--- a/pkg/apk/expandapk.go
+++ b/pkg/apk/expandapk.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/klauspost/compress/gzip"
 
@@ -46,47 +45,80 @@ type APKExpanded struct {
 	// The control data filename (a.k.a. ".PKGINFO") in tar.gz format
 	ControlFile string
 
-	// The package data filename in tar.gz format
+	// The package data filename in .tar.gz format
 	PackageFile string
 
+	// The package data filename in .tar format.
+	tarFile string
+
 	ControlHash []byte
 	PackageHash []byte
-
-	sync.Mutex
-	packageData io.ReadCloser
 }
 
-const meg = 1 << 20
-
-func (a *APKExpanded) SetPackageData(rc io.ReadCloser) {
-	a.Lock()
-	defer a.Unlock()
+// This exists so we can have a bufio.ReadCloser.
+type readCloser struct {
+	io.Reader
+	CloseFunc func() error
+}
 
-	a.packageData = rc
+// Close implements io.ReadCloser
+func (rc *readCloser) Close() error {
+	return rc.CloseFunc()
 }
 
+const meg = 1 << 20
+
 func (a *APKExpanded) PackageData() (io.ReadCloser, error) {
-	a.Lock()
-	defer a.Unlock()
+	// Use min(1MB, a.Size) bufio to avoid GC pressure for small packages.
+	bufSize := meg
+	if total := int(a.Size); total != 0 && total < bufSize {
+		bufSize = total
+	}
 
-	if a.packageData != nil {
-		rc := a.packageData
-		a.packageData = nil
-		return rc, nil
+	uf, err := os.Open(a.tarFile)
+	if err == nil {
+		return &readCloser{
+			Reader:    bufio.NewReaderSize(uf, bufSize),
+			CloseFunc: uf.Close,
+		}, nil
+	} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("opening package data file: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// Handle old caches without the uncompressed file.
 	f, err := os.Open(a.PackageFile)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("opening %q: %w", a.PackageFile, err)
 	}
 
-	// Use min(1MB, a.Size) bufio to avoid GC pressure for small packages.
-	bufSize := meg
-	if total := int(a.Size); total != 0 && total < bufSize {
-		bufSize = total
+	br := bufio.NewReaderSize(f, bufSize)
+	zr, err := gzip.NewReader(br)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("parsing %q: %w", a.PackageFile, err)
 	}
 
-	return gzip.NewReader(bufio.NewReaderSize(f, bufSize))
+	uf, err = os.Create(a.tarFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("opening tar file %q: %w", a.tarFile, err)
+	}
+	bw := bufio.NewWriterSize(uf, 1<<20)
+	if _, err := io.Copy(bw, zr); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("expanding %q: %w", a.PackageFile, err)
+	}
+	if err := bw.Flush(); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("flushing %q: %w", a.tarFile, err)
+	}
+
+	if _, err := uf.Seek(0, io.SeekStart); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("seeking %q: %w", a.tarFile, err)
+	}
+
+	br.Reset(uf)
+
+	return &readCloser{
+		Reader:    br,
+		CloseFunc: uf.Close,
+	}, nil
 }
 
 func (a *APKExpanded) APK() (io.ReadCloser, error) {
@@ -128,14 +160,10 @@ func (m *multiReadCloser) Close() error {
 }
 
 func (a *APKExpanded) Close() error {
-	errs := []error{}
-	if a.packageData != nil {
-		errs = append(errs, a.packageData.Close())
-	}
-	if a.tempDir != "" {
-		errs = append(errs, os.RemoveAll(a.tempDir))
+	if a.tempDir == "" {
+		return nil
 	}
-	return errors.Join(errs...)
+	return os.RemoveAll(a.tempDir)
 }
 
 // An implementation of io.Writer designed specifically for use in the expandApk() method.
@@ -338,13 +366,29 @@ func ExpandApk(ctx context.Context, source io.Reader, cacheDir string) (*APKExpa
 			hashes = append(hashes, h.Sum(nil))
 			gzipStreams = append(gzipStreams, sw.CurrentName())
 		} else {
-			if err := checkSums(ctx, gzi); err != nil {
+			// While we verify checksums, also tee the tar to a separate file.
+			tarfilename := strings.TrimSuffix(sw.CurrentName(), ".gz")
+			tarfile, err := os.Create(tarfilename)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("opening tar file: %w", err)
+			}
+			bw := bufio.NewWriterSize(tarfile, 1<<20)
+			tr := io.TeeReader(gzi, bw)
+
+			if err := checkSums(ctx, tr); err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("checking sums: %w", err)
 			}
-			if _, err := io.Copy(io.Discard, gzi); err != nil {
+			if _, err := io.Copy(io.Discard, tr); err != nil {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("expandApk error 3: %w", err)
 			}
 
+			if err := bw.Flush(); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("flushing tarfile: %w", err)
+			}
+
+			if err := tarfile.Close(); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("closing tarfile: %w", err)
+			}
 			gzipStreams = append(gzipStreams, sw.CurrentName())
 			hashes = append(hashes, h.Sum(nil))
 			break
@@ -395,6 +439,8 @@ func ExpandApk(ctx context.Context, source io.Reader, cacheDir string) (*APKExpa
 		expanded.SignatureFile = gzipStreams[0]
 	}
 
+	expanded.tarFile = strings.TrimSuffix(expanded.PackageFile, ".gz")
+
 	return &expanded, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/apk/implementation.go b/pkg/apk/implementation.go
index 8f730a2..1e8aea3 100644
--- a/pkg/apk/implementation.go
+++ b/pkg/apk/implementation.go
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ import (
 	apkfs "github.com/chainguard-dev/go-apk/pkg/fs"
 	logger "github.com/chainguard-dev/go-apk/pkg/logger"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-retryablehttp"
-	"github.com/klauspost/readahead"
 )
 
 type APK struct {
@@ -543,15 +542,6 @@ func (a *APK) FixateWorld(ctx context.Context, sourceDateEpoch *time.Time) error
 				return fmt.Errorf("expanding %s: %w", pkg.Name, err)
 			}
 
-			pd, err := exp.PackageData()
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("package data: %w", err)
-			}
-
-			// Start gunzipping this ahead of time so we can install it faster.
-			// We may want to tune these numbers a bit based on package size or count.
-			exp.SetPackageData(readahead.NewReadCloser(pd))
-
 			expanded[i] = exp
 			close(done[i])
 
@@ -680,6 +670,12 @@ func (a *APK) cachePackage(ctx context.Context, pkg *repository.RepositoryPackag
 
 	exp.PackageFile = datDst
 
+	tarDst := strings.TrimSuffix(exp.PackageFile, ".gz")
+	if err := os.Rename(exp.tarFile, tarDst); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("renaming control file: %w", err)
+	}
+	exp.tarFile = tarDst
+
 	return exp, nil
 }
 
@@ -742,6 +738,8 @@ func (a *APK) cachedPackage(ctx context.Context, pkg *repository.RepositoryPacka
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	exp.tarFile = strings.TrimSuffix(exp.PackageFile, ".gz")
+
 	return &exp, nil
 }