diff --git a/txn/flusher.go b/txn/flusher.go
index 64b06c3ec..d668da8d7 100644
--- a/txn/flusher.go
+++ b/txn/flusher.go
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ func (f *flusher) run() (err error) {
 
 	f.debugf("Processing %s", f.goal)
 	seen := make(map[bson.ObjectId]*transaction)
-	if err := f.recurse(f.goal, seen); err != nil {
+	preloaded := make(map[bson.ObjectId]*transaction)
+	if err := f.recurse(f.goal, seen, preloaded); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	if f.goal.done() {
@@ -154,26 +155,54 @@ func (f *flusher) run() (err error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (f *flusher) recurse(t *transaction, seen map[bson.ObjectId]*transaction) error {
+const preloadBatchSize = 100
+
+func (f *flusher) recurse(t *transaction, seen map[bson.ObjectId]*transaction, preloaded map[bson.ObjectId]*transaction) error {
 	seen[t.Id] = t
+	delete(preloaded, t.Id)
 	err := f.advance(t, nil, false)
 	if err != errPreReqs {
 		return err
 	}
 	for _, dkey := range t.docKeys() {
+		remaining := make([]bson.ObjectId, 0, len(f.queue[dkey]))
+		toPreload := make(map[bson.ObjectId]struct{}, len(f.queue[dkey]))
 		for _, dtt := range f.queue[dkey] {
 			id := dtt.id()
-			if seen[id] != nil {
+			if _, scheduled := toPreload[id]; seen[id] != nil || scheduled || preloaded[id] != nil {
 				continue
 			}
-			qt, err := f.load(id)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
+			toPreload[id] = struct{}{}
+			remaining = append(remaining, id)
+		}
+		// done with this map
+		toPreload = nil
+		for len(remaining) > 0 {
+			batch := remaining
+			if len(batch) > preloadBatchSize {
+				batch = remaining[:preloadBatchSize]
 			}
-			err = f.recurse(qt, seen)
+			remaining = remaining[len(batch):]
+			err := f.loadMulti(batch, preloaded)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+			for _, id := range batch {
+				if seen[id] != nil {
+					continue
+				}
+				qt, ok := preloaded[id]
+				if !ok {
+					qt, err = f.load(id)
+					if err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
+				}
+				err = f.recurse(qt, seen, preloaded)
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/txn/txn.go b/txn/txn.go
index 204b3cf1d..3bc6e640f 100644
--- a/txn/txn.go
+++ b/txn/txn.go
@@ -459,6 +459,26 @@ func (r *Runner) load(id bson.ObjectId) (*transaction, error) {
 	return &t, nil
 }
 
+func (r *Runner) loadMulti(ids []bson.ObjectId, preloaded map[bson.ObjectId]*transaction) error {
+	txns := make([]transaction, 0, len(ids))
+
+	query := r.tc.Find(bson.M{"_id": bson.M{"$in": ids}})
+	// Not sure that this actually has much of an effect when using All()
+	query.Batch(len(ids))
+	err := query.All(&txns)
+	if err == mgo.ErrNotFound {
+		return fmt.Errorf("could not find a transaction in batch: %v", ids)
+	} else if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for i := range txns {
+		t := &txns[i]
+		preloaded[t.Id] = t
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+
 type typeNature int
 
 const (