diff --git a/kittens/choose_files/main.go b/kittens/choose_files/main.go
index f09479406..5acba7fd3 100644
--- a/kittens/choose_files/main.go
+++ b/kittens/choose_files/main.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func (h *Handler) draw_screen() (err error) {
 		h.draw_search_bar(0)
 	}()
 	y := SEARCH_BAR_HEIGHT
-	y += h.draw_results(y, 4, matches, in_progress)
+	y += h.draw_results(y, 2, matches, in_progress)
 	return
 }
 
diff --git a/kittens/choose_files/results.go b/kittens/choose_files/results.go
index cf61cb1da..0a44234f8 100644
--- a/kittens/choose_files/results.go
+++ b/kittens/choose_files/results.go
@@ -93,11 +93,20 @@ func (h *Handler) render_match_with_positions(text string, stop_at int, position
 	}
 }
 
+var icon_cache map[string]string
+
 func icon_for(path string, x os.DirEntry) string {
+	if icon_cache == nil {
+		icon_cache = make(map[string]string, 512)
+	}
+	if ans := icon_cache[path]; ans != "" {
+		return ans
+	}
 	ans := icons.IconForFileWithMode(path, x.Type(), true)
 	if wcswidth.Stringwidth(ans) == 1 {
 		ans += " "
 	}
+	icon_cache[path] = ans
 	return ans
 }