diff --git a/tools/disk_cache/implementation.go b/tools/disk_cache/implementation.go
index caa2b8291..8ef8a32c6 100644
--- a/tools/disk_cache/implementation.go
+++ b/tools/disk_cache/implementation.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package disk_cache
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
@@ -11,10 +10,9 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"slices"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
-	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
-
 	"github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/tools/utils"
 )
 
@@ -26,6 +24,10 @@ type file_state struct {
 	Inode   uint64
 }
 
+func (s file_state) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("fs{Size: %d, Inode: %d, ModTime: %s}", s.Size, s.Inode, s.ModTime)
+}
+
 func (s *file_state) equal(o *file_state) bool {
 	return o != nil && s.Size == o.Size && s.ModTime.Equal(o.ModTime) && s.Inode == o.Inode
 }
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ func (s *file_state) equal(o *file_state) bool {
 func get_file_state(fi fs.FileInfo) *file_state {
 	// The Sys() method returns the underlying data source (can be nil).
 	// For Unix-like systems, it's a *syscall.Stat_t.
-	stat, ok := fi.Sys().(*unix.Stat_t)
+	stat, ok := fi.Sys().(*syscall.Stat_t)
 	if !ok {
 		// For non-Unix systems, you might not have an inode.
 		// In that case, you can fall back to using only size and mod time.
@@ -145,8 +147,23 @@ func (dc *DiskCache) write_entries_if_dirty() (err error) {
 	if d, err := json.Marshal(dc.entries); err != nil {
 		return err
 	} else {
-		// use an atomic write so that the inode number changes
-		return utils.AtomicWriteFile(path, bytes.NewReader(d), 0o600)
+		// use a rename so that the inode number changes
+		// dont bother with full utils.AtomicWriteFile() as it is slower
+		temp := path + ".temp"
+		removed := false
+		defer func() {
+			if !removed {
+				_ = os.Remove(temp)
+				removed = true
+			}
+		}()
+		if err := os.WriteFile(temp, d, 0o600); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err = os.Rename(temp, path); err == nil {
+			removed = true
+		}
+		return err
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/disk_cache/implementation_test.go b/tools/disk_cache/implementation_test.go
index 282f13fca..5d0eebca7 100644
--- a/tools/disk_cache/implementation_test.go
+++ b/tools/disk_cache/implementation_test.go
@@ -24,10 +24,29 @@ func TestDiskCache(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	arc := func(dc *DiskCache, expected int) {
-		if expected != dc.read_count {
-			t.Fatalf("disk cache has unexpected read count: %d != %d\n%s", expected, dc.read_count, debug.Stack())
+	ensure_entries := func() {
+		for _, x := range []*DiskCache{dc, dc2} {
+			if err = x.ensure_entries(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
 		}
+
+	}
+	arc := func(counts ...int) {
+		ensure_entries()
+		if diff := cmp.Diff(counts, []int{dc.read_count, dc2.read_count}); diff != "" {
+			t.Fatalf("disk cache has unexpected read count\n%s\n%s", diff, debug.Stack())
+		}
+	}
+	add := func(dc *DiskCache, key string, data map[string]string) {
+		d := make(map[string][]byte, len(data))
+		for k, v := range data {
+			d[k] = []byte(v)
+		}
+		if _, err := dc.Add(key, d); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		ensure_entries()
 	}
 
 	m, err := dc.Get("missing", "one", "two")
@@ -37,8 +56,6 @@ func TestDiskCache(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(m) > 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("Unexpected return from missing: %s", m)
 	}
-	dc.Add("k1", map[string][]byte{"1": []byte("abcd"), "2": []byte("efgh")})
-	arc(dc, 0)
 
 	ad := func(key string, expected map[string]string) {
 		for _, x := range []*DiskCache{dc, dc2} {
@@ -57,6 +74,7 @@ func TestDiskCache(t *testing.T) {
 			if diff := cmp.Diff(expected, actual); diff != "" {
 				t.Fatalf("Data for %s not equal: %s", key, diff)
 			}
+			ensure_entries()
 		}
 	}
 	ak := func(keys ...string) {
@@ -69,32 +87,31 @@ func TestDiskCache(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Fatalf("wrong keys in %d: %s", i+1, diff)
 			}
 		}
+		ensure_entries()
 	}
+	add(dc, "k1", map[string]string{"1": "abcd", "2": "efgh"})
+	arc(0, 1)
 	ad("k1", map[string]string{"1": "abcd", "2": "efgh"})
-	arc(dc, 0)
-	arc(dc2, 1)
-	dc.Add("k1", map[string][]byte{"3": []byte("ijk"), "4": []byte("lmo")})
-	arc(dc, 1) // because dc2.Get() will have updated the file
-	arc(dc2, 1)
+	arc(1, 2) // the two gets cause two updates
+	add(dc, "k1", map[string]string{"3": "ijk", "4": "lmo"})
+	arc(1, 3) // dc.Add() causes re-read in dc2
 	ak("k1")
-	arc(dc2, 2) // because dc.Add() will have updated the file
-	dc2.Add("k2", map[string][]byte{"1": []byte("123456789")})
-	arc(dc, 1)
-	arc(dc2, 2)
+	arc(1, 3)
+	add(dc2, "k2", map[string]string{"1": "123456789"})
+	arc(2, 3) // dc2.Add() causes re-read in dc
 	ak("k1", "k2")
+	arc(2, 3)
 	ad("k1", map[string]string{"1": "abcd", "2": "efgh", "3": "ijk"})
 	if dc.entries.TotalSize != 14+9 {
 		t.Fatalf("TotalSize: %d != %d", dc.entries.TotalSize, 14+9)
 	}
-	arc(dc, 2)  // dc2.Add()
-	arc(dc2, 3) // dc.Get()
+	arc(3, 4) // the two gets cause two updates
 	ak("k2", "k1")
 	dc.Get("k2")
-	arc(dc, 3) // dc2.Get()
-	arc(dc2, 3)
+	arc(3, 5) // dc.Get() causes dc2 to read
 	ak("k1", "k2")
-	dc.Add("k3", map[string][]byte{"1": []byte(strings.Repeat("a", int(dc.MaxSize)-10))})
-	arc(dc, 3)
+	add(dc, "k3", map[string]string{"1": strings.Repeat("a", int(dc.MaxSize)-10)})
+	arc(3, 6) // dc.Add() causes dc2 to read
 	ak("k2", "k3")
 	// check that creating a new disk cache prunes
 	_, err = NewDiskCache(tdir, dc.MaxSize-8)
@@ -102,7 +119,7 @@ func TestDiskCache(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	ak("k3")
-	arc(dc, 4) // NewDiskCache()
+	arc(4, 7) // NewDiskCache()
 
 	// test the path api
 	path := filepath.Join(tdir, "source")
@@ -130,5 +147,5 @@ func TestDiskCache(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(entries_before) != len(entries_after) {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected entries: %s", entries_after)
 	}
-	arc(dc, 4)
+	arc(4, 8) // dc.AddPath() causes dc2 to read
 }