diff --git a/src/public_parameters/disk_cache.rs b/src/public_parameters/disk_cache.rs
index 33a1a7b1c6..20f6c8b9c4 100644
--- a/src/public_parameters/disk_cache.rs
+++ b/src/public_parameters/disk_cache.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 use std::fs::create_dir_all;
-use std::io::{BufReader, BufWriter, Read};
+use std::io::{BufReader, BufWriter};
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 
 use abomonation::{encode, Abomonation};
 use camino::{Utf8Path, Utf8PathBuf};
+use memmap::MmapMut;
 use nova::traits::Group;
 
 use crate::coprocessor::Coprocessor;
@@ -50,15 +51,13 @@ where
         })
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn read_bytes(
+    pub(crate) fn read_mmap(
         &self,
         instance: &Instance<'a, F, C, M>,
-        byte_sink: &mut Vec<u8>,
-    ) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    ) -> Result<MmapMut, Error> {
         let file = instance.open(&self.dir)?;
-        let mut reader = BufReader::new(file);
-        reader.read_to_end(byte_sink)?;
-        Ok(())
+        let mmap = unsafe { MmapMut::map_mut(&file)? };
+        Ok(mmap)
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn write(
diff --git a/src/public_parameters/mem_cache.rs b/src/public_parameters/mem_cache.rs
index 4c181ffc58..4db84740b7 100644
--- a/src/public_parameters/mem_cache.rs
+++ b/src/public_parameters/mem_cache.rs
@@ -58,11 +58,10 @@ impl PublicParamMemCache {
 
         // read the file if it exists, otherwise initialize
         if instance.abomonated {
-            let mut bytes = vec![];
-            match disk_cache.read_bytes(instance, &mut bytes) {
-                Ok(()) => {
+            match disk_cache.read_mmap(instance) {
+                Ok(mut mmap) => {
                     info!("loading abomonated {}", instance.key());
-                    let (pp, rest) = unsafe { decode::<PublicParams<F, M>>(&mut bytes).unwrap() };
+                    let (pp, rest) = unsafe { decode::<PublicParams<F, M>>(&mut mmap).unwrap() };
                     assert!(rest.is_empty());
                     Ok(Arc::new(pp.clone())) // this clone is VERY expensive
                 }
diff --git a/src/public_parameters/mod.rs b/src/public_parameters/mod.rs
index e8462ca187..968cb29290 100644
--- a/src/public_parameters/mod.rs
+++ b/src/public_parameters/mod.rs
@@ -77,16 +77,14 @@ where
         |instance: &Instance<'a, F, C, M>| nova::public_params(instance.rc, instance.lang());
     let disk_cache = DiskCache::<F, C, M>::new(disk_cache_path).unwrap();
 
-    let mut bytes = vec![];
-    let pp = disk_cache.read_bytes(instance, &mut bytes).and_then(|()| {
-        if let Some((pp, remaining)) = unsafe { decode(&mut bytes) } {
-            assert!(remaining.is_empty());
-            eprintln!("Using disk-cached public params for {}", instance.key());
-            Ok(pp)
-        } else {
-            Err(Error::CacheError("failed to decode bytes".into()))
-        }
-    });
+    let mut mmap = disk_cache.read_mmap(instance)?;
+    let pp = if let Some((pp, remaining)) = unsafe { decode(&mut mmap) } {
+        assert!(remaining.is_empty());
+        eprintln!("Using disk-cached public params for {}", instance.key());
+        Ok(pp)
+    } else {
+        Err(Error::CacheError("failed to decode bytes".into()))
+    };
 
     match pp {
         Ok(pp) => Ok(bind(pp)),
@@ -116,16 +114,14 @@ where
 {
     let disk_cache = DiskCache::<F, C, M>::new(disk_cache_path).unwrap();
 
-    let mut bytes = vec![];
-    disk_cache.read_bytes(instance, &mut bytes).and_then(|()| {
-        if let Some((pp, remaining)) = unsafe { decode::<NovaCircuitShape<F>>(&mut bytes) } {
-            assert!(remaining.is_empty());
-            eprintln!("Using disk-cached public params for {}", instance.key());
-            Ok(pp.clone())
-        } else {
-            Err(Error::CacheError("failed to decode bytes".into()))
-        }
-    })
+    let mut mmap = disk_cache.read_mmap(instance)?;
+    if let Some((pp, remaining)) = unsafe { decode::<NovaCircuitShape<F>>(&mut mmap) } {
+        assert!(remaining.is_empty());
+        eprintln!("Using disk-cached public params for {}", instance.key());
+        Ok(pp.clone())
+    } else {
+        Err(Error::CacheError("failed to decode bytes".into()))
+    }
 }
 
 pub fn supernova_aux_params<
@@ -145,17 +141,13 @@ where
 {
     let disk_cache = DiskCache::<F, C, M>::new(disk_cache_path).unwrap();
 
-    let mut bytes = vec![];
-    disk_cache.read_bytes(instance, &mut bytes).and_then(|()| {
-        if let Some((aux_params, remaining)) =
-            unsafe { decode::<SuperNovaAuxParams<F>>(&mut bytes) }
-        {
-            assert!(remaining.is_empty());
-            Ok(aux_params.clone())
-        } else {
-            Err(Error::CacheError("failed to decode bytes".into()))
-        }
-    })
+    let mut mmap = disk_cache.read_mmap(instance)?;
+    if let Some((aux_params, remaining)) = unsafe { decode::<SuperNovaAuxParams<F>>(&mut mmap) } {
+        assert!(remaining.is_empty());
+        Ok(aux_params.clone())
+    } else {
+        Err(Error::CacheError("failed to decode bytes".into()))
+    }
 }
 
 /// Attempts to extract abomonated public parameters.