diff --git a/crates/pm/src/service/binary.rs b/crates/pm/src/service/binary.rs
index c6f95cb45e..7ef28fb2af 100644
--- a/crates/pm/src/service/binary.rs
+++ b/crates/pm/src/service/binary.rs
@@ -233,6 +233,11 @@ async fn handle_cypress(
 }
 
 pub async fn update_package_binary(dir: &Path, name: &str) -> Result<()> {
+    // npm.org has no China mirror layer — skip alongside `get_envs`.
+    if should_skip_binary_mirror() {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
     let config = load_config().await?;
 
     let mirrors = config["mirrors"]["china"]
diff --git a/crates/pm/src/util/cloner.rs b/crates/pm/src/util/cloner.rs
index 76c6029702..e15c69b95d 100644
--- a/crates/pm/src/util/cloner.rs
+++ b/crates/pm/src/util/cloner.rs
@@ -65,6 +65,13 @@ pub async fn clone_package_once(
     target_path: &Path,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     let key = cache_key(target_path);
+
+    // Skip the param clones + future construction when the pipeline
+    // (or a sibling task) already cloned this target.
+    if CLONE_CACHE.is_done(&key) {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
     let err_label = format!("{name}@{version}");
     let name = name.to_string();
     let version = version.to_string();
@@ -326,8 +333,12 @@ async fn validate_directory(src: &Path, dst: &Path) -> Result<bool> {
 pub async fn find_real_src<P: AsRef<Path>>(src: P) -> Option<PathBuf> {
     let mut read_dir = fs::read_dir(src.as_ref()).await.ok()?;
     while let Some(entry) = read_dir.next_entry().await.ok()? {
-        if let Ok(metadata) = entry.metadata().await
-            && metadata.is_dir()
+        // `file_type()` reads `d_type` from the cached readdir result on
+        // ext4/btrfs/xfs (no extra syscall); `metadata()` always issues
+        // an `lstat`. Saves ~3–5 stats per call × N packages on the
+        // cold install hot path.
+        if let Ok(file_type) = entry.file_type().await
+            && file_type.is_dir()
             && let Some(name) = entry.path().file_name()
             && name.to_string_lossy() != ".utoo_built"
         {
diff --git a/crates/pm/src/util/downloader.rs b/crates/pm/src/util/downloader.rs
index 76526eedda..ee7bf3c838 100644
--- a/crates/pm/src/util/downloader.rs
+++ b/crates/pm/src/util/downloader.rs
@@ -149,6 +149,12 @@ pub async fn resolve_cache_path(name: &str, version: &str, tarball_url: &str) ->
 /// For git-resolved packages, use [`resolve_cache_path`] instead.
 pub async fn download_to_cache(name: &str, version: &str, tarball_url: &str) -> Option<PathBuf> {
     let key = format!("{}@{}", name, version);
+
+    // Skip the param clones + future construction on cache hit.
+    if let Some(cache_path) = DOWNLOAD_CACHE.get(&key) {
+        return Some((*cache_path).clone());
+    }
+
     let cache_dir = get_cache_dir();
     let name = name.to_string();
     let version = version.to_string();
@@ -167,7 +173,9 @@ pub async fn download_to_cache(name: &str, version: &str, tarball_url: &str) ->
                 return Some(cache_path);
             }
 
-            // Download (semaphore controlled)
+            // Download (semaphore controlled). Permit held through extract
+            // — A/B-revert experiment to test if early permit release is
+            // the source of utoo p0 σ being ~2× baseline.
             let semaphore = DOWNLOAD_SEMAPHORE
                 .get_or_init(|| Semaphore::new(get_manifests_concurrency_limit_sync()));
             let _permit = semaphore.acquire().await.ok()?;
diff --git a/crates/ruborist/src/util/oncemap.rs b/crates/ruborist/src/util/oncemap.rs
index 40c4aeee20..7bb1e710cc 100644
--- a/crates/ruborist/src/util/oncemap.rs
+++ b/crates/ruborist/src/util/oncemap.rs
@@ -118,6 +118,21 @@ where
         }
     }
 
+    /// Sync presence probe — `Done` only, single `DashMap::get`.
+    /// Returns `false` for unknown / `Waiting` slots.
+    pub fn is_done(&self, key: &K) -> bool {
+        self.get(key).is_some()
+    }
+
+    /// Sync fetch of a completed value, single `DashMap::get`.
+    /// Returns `None` for unknown / `Waiting` slots.
+    pub fn get(&self, key: &K) -> Option<Arc<V>> {
+        self.map.get(key).and_then(|e| match e.value() {
+            Value::Done(v) => Some(Arc::clone(v)),
+            Value::Waiting(_) => None,
+        })
+    }
+
     /// Wait for a key to complete.
     ///
     /// - If the key exists and is Done, returns immediately.