diff --git a/apps/client/app/components/file-tree.tsx b/apps/client/app/components/file-tree.tsx
index 8e5df05..05f760f 100644
--- a/apps/client/app/components/file-tree.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/app/components/file-tree.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ interface Props {
 	selectedFile?: string;
 	onFileSelect?: (filePath: string) => void;
 	onFolderExpand?: (folderPath: string) => void;
+	onFolderHover?: (folderPath: string) => void;
 	expandedFolders?: Set<string>;
 	loadingFolders?: Set<string>;
 	className?: string;
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ export const FileTree = memo((props: Props) => {
 		onFileSelect,
 		selectedFile,
 		onFolderExpand,
+		onFolderHover,
 		expandedFolders = new Set(),
 		loadingFolders = new Set(),
 		className,
@@ -137,6 +139,7 @@ export const FileTree = memo((props: Props) => {
 								collapsed={collapsedFolders.has(fileOrFolder.fullPath)}
 								loading={loadingFolders.has(fileOrFolder.fullPath)}
 								onToggle={toggleCollapseState}
+								onHover={onFolderHover}
 							/>
 						);
 					}
@@ -154,9 +157,10 @@ interface FolderProps {
 	collapsed: boolean;
 	loading?: boolean;
 	onToggle: (fullPath: string) => void;
+	onHover?: (fullPath: string) => void;
 }
 
-const Folder = memo(({ folder, collapsed, loading, onToggle }: FolderProps) => {
+const Folder = memo(({ folder, collapsed, loading, onToggle, onHover }: FolderProps) => {
 	const { depth, name, fullPath } = folder;
 	const FolderIconComponent = collapsed ? FolderIcon : FolderOpen;
 
@@ -164,6 +168,12 @@ const Folder = memo(({ folder, collapsed, loading, onToggle }: FolderProps) => {
 		onToggle(fullPath);
 	}, [onToggle, fullPath]);
 
+	const handleMouseEnter = useCallback(() => {
+		if (collapsed) {
+			onHover?.(fullPath);
+		}
+	}, [onHover, fullPath, collapsed]);
+
 	return (
 		<NodeButton
 			className={cn("group hover:bg-accent/50 text-foreground")}
@@ -178,6 +188,7 @@ const Folder = memo(({ folder, collapsed, loading, onToggle }: FolderProps) => {
 				)
 			}
 			onClick={handleClick}
+			onMouseEnter={handleMouseEnter}
 		>
 			<FolderIconComponent className="w-4 h-4 shrink-0 text-strong-accent" />
 			<span className="truncate">{name}</span>
@@ -219,9 +230,10 @@ interface ButtonProps {
 	children: ReactNode;
 	className?: string;
 	onClick?: () => void;
+	onMouseEnter?: () => void;
 }
 
-const NodeButton = memo(({ depth, icon, onClick, className, children }: ButtonProps) => {
+const NodeButton = memo(({ depth, icon, onClick, onMouseEnter, className, children }: ButtonProps) => {
 	const paddingLeft = useMemo(() => `${8 + depth * NODE_PADDING_LEFT}px`, [depth]);
 
 	return (
@@ -230,6 +242,7 @@ const NodeButton = memo(({ depth, icon, onClick, className, children }: ButtonPr
 			className={cn("flex items-center gap-2 w-full pr-2 text-sm py-1.5 text-left", className)}
 			style={{ paddingLeft }}
 			onClick={onClick}
+			onMouseEnter={onMouseEnter}
 		>
 			{icon}
 			<div className="truncate w-full flex items-center gap-2">{children}</div>
diff --git a/apps/client/app/modules/details/tabs/files.tsx b/apps/client/app/modules/details/tabs/files.tsx
index 559fab4..256f1ee 100644
--- a/apps/client/app/modules/details/tabs/files.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/app/modules/details/tabs/files.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
-import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { FolderOpen } from "lucide-react";
 import { useCallback, useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import { listFilesOptions } from "~/api-client/@tanstack/react-query.gen";
 import { listFiles } from "~/api-client/sdk.gen";
 import { FileTree } from "~/components/file-tree";
 import { Card, CardContent, CardDescription, CardHeader, CardTitle } from "~/components/ui/card";
-import { parseError } from "~/lib/errors";
 import type { Volume } from "~/lib/types";
 
 type Props = {
@@ -21,6 +20,7 @@ interface FileEntry {
 }
 
 export const FilesTabContent = ({ volume }: Props) => {
+	const queryClient = useQueryClient();
 	const [expandedFolders, setExpandedFolders] = useState<Set<string>>(new Set());
 	const [fetchedFolders, setFetchedFolders] = useState<Set<string>>(new Set(["/"]));
 	const [loadingFolders, setLoadingFolders] = useState<Set<string>>(new Set());
@@ -88,6 +88,21 @@ export const FilesTabContent = ({ volume }: Props) => {
 		[volume.name, fetchedFolders],
 	);
 
+	// Prefetch folder contents on hover
+	const handleFolderHover = useCallback(
+		(folderPath: string) => {
+			if (!fetchedFolders.has(folderPath) && !loadingFolders.has(folderPath)) {
+				queryClient.prefetchQuery(
+					listFilesOptions({
+						path: { name: volume.name },
+						query: { path: folderPath },
+					}),
+				);
+			}
+		},
+		[volume.name, fetchedFolders, loadingFolders, queryClient],
+	);
+
 	const fileArray = useMemo(() => Array.from(allFiles.values()), [allFiles]);
 
 	if (volume.status !== "mounted") {
@@ -133,6 +148,7 @@ export const FilesTabContent = ({ volume }: Props) => {
 							<FileTree
 								files={fileArray}
 								onFolderExpand={handleFolderExpand}
+								onFolderHover={handleFolderHover}
 								expandedFolders={expandedFolders}
 								loadingFolders={loadingFolders}
 								className="p-2"
diff --git a/apps/server/src/modules/volumes/volume.controller.ts b/apps/server/src/modules/volumes/volume.controller.ts
index 09ebba8..d84e579 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/modules/volumes/volume.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/modules/volumes/volume.controller.ts
@@ -131,5 +131,7 @@ export const volumeController = new Hono()
 			path: result.path,
 		} satisfies ListFilesResponseDto;
 
+		c.header("Cache-Control", "public, max-age=10, stale-while-revalidate=60");
+
 		return c.json(response, 200);
 	});