diff --git a/crates/horizon-client-render/src/gfx.rs b/crates/horizon-client-render/src/gfx.rs
index 762d957462..095b482ffe 100644
--- a/crates/horizon-client-render/src/gfx.rs
+++ b/crates/horizon-client-render/src/gfx.rs
@@ -1447,6 +1447,13 @@ fn instance_descriptor(
     }
     descriptor.backends = backends.with_env();
     let dx12 = cfg!(windows) && descriptor.backends.contains(wgpu::Backends::DX12);
+    // FXC spends about 2.6 s on every start compiling the pipelines (DXC about
+    // 1 s); what it compiled once is kept in the game folder and read back
+    // after that (third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/disk_cache.rs).
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    if dx12 {
+        wgpu::hal::dx12::disk_cache::set_file(dx12_shader_cache(&crate::logging::game_home()));
+    }
     if !cfg!(debug_assertions) && !dx12 {
         descriptor
             .flags
@@ -1460,6 +1467,11 @@ fn instance_descriptor(
     }
     descriptor
 }
+/// Where DX12 keeps the shaders it compiled, inside a game folder.
+pub fn dx12_shader_cache(home: &std::path::Path) -> std::path::PathBuf {
+    home.join("cache").join("dx12-shaders.bin")
+}
+
 /// The window's display connection, so the OpenGL backend creates its EGL
 /// display from the X11 or Wayland connection the window lives on. Without
 /// one, wgpu-hal falls back to `EGL_MESA_platform_surfaceless`, whose configs
diff --git a/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/device.rs b/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/device.rs
index 63fb31395b..39053e14ec 100644
--- a/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/device.rs
+++ b/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/device.rs
@@ -424,14 +424,29 @@ impl super::Device {
             key.shader_model.to_str()
         );
 
-        let compiled_shader = self.compiler_container.compile(
-            self,
-            &key.source,
-            source_name,
+        // Horizon: a shader compiled in an earlier run comes from the disk.
+        let disk_key = super::disk_cache::key(
+            self.compiler_container.cache_name(),
+            key.shader_model.to_str(),
+            naga::back::hlsl::shader_stage_to_hlsl_str(naga_stage),
             &key.entry_point,
-            stage_bit,
-            &full_stage,
-        )?;
+            &key.source,
+        );
+        let compiled_shader = match super::disk_cache::get(disk_key) {
+            Some(bytes) => super::CompiledShader::Precompiled(bytes),
+            None => {
+                let compiled = self.compiler_container.compile(
+                    self,
+                    &key.source,
+                    source_name,
+                    &key.entry_point,
+                    stage_bit,
+                    &full_stage,
+                )?;
+                super::disk_cache::put(disk_key, compiled.bytes());
+                compiled
+            }
+        };
 
         {
             let mut shader_cache = self.shader_cache.lock();
diff --git a/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/disk_cache.rs b/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/disk_cache.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..406e2ccdfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/disk_cache.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,275 @@
+//! Horizon: compiled shaders kept on disk between runs.
+//!
+//! FXC takes about 2.6 s to compile Horizon's ~65 pipelines on every start
+//! (DXC about 1 s), while the in-memory [`super::ShaderCache`] only helps
+//! within one device. The application names one file with [`set_file`]. A
+//! shader compiled once is appended there, and the next run reads its bytecode
+//! back as [`super::CompiledShader::Precompiled`] instead of compiling it.
+//!
+//! The key is a 128-bit FNV-1a hash of the compiler, the shader model, the
+//! stage, the entry point and the HLSL source naga wrote. Any change to
+//! naga's output, the shader, or the compiler choice is a different key, so
+//! the file never needs explicit invalidation. Each record carries a checksum
+//! of its bytes; reading stops at the first record that is short or does not
+//! match (a run killed mid-write, two games writing at once), and the next
+//! append starts there. A file past [`MAX_BYTES`] is started over.
+//!
+//! File: `MAGIC`, then records of `key: u128 LE`, `len: u32 LE`,
+//! `check: u64 LE` (FNV-1a 64 of the bytes), `bytes`.
+
+use alloc::vec::Vec;
+use std::{
+    fs,
+    io::{Seek as _, SeekFrom, Write as _},
+    path::PathBuf,
+    sync::{Mutex, OnceLock},
+};
+
+use hashbrown::HashMap;
+
+const MAGIC: &[u8; 8] = b"HZDXSC1\n";
+const HEADER: usize = 16 + 4 + 8;
+/// Past this the file is started over: Horizon's shaders take about 1 MB.
+pub const MAX_BYTES: u64 = 64 << 20;
+
+static FILE: OnceLock<PathBuf> = OnceLock::new();
+static CACHE: OnceLock<Mutex<Cache>> = OnceLock::new();
+
+/// Keep compiled shaders in `path` for the rest of the run. Only the first
+/// call counts; without one nothing is kept on disk.
+pub fn set_file(path: PathBuf) {
+    let _ = FILE.set(path);
+}
+
+pub(super) struct Cache {
+    path: PathBuf,
+    entries: HashMap<u128, Vec<u8>>,
+    /// Where the next record goes: the end of the last good record.
+    end: u64,
+}
+
+fn cache() -> Option<&'static Mutex<Cache>> {
+    let path = FILE.get()?;
+    Some(CACHE.get_or_init(|| Mutex::new(Cache::load(path.clone()))))
+}
+
+/// The bytecode compiled for `key` in an earlier run.
+pub(super) fn get(key: u128) -> Option<Vec<u8>> {
+    let cache = cache()?.lock().ok()?;
+    cache.entries.get(&key).cloned()
+}
+
+/// Keep `bytes` for `key` for the next runs.
+pub(super) fn put(key: u128, bytes: &[u8]) {
+    let Some(cache) = cache() else { return };
+    let Ok(mut cache) = cache.lock() else { return };
+    if let Err(error) = cache.append(key, bytes) {
+        log::warn!("DX12 shader cache {}: {error}", cache.path.display());
+    }
+}
+
+/// The key of one compile.
+pub(super) fn key(
+    compiler: &str,
+    shader_model: &str,
+    stage: &str,
+    entry: &str,
+    source: &str,
+) -> u128 {
+    let mut hash = Fnv128::new();
+    for part in [compiler, shader_model, stage, entry, source] {
+        hash.write(&(part.len() as u64).to_le_bytes());
+        hash.write(part.as_bytes());
+    }
+    hash.0
+}
+
+impl Cache {
+    fn load(path: PathBuf) -> Self {
+        let bytes = match fs::metadata(&path) {
+            Ok(meta) if meta.len() <= MAX_BYTES => fs::read(&path).unwrap_or_default(),
+            _ => Vec::new(),
+        };
+        let (entries, end) = parse(&bytes);
+        Self { path, entries, end }
+    }
+
+    fn append(&mut self, key: u128, bytes: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        if self.entries.contains_key(&key) {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+        let len = u32::try_from(bytes.len()).map_err(std::io::Error::other)?;
+        if self.end + (HEADER + bytes.len()) as u64 > MAX_BYTES {
+            self.end = 0;
+            self.entries.clear();
+        }
+        if let Some(dir) = self.path.parent() {
+            fs::create_dir_all(dir)?;
+        }
+        let mut file = fs::OpenOptions::new()
+            .create(true)
+            .truncate(false)
+            .write(true)
+            .open(&self.path)?;
+        let mut record = Vec::with_capacity(MAGIC.len() + HEADER + bytes.len());
+        if self.end == 0 {
+            record.extend_from_slice(MAGIC);
+        }
+        record.extend_from_slice(&key.to_le_bytes());
+        record.extend_from_slice(&len.to_le_bytes());
+        record.extend_from_slice(&fnv64(bytes).to_le_bytes());
+        record.extend_from_slice(bytes);
+        // Drop whatever follows the last good record, then write after it.
+        file.set_len(self.end)?;
+        file.seek(SeekFrom::Start(self.end))?;
+        file.write_all(&record)?;
+        self.end += record.len() as u64;
+        self.entries.insert(key, bytes.to_vec());
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+/// The records of a cache file and where its good part ends.
+fn parse(bytes: &[u8]) -> (HashMap<u128, Vec<u8>>, u64) {
+    let mut entries = HashMap::new();
+    if bytes.get(..MAGIC.len()) != Some(MAGIC.as_slice()) {
+        return (entries, 0);
+    }
+    let mut at = MAGIC.len();
+    while let Some(header) = bytes.get(at..at + HEADER) {
+        let key = u128::from_le_bytes(header[..16].try_into().unwrap());
+        let len = u32::from_le_bytes(header[16..20].try_into().unwrap()) as usize;
+        let check = u64::from_le_bytes(header[20..28].try_into().unwrap());
+        let Some(body) = bytes.get(at + HEADER..at + HEADER + len) else {
+            break;
+        };
+        if fnv64(body) != check {
+            break;
+        }
+        entries.insert(key, body.to_vec());
+        at += HEADER + len;
+    }
+    (entries, at as u64)
+}
+
+struct Fnv128(u128);
+
+impl Fnv128 {
+    fn new() -> Self {
+        Self(0x6c62272e07bb014262b821756295c58d)
+    }
+
+    fn write(&mut self, bytes: &[u8]) {
+        for &b in bytes {
+            self.0 ^= u128::from(b);
+            self.0 = self.0.wrapping_mul(0x0000000001000000000000000000013b);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn fnv64(bytes: &[u8]) -> u64 {
+    let mut hash = 0xcbf29ce484222325u64;
+    for &b in bytes {
+        hash ^= u64::from(b);
+        hash = hash.wrapping_mul(0x100000001b3);
+    }
+    hash
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn scratch(name: &str) -> PathBuf {
+        let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("hz-dx12-cache-{name}-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+        dir.join("cache/dx12-shaders.bin")
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_shader_kept_in_one_run_is_read_back_in_the_next() {
+        let path = scratch("next");
+        let vs = key(
+            "fxc",
+            "5_1",
+            "vs",
+            "main",
+            "float4 main() : SV_Position { return 0; }",
+        );
+        let fs_ = key(
+            "fxc",
+            "5_1",
+            "ps",
+            "main",
+            "float4 main() : SV_Target { return 1; }",
+        );
+        let mut run = Cache::load(path.clone());
+        run.append(vs, b"DXBC vertex").unwrap();
+        run.append(fs_, b"DXBC fragment").unwrap();
+        let next = Cache::load(path.clone());
+        assert_eq!(
+            next.entries.get(&vs).map(Vec::as_slice),
+            Some(&b"DXBC vertex"[..])
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            next.entries.get(&fs_).map(Vec::as_slice),
+            Some(&b"DXBC fragment"[..])
+        );
+        let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(path.parent().unwrap().parent().unwrap());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn each_part_of_the_compile_changes_the_key() {
+        let base = key("fxc", "5_1", "vs", "main", "src");
+        assert_ne!(base, key("dxc", "5_1", "vs", "main", "src"));
+        assert_ne!(base, key("fxc", "6_0", "vs", "main", "src"));
+        assert_ne!(base, key("fxc", "5_1", "ps", "main", "src"));
+        assert_ne!(base, key("fxc", "5_1", "vs", "main2", "src"));
+        assert_ne!(base, key("fxc", "5_1", "vs", "main", "src "));
+        // Lengths are hashed, so moving a byte between parts changes the key.
+        assert_ne!(key("ab", "c", "", "", ""), key("a", "bc", "", "", ""));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_torn_record_is_dropped_and_the_next_one_written_over_it() {
+        let path = scratch("torn");
+        let a = key("fxc", "5_1", "vs", "a", "a");
+        let b = key("fxc", "5_1", "vs", "b", "b");
+        let c = key("fxc", "5_1", "vs", "c", "c");
+        let mut run = Cache::load(path.clone());
+        run.append(a, b"first").unwrap();
+        run.append(b, b"second").unwrap();
+        // The run is killed while it writes `b`: its last bytes never land.
+        let full = fs::read(&path).unwrap();
+        fs::write(&path, &full[..full.len() - 3]).unwrap();
+        let mut next = Cache::load(path.clone());
+        assert_eq!(next.entries.len(), 1);
+        assert!(next.entries.contains_key(&a));
+        next.append(c, b"third").unwrap();
+        let last = Cache::load(path.clone());
+        assert_eq!(last.entries.len(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(last.entries.get(&c).map(Vec::as_slice), Some(&b"third"[..]));
+
+        // A flipped byte fails the checksum the same way.
+        let mut bytes = fs::read(&path).unwrap();
+        let at = bytes.len() - 1;
+        bytes[at] ^= 1;
+        fs::write(&path, bytes).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(Cache::load(path.clone()).entries.len(), 1);
+        let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(path.parent().unwrap().parent().unwrap());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_file_that_is_not_a_cache_is_started_over() {
+        let path = scratch("foreign");
+        fs::create_dir_all(path.parent().unwrap()).unwrap();
+        fs::write(&path, b"not a shader cache at all").unwrap();
+        let mut run = Cache::load(path.clone());
+        assert!(run.entries.is_empty());
+        let k = key("dxc", "6_0", "cs", "main", "x");
+        run.append(k, b"DXIL").unwrap();
+        let next = Cache::load(path.clone());
+        assert_eq!(next.entries.get(&k).map(Vec::as_slice), Some(&b"DXIL"[..]));
+        let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(path.parent().unwrap().parent().unwrap());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/mod.rs b/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/mod.rs
index 285d635663..f269e36211 100644
--- a/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/mod.rs
+++ b/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/mod.rs
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ mod conv;
 mod dcomp;
 mod descriptor;
 mod device;
+pub mod disk_cache;
 mod device_creation;
 mod instance;
 mod pipeline_desc;
@@ -1353,6 +1354,16 @@ pub(super) enum CompiledShader {
 }
 
 impl CompiledShader {
+    /// The bytecode, as [`disk_cache`] keeps it.
+    fn bytes(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        let code = self.create_native_shader();
+        if code.BytecodeLength == 0 {
+            return &[];
+        }
+        // SAFETY: the blob or vector `code` points into lives as long as `self`.
+        unsafe { core::slice::from_raw_parts(code.pShaderBytecode.cast(), code.BytecodeLength) }
+    }
+
     fn create_native_shader(&self) -> Direct3D12::D3D12_SHADER_BYTECODE {
         match self {
             CompiledShader::Dxc(shader) => Direct3D12::D3D12_SHADER_BYTECODE {
diff --git a/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/shader_compilation.rs b/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/shader_compilation.rs
index ff41e503a8..5b0e7b60df 100644
--- a/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/shader_compilation.rs
+++ b/third_party/wgpu-hal/src/dx12/shader_compilation.rs
@@ -104,6 +104,15 @@ impl CompilerContainer {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Which compiler made a shader, for [`super::disk_cache`]'s keys.
+    pub(super) fn cache_name(&self) -> &'static str {
+        match self {
+            CompilerContainer::Fxc(_) => "fxc",
+            CompilerContainer::DynamicDxc(_) => "dxc",
+            CompilerContainer::StaticDxc(_) => "static-dxc",
+        }
+    }
+
     pub(super) fn compile(
         &self,
         device: &super::Device,