diff --git a/internal/restorer/filerestorer.go b/internal/restorer/filerestorer.go
index 166bf1ff8..d197bcf5b 100644
--- a/internal/restorer/filerestorer.go
+++ b/internal/restorer/filerestorer.go
@@ -217,6 +217,8 @@ func (r *fileRestorer) restoreFiles(ctx context.Context) error {
 	wg, ctx := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
 	downloadCh := make(chan *packInfo)
 
+	// close all files when finished
+	defer r.filesWriter.flush()
 	worker := func() error {
 		for pack := range downloadCh {
 			if err := r.downloadPack(ctx, pack); err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/restorer/fileswriter.go b/internal/restorer/fileswriter.go
index d6f78f2d7..2b60f7185 100644
--- a/internal/restorer/fileswriter.go
+++ b/internal/restorer/fileswriter.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru/v2/simplelru"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/debug"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/errors"
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/fs"
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@ import (
 type filesWriter struct {
 	buckets              []filesWriterBucket
 	allowRecursiveDelete bool
+	cacheMu              sync.Mutex
+	cache                *simplelru.LRU[string, *partialFile]
 }
 
 type filesWriterBucket struct {
@@ -34,13 +37,27 @@ type partialFile struct {
 }
 
 func newFilesWriter(count int, allowRecursiveDelete bool) *filesWriter {
-	buckets := make([]filesWriterBucket, count)
-	for b := 0; b < count; b++ {
+	// use a large number of buckets to minimize bucket contention
+	// creating a new file can be slow, so make sure that files typically end up in different buckets.
+	buckets := make([]filesWriterBucket, 1024)
+	for b := 0; b < len(buckets); b++ {
 		buckets[b].files = make(map[string]*partialFile)
 	}
+
+	cache, err := simplelru.NewLRU[string, *partialFile](count+50, func(_ string, wr *partialFile) {
+		// close the file only when it is not in use
+		if wr.users == 0 {
+			_ = wr.Close()
+		}
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err) // can't happen
+	}
+
 	return &filesWriter{
 		buckets:              buckets,
 		allowRecursiveDelete: allowRecursiveDelete,
+		cache:                cache,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -173,6 +190,24 @@ func (w *filesWriter) writeToFile(path string, blob []byte, offset int64, create
 			bucket.files[path].users++
 			return wr, nil
 		}
+
+		// Check the global LRU cache for a cached file handle
+		w.cacheMu.Lock()
+		cached, ok := w.cache.Get(path)
+		if ok {
+			// mark as in use to prevent closing on remove call below
+			cached.users++
+
+			w.cache.Remove(path)
+			w.cacheMu.Unlock()
+
+			// Use the cached file handle
+			bucket.files[path] = cached
+			return cached, nil
+		}
+		w.cacheMu.Unlock()
+
+		// Not in cache, open/create the file
 		var f *os.File
 		var err error
 		if createSize >= 0 {
@@ -194,11 +229,14 @@ func (w *filesWriter) writeToFile(path string, blob []byte, offset int64, create
 		bucket.lock.Lock()
 		defer bucket.lock.Unlock()
 
-		if bucket.files[path].users == 1 {
-			delete(bucket.files, path)
-			return wr.Close()
-		}
 		bucket.files[path].users--
+		if bucket.files[path].users == 0 {
+			delete(bucket.files, path)
+			// Add to cache to allow re-use. Cache will close files on overflow.
+			w.cacheMu.Lock()
+			w.cache.Add(path, wr)
+			w.cacheMu.Unlock()
+		}
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -217,3 +255,10 @@ func (w *filesWriter) writeToFile(path string, blob []byte, offset int64, create
 
 	return releaseWriter(wr)
 }
+
+func (w *filesWriter) flush() {
+	w.cacheMu.Lock()
+	defer w.cacheMu.Unlock()
+
+	w.cache.Purge()
+}
diff --git a/internal/restorer/fileswriter_test.go b/internal/restorer/fileswriter_test.go
index 9ea8767b8..dfdccb647 100644
--- a/internal/restorer/fileswriter_test.go
+++ b/internal/restorer/fileswriter_test.go
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ func TestFilesWriterBasic(t *testing.T) {
 	rtest.OK(t, w.writeToFile(f2, []byte{2}, 1, -1, false))
 	rtest.Equals(t, 0, len(w.buckets[0].files))
 
+	w.flush()
+
 	buf, err := os.ReadFile(f1)
 	rtest.OK(t, err)
 	rtest.Equals(t, []byte{1, 1}, buf)
@@ -51,11 +53,13 @@ func TestFilesWriterRecursiveOverwrite(t *testing.T) {
 	err := w.writeToFile(path, []byte{1}, 0, 2, false)
 	rtest.Assert(t, errors.Is(err, notEmptyDirError()), "unexpected error got %v", err)
 	rtest.Equals(t, 0, len(w.buckets[0].files))
+	w.flush()
 
 	// must replace directory
 	w = newFilesWriter(1, true)
 	rtest.OK(t, w.writeToFile(path, []byte{1, 1}, 0, 2, false))
 	rtest.Equals(t, 0, len(w.buckets[0].files))
+	w.flush()
 
 	buf, err := os.ReadFile(path)
 	rtest.OK(t, err)