diff --git a/lib/inflate.js b/lib/inflate.js
index 8f5bcce..6c80fb1 100644
--- a/lib/inflate.js
+++ b/lib/inflate.js
@@ -4,7 +4,18 @@ const { DeltaOp, DeltaCohort, OP_COHORT } = require('./compression.js')
 
 exports.inflate = async function inflate(ptr, config) {
   if (ptr.value) return ptr.value
+  if (ptr.inflating) return ptr.inflating
 
+  ptr.inflating = _inflate(ptr, config)
+
+  try {
+    return await ptr.inflating
+  } finally {
+    ptr.inflating = null
+  }
+}
+
+async function _inflate(ptr, config) {
   const [block, context] = await Promise.all([
     ptr.context.getBlock(ptr.seq, ptr.core, config),
     ptr.context.getContext(ptr.core, config)
diff --git a/lib/tree.js b/lib/tree.js
index e471063..f25b761 100644
--- a/lib/tree.js
+++ b/lib/tree.js
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ class TreeNodePointer extends Pointer {
 
     this.next = null
     this.prev = null
+
+    this.inflating = null
   }
 
   commit() {