diff --git a/flytestdlib/cache/in_memory_auto_refresh.go b/flytestdlib/cache/in_memory_auto_refresh.go
index a566c7928c..c3072f5b26 100644
--- a/flytestdlib/cache/in_memory_auto_refresh.go
+++ b/flytestdlib/cache/in_memory_auto_refresh.go
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ func getEvictionFunction(counter prometheus.Counter) func(key interface{}, value
 type Options struct {
 	clock           clock.WithTicker
 	createBatchesCb CreateBatchesFunc
+	syncOnCreate    bool
 }
 
 // WithClock configures the clock to use for time related operations. Mainly used for unit testing.
@@ -67,10 +68,20 @@ func WithCreateBatchesFunc(createBatchesCb CreateBatchesFunc) Option {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithSyncOnCreate configures whether the cache will attempt to sync items upon creation or wait until the next
+// sync interval. Disabling this can be useful when the cache is under high load and synchronization both frequently
+// and in large batches. Defaults to true.
+func WithSyncOnCreate(syncOnCreate bool) Option {
+	return func(mo *Options) {
+		mo.syncOnCreate = syncOnCreate
+	}
+}
+
 func defaultOptions() *Options {
 	opts := &Options{}
 	WithClock(clock.RealClock{})(opts)
 	WithCreateBatchesFunc(SingleItemBatches)(opts)
+	WithSyncOnCreate(true)(opts)
 	return opts
 }
 
@@ -102,6 +113,7 @@ type InMemoryAutoRefresh struct {
 	syncCount          atomic.Int32 // internal sync counter for unit testing
 	enqueueCount       atomic.Int32 // internal enqueue counter for unit testing
 	enqueueLoopRunning atomic.Bool  // internal bool to ensure goroutines are running
+	syncOnCreate       bool
 }
 
 // NewInMemoryAutoRefresh creates a new InMemoryAutoRefresh
@@ -145,6 +157,7 @@ func NewInMemoryAutoRefresh(
 		syncCount:          atomic.NewInt32(0),
 		enqueueCount:       atomic.NewInt32(0),
 		enqueueLoopRunning: atomic.NewBool(false),
+		syncOnCreate:       opts.syncOnCreate,
 	}
 
 	return cache, nil
@@ -228,10 +241,12 @@ func (w *InMemoryAutoRefresh) GetOrCreate(id ItemID, item Item) (Item, error) {
 
 	// It fixes cold start issue in the AutoRefreshCache by adding the item to the workqueue when it is created.
 	// This way, the item will be processed without waiting for the next sync cycle (30s by default).
-	batch := make([]ItemWrapper, 0, 1)
-	batch = append(batch, itemWrapper{id: id, item: item})
-	w.workqueue.AddRateLimited(&batch)
-	w.processing.Store(id, w.clock.Now())
+	if w.syncOnCreate {
+		batch := make([]ItemWrapper, 0, 1)
+		batch = append(batch, itemWrapper{id: id, item: item})
+		w.workqueue.AddRateLimited(&batch)
+		w.processing.Store(id, w.clock.Now())
+	}
 	return item, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/flytestdlib/cache/in_memory_auto_refresh_test.go b/flytestdlib/cache/in_memory_auto_refresh_test.go
index 229664c720..869c79fd8e 100644
--- a/flytestdlib/cache/in_memory_auto_refresh_test.go
+++ b/flytestdlib/cache/in_memory_auto_refresh_test.go
@@ -95,6 +95,40 @@ func TestCacheFour(t *testing.T) {
 			assert.NoError(t, err)
 		}
 
+		// Cache should be processing
+		assert.NotEmpty(t, cache.processing)
+
+		assert.EventuallyWithT(t, func(c *assert.CollectT) {
+			// trigger periodic sync
+			fakeClock.Step(testResyncPeriod)
+
+			for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ {
+				item, err := cache.Get(fmt.Sprintf("%d", i))
+				assert.NoError(c, err)
+				assert.Equal(c, 10, item.(fakeCacheItem).val)
+			}
+		}, 3*time.Second, time.Millisecond)
+		cancel()
+	})
+
+	t.Run("disable sync on create", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cache, err := NewInMemoryAutoRefresh("fake1", syncFakeItem, rateLimiter, testResyncPeriod, 10, 10, promutils.NewTestScope(), WithClock(fakeClock), WithSyncOnCreate(false))
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		assert.NoError(t, cache.Start(ctx))
+
+		// Create ten items in the cache
+		for i := 1; i <= 10; i++ {
+			_, err := cache.GetOrCreate(fmt.Sprintf("%d", i), fakeCacheItem{
+				val: 0,
+			})
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+		}
+
+		// Validate that none are processing since they aren't synced on creation
+		assert.Empty(t, cache.processing)
+
 		assert.EventuallyWithT(t, func(c *assert.CollectT) {
 			// trigger periodic sync
 			fakeClock.Step(testResyncPeriod)