diff --git a/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/listeners/PlayerListener.java b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/listeners/PlayerListener.java
index f3229fb0c..bbc30ea9a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/listeners/PlayerListener.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/listeners/PlayerListener.java
@@ -15,12 +15,14 @@ import org.bukkit.event.EventPriority;
 import org.bukkit.event.Listener;
 import org.bukkit.event.entity.PlayerDeathEvent;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.AsyncPlayerChatEvent;
+import org.bukkit.event.player.AsyncPlayerPreLoginEvent;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerChangedWorldEvent;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerCommandPreprocessEvent;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerDropItemEvent;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerFishEvent;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerInteractEvent;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerJoinEvent;
+import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerLoginEvent;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerPickupItemEvent;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerQuitEvent;
 import org.bukkit.event.player.PlayerRespawnEvent;
@@ -264,6 +266,34 @@ public class PlayerListener implements Listener {
         BleedTimerTask.bleedOut(player); // Bleed it out
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Start user data prefetch.
+     */
+    @EventHandler(priority = EventPriority.LOWEST, ignoreCancelled = true)
+    public void onFirstLogin(AsyncPlayerPreLoginEvent event) {
+        UserManager.prefetchUserData(event.getName());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Cancel user data prefetch if another plugin kicks them.
+     */
+    @EventHandler(priority = EventPriority.MONITOR, ignoreCancelled = false)
+    public void onPreLoginComplete(AsyncPlayerPreLoginEvent event) {
+        if (event.getLoginResult() != AsyncPlayerPreLoginEvent.Result.ALLOWED) {
+            UserManager.discardPrefetch(event.getName());
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Cancel user data prefetch if they're banned or a plugin kicks them.
+     */
+    @EventHandler(priority = EventPriority.MONITOR, ignoreCancelled = false)
+    public void onLoginComplete(PlayerLoginEvent event) {
+        if (event.getResult() != PlayerLoginEvent.Result.ALLOWED) {
+            UserManager.discardPrefetch(event.getPlayer().getName());
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Monitor PlayerJoin events.
      *
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/runnables/player/PlayerProfileLoader.java b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/runnables/player/PlayerProfileLoader.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fb6465c3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/runnables/player/PlayerProfileLoader.java
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package com.gmail.nossr50.runnables.player;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
+
+import com.gmail.nossr50.mcMMO;
+import com.gmail.nossr50.datatypes.player.PlayerProfile;
+
+public class PlayerProfileLoader implements Callable<PlayerProfile> {
+    private final String playerName;
+
+    public PlayerProfileLoader(String player) {
+        this.playerName = player;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public PlayerProfile call() {
+        return mcMMO.getDatabaseManager().loadPlayerProfile(playerName, true);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/player/UserManager.java b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/player/UserManager.java
index b547dfa9d..202ab84cf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/player/UserManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/gmail/nossr50/util/player/UserManager.java
@@ -1,22 +1,55 @@
 package com.gmail.nossr50.util.player;
 
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.Future;
 
 import org.bukkit.OfflinePlayer;
 import org.bukkit.entity.Player;
 
 import com.gmail.nossr50.mcMMO;
 import com.gmail.nossr50.datatypes.player.McMMOPlayer;
+import com.gmail.nossr50.datatypes.player.PlayerProfile;
+import com.gmail.nossr50.runnables.player.PlayerProfileLoader;
 
 public final class UserManager {
-    private final static Map<String, McMMOPlayer> players = new HashMap<String, McMMOPlayer>();
+    private final static Map<String, McMMOPlayer>           players   = new HashMap<String, McMMOPlayer>();
+    private final static Map<String, Future<PlayerProfile>> loadTasks = new HashMap<String, Future<PlayerProfile>>();
+    private final static ExecutorService loadExecutor = Executors.newCachedThreadPool();
 
     private UserManager() {};
 
     /**
-     * Add a new user.
+     * Asynchronously pre-fetch information about the player. This is intended
+     * to expedite the PlayerJoinEvent.
+     *
+     * @param playerName The player name
+     */
+    public static void prefetchUserData(String playerName) {
+        loadTasks.put(playerName, loadExecutor.submit(new PlayerProfileLoader(playerName)));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Discard the information from the prefetch - for example, due to the
+     * user being banned.
+     *
+     * @param playerName The player name
+     */
+    public static void discardPrefetch(String playerName) {
+        Future<PlayerProfile> oldTask = loadTasks.remove(playerName);
+        if (oldTask != null) {
+            oldTask.cancel(false);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Add a new user. If the prefetched player information is available, it
+     * will be used.
      *
      * @param player The player to create a user record for
      * @return the player's {@link McMMOPlayer} object
@@ -29,7 +62,22 @@ public final class UserManager {
             mcMMOPlayer.setPlayer(player); // The player object is different on each reconnection and must be updated
         }
         else {
+            Future<PlayerProfile> task = loadTasks.remove(playerName);
+            if (task != null && !task.isCancelled()) {
+                try {
+                    mcMMOPlayer = new McMMOPlayer(player, task.get());
+                    // TODO copy any additional post-processing here
+                    players.put(playerName, mcMMOPlayer);
+                    return mcMMOPlayer;
+                }
+                catch (ExecutionException e) {
+                }
+                catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                }
+            }
+            // Did not return - load on main thread
             mcMMOPlayer = new McMMOPlayer(player);
+            // (start post-processing that must be copied above)
             players.put(playerName, mcMMOPlayer);
         }
 
@@ -43,12 +91,14 @@ public final class UserManager {
      */
     public static void remove(String playerName) {
         players.remove(playerName);
+        discardPrefetch(playerName);
     }
 
     /**
      * Clear all users.
      */
     public static void clearAll() {
+        discardAllPrefetch();
         players.clear();
     }
 
@@ -56,11 +106,23 @@ public final class UserManager {
      * Save all users.
      */
     public static void saveAll() {
+        discardAllPrefetch();
         for (McMMOPlayer mcMMOPlayer : players.values()) {
             mcMMOPlayer.getProfile().save();
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Discard / cancel all data prefetching.
+     */
+    public static void discardAllPrefetch() {
+        Iterator<Future<PlayerProfile>> taskIter = loadTasks.values().iterator();
+        while (taskIter.hasNext()) {
+            taskIter.next().cancel(false);
+            taskIter.remove();
+        }
+    }
+
     public static Map<String, McMMOPlayer> getPlayers() {
         return players;
     }