diff --git a/services/prefetchService.ts b/services/prefetchService.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfd78f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/prefetchService.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,201 @@
+// Service for prefetching and caching data for top repositories
+// This enables instant loading when users navigate to repo details
+
+import { Repository, Issue, WorkflowRun, PullRequestDetails, Deployment, DeploymentStatus, Artifact, Comment } from '../types';
+import { fetchIssues, fetchWorkflowRuns, fetchPullRequestDetails, fetchDeploymentsBySha, fetchDeploymentStatuses, fetchArtifacts, fetchComments } from './githubService';
+import { setCache, CacheKeys, CachedExpandedIssueData } from './cacheService';
+
+// Configuration constants for prefetch limits
+const MAX_ISSUES_TO_PREFETCH = 5;
+const MAX_PRS_TO_PREFETCH = 10;
+const MAX_WORKFLOW_RUNS_FOR_ARTIFACTS = 10;
+
+/**
+ * Prefetch all data needed for a single repository
+ * This includes issues, workflow runs, PR details, deployments, and artifacts
+ */
+async function prefetchRepoData(token: string, repo: Repository): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    // Fetch issues and workflow runs in parallel
+    const [issues, workflowRuns] = await Promise.all([
+      fetchIssues(token, repo.owner.login, repo.name).catch(() => [] as Issue[]),
+      fetchWorkflowRuns(token, repo.owner.login, repo.name).catch(() => [] as WorkflowRun[])
+    ]);
+
+    // Cache issues and workflow runs immediately
+    setCache(CacheKeys.repoIssues(repo.owner.login, repo.name), issues);
+    setCache(CacheKeys.workflowRuns(repo.owner.login, repo.name), workflowRuns);
+
+    // Get all PRs from the issues list
+    const pullRequestsOnly = issues.filter(i => i.pull_request);
+
+    // For each issue, prefetch its expanded data (comments, related PRs, etc.)
+    // We'll prioritize the first MAX_ISSUES_TO_PREFETCH issues since they're most likely to be viewed
+    const issuesToPrefetch = issues.filter(i => !i.pull_request).slice(0, MAX_ISSUES_TO_PREFETCH);
+
+    for (const issue of issuesToPrefetch) {
+      try {
+        await prefetchIssueExpandedData(token, repo, issue, issues, workflowRuns);
+      } catch (err) {
+        // Continue with other issues if one fails
+        console.error(`Failed to prefetch data for issue #${issue.number}:`, err);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Prefetch PR details for all PRs (up to MAX_PRS_TO_PREFETCH)
+    const prsToCache = pullRequestsOnly.slice(0, MAX_PRS_TO_PREFETCH);
+    const prDetailPromises = prsToCache.map(async (pr) => {
+      try {
+        const details = await fetchPullRequestDetails(token, repo.owner.login, repo.name, pr.number);
+        setCache(CacheKeys.prDetails(repo.owner.login, repo.name, pr.number), details);
+        return { prNumber: pr.number, details };
+      } catch {
+        return { prNumber: pr.number, details: null };
+      }
+    });
+
+    await Promise.all(prDetailPromises);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error(`Failed to prefetch data for repo ${repo.full_name}:`, err);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Prefetch expanded data for a specific issue
+ * This is the complete dataset needed when viewing issue details
+ */
+async function prefetchIssueExpandedData(
+  token: string,
+  repo: Repository,
+  issue: Issue,
+  allIssues: Issue[],
+  workflowRuns: WorkflowRun[]
+): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    // Fetch comments for this issue
+    const comments = await fetchComments(token, repo.owner.login, repo.name, issue.number).catch(() => []);
+
+    // Find related PRs
+    const pullRequestsOnly = allIssues.filter(i => i.pull_request);
+    const relatedPRs = pullRequestsOnly.filter(pr => {
+      const issueRef = `#${issue.number}`;
+      const titleMatch = pr.title?.toLowerCase().includes(issueRef.toLowerCase());
+      const bodyMatch = pr.body?.toLowerCase().includes(issueRef.toLowerCase());
+      return titleMatch || bodyMatch;
+    });
+
+    // Fetch detailed PR info for related PRs
+    const prDetailPromises = relatedPRs.map(async (pr) => {
+      try {
+        const details = await fetchPullRequestDetails(token, repo.owner.login, repo.name, pr.number);
+        return { prNumber: pr.number, details };
+      } catch {
+        return { prNumber: pr.number, details: null };
+      }
+    });
+
+    const prDetailResults = await Promise.all(prDetailPromises);
+    const prDetailMap = new Map<number, PullRequestDetails>();
+    prDetailResults.forEach(({ prNumber, details }) => {
+      if (details) prDetailMap.set(prNumber, details);
+    });
+
+    // Fetch comments for related PRs
+    const prCommentPromises = relatedPRs.map(async (pr) => {
+      try {
+        const prComments = await fetchComments(token, repo.owner.login, repo.name, pr.number);
+        return { prNumber: pr.number, comments: prComments };
+      } catch {
+        return { prNumber: pr.number, comments: [] };
+      }
+    });
+
+    const prCommentResults = await Promise.all(prCommentPromises);
+    const prCommentsMap = new Map<number, Comment[]>();
+    prCommentResults.forEach(({ prNumber, comments: prComments }) => {
+      prCommentsMap.set(prNumber, prComments);
+    });
+
+    // Compute related PR head SHAs
+    const relatedShas = new Set<string>();
+    prDetailMap.forEach((details) => {
+      if (details.head?.sha) relatedShas.add(details.head.sha);
+    });
+
+    // Fetch deployments for each related PR
+    const deploymentsPromises = Array.from(prDetailMap.entries()).map(async ([prNumber, details]) => {
+      try {
+        const deployments = await fetchDeploymentsBySha(token, repo.owner.login, repo.name, details.head.sha);
+        const latest = deployments[0];
+        if (!latest) return { prNumber, items: [] as { deployment: Deployment; status: DeploymentStatus | null }[] };
+        const statuses = await fetchDeploymentStatuses(token, repo.owner.login, repo.name, latest.id).catch(() => [] as DeploymentStatus[]);
+        const latestStatus = statuses[0] || null;
+        return { prNumber, items: [{ deployment: latest, status: latestStatus }] };
+      } catch {
+        return { prNumber, items: [] as { deployment: Deployment; status: DeploymentStatus | null }[] };
+      }
+    });
+
+    const deploymentsResults = await Promise.all(deploymentsPromises);
+    const deploymentsMap = new Map<number, { deployment: Deployment; status: DeploymentStatus | null }[]>();
+    deploymentsResults.forEach(({ prNumber, items }) => {
+      deploymentsMap.set(prNumber, items);
+    });
+
+    // Fetch artifacts only for workflow runs that match related PR SHAs
+    const relatedRunsForArtifacts = workflowRuns
+      .filter(r => r.head_sha && relatedShas.has(r.head_sha))
+      .slice(0, MAX_WORKFLOW_RUNS_FOR_ARTIFACTS);
+
+    const artifactPromises = relatedRunsForArtifacts.map(async (run) => {
+      try {
+        const runArtifacts = await fetchArtifacts(token, repo.owner.login, repo.name, run.id);
+        return { runId: run.id, artifacts: runArtifacts };
+      } catch {
+        return { runId: run.id, artifacts: [] };
+      }
+    });
+
+    const artifactResults = await Promise.all(artifactPromises);
+    const artifactMap = new Map<number, Artifact[]>();
+    artifactResults.forEach(({ runId, artifacts: runArtifacts }) => {
+      artifactMap.set(runId, runArtifacts);
+    });
+
+    // Cache ALL expanded data together for instant display
+    const dataToCache: CachedExpandedIssueData = {
+      comments,
+      workflowRuns,
+      prDetails: Object.fromEntries(prDetailMap),
+      deploymentsByPr: Object.fromEntries(deploymentsMap),
+      artifacts: Object.fromEntries(artifactMap),
+      prComments: Object.fromEntries(prCommentsMap),
+    };
+    setCache(CacheKeys.issueExpandedData(repo.owner.login, repo.name, issue.number), dataToCache);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error(`Failed to prefetch expanded data for issue #${issue.number}:`, err);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Prefetch data for the top N repositories
+ * This is called on app startup to populate the cache with frequently accessed data
+ * 
+ * @param token - GitHub access token
+ * @param repos - List of repositories, ordered by priority (most recent first)
+ * @param count - Number of top repos to prefetch (default: 4)
+ */
+export async function prefetchTopReposData(
+  token: string,
+  repos: Repository[],
+  count: number = 4
+): Promise<void> {
+  // Take the top N repos
+  const topRepos = repos.slice(0, count);
+
+  // Prefetch data for each repo sequentially to avoid rate limiting
+  // We could do this in parallel, but sequential is safer for API limits
+  for (const repo of topRepos) {
+    await prefetchRepoData(token, repo);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/views/Dashboard.tsx b/views/Dashboard.tsx
index 486e2c6..90b97e5 100644
--- a/views/Dashboard.tsx
+++ b/views/Dashboard.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import React, { useEffect, useState, useRef } from 'react';
 import { Repository, GitHubUser, RepoDraft, Issue, GitHubTemplate } from '../types';
 import { fetchRepositories, createRepository, deleteRepository, fetchGitHubTemplates } from '../services/githubService';
 import { completeRepositorySetup } from '../services/repoSetupUtils';
+import { prefetchTopReposData } from '../services/prefetchService';
 import { RepoCard } from '../components/RepoCard';
 import { Button } from '../components/Button';
 import { ToastContainer, useToast } from '../components/Toast';
@@ -159,6 +160,15 @@ export const Dashboard: React.FC<DashboardProps> = ({ token, user, onRepoSelect,
       }
       
       setRepoIssues(issuesMap);
+      
+      // Prefetch data for top 4 repos in the background (don't await)
+      // This populates the cache so repo detail views load instantly
+      if (data.length > 0) {
+        prefetchTopReposData(token, data, 4).catch(err => {
+          console.error('Background prefetch failed:', err);
+          // Don't show error to user - this is a background optimization
+        });
+      }
     } catch (err) {
       // Only show error if we don't have cached data to display
       if (!hasCachedData) {