diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index cc6c747daf..8acb28a9fd 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 var basicAuth = require('basic-auth'),
     prompt = require('prompt'),
     portScanner = require('portscanner'),
+    releaseUrl = null,
     request = require('sync-request');
 
 /**
@@ -55,22 +56,34 @@ exports.matchRoutes = function(req, res) {
 
 };
 
-// Synchronously get the url for the latest release on github
+// Synchronously get the url for the latest release on github and store
 exports.getLatestRelease = function() {
+  
   var url = "";
-  var options = {
-    headers: {'user-agent': 'node.js'}
-  }; 
-  var gitHubUrl = 'https://api.github.com/repos/alphagov/govuk_prototype_kit/releases/latest';
-  try {
-      res = request('GET', gitHubUrl, options);
-      var data = JSON.parse(res.getBody('utf8'));
-      url = data.zipball_url;
+
+  // Release url already exists
+  if (releaseUrl !== null){
+    console.log("Release url cached:", releaseUrl);
+    return releaseUrl;
   }
-  catch(err) {
-      url = "https://github.com/alphagov/govuk_prototype_kit/releases/latest";
+  // Release url doesn't exist
+  else {
+    var options = {
+      headers: {'user-agent': 'node.js'}
+    };
+    var gitHubUrl = 'https://api.github.com/repos/alphagov/govuk_prototype_kit/releases/latest';
+    try {
+        res = request('GET', gitHubUrl, options);
+        var data = JSON.parse(res.getBody('utf8'));
+        url = data.zipball_url;
+        releaseUrl = url;
+        console.log("Release url is:", releaseUrl);
+    }
+    catch(err) {
+        url = "https://github.com/alphagov/govuk_prototype_kit/releases/latest";
+        console.log("Couldn't retrieve release url");
+    }
   }
-  console.log("Release url is", url);
   return url;
 };