diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__tests__/graphql-runner.js b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__tests__/graphql-runner.js
index 48caf00e239d1..e9dba17611223 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__tests__/graphql-runner.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/__tests__/graphql-runner.js
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 jest.mock(`graphql`)
 
 const createGraphqlRunner = require(`../graphql-runner`)
-const { graphql } = require(`graphql`)
+const { execute, validate, parse } = require(`graphql`)
+
+parse.mockImplementation(() => {
+  return {}
+})
+validate.mockImplementation(() => [])
 
 const createStore = (schema = {}) => {
   return {
@@ -33,9 +38,9 @@ describe(`grapqhl-runner`, () => {
         gatsby: `is awesome`,
       },
     }
-    graphql.mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve(expectation))
+    execute.mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve(expectation))
 
-    const result = await graphqlRunner({}, {})
+    const result = await graphqlRunner(``, {})
     expect(reporter.panicOnBuild).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(result).toBe(expectation)
   })
@@ -51,9 +56,9 @@ describe(`grapqhl-runner`, () => {
         },
       ],
     }
-    graphql.mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve(expectation))
+    execute.mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve(expectation))
 
-    const result = await graphqlRunner({}, {})
+    const result = await graphqlRunner(``, {})
     expect(reporter.panicOnBuild).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(result).toBe(expectation)
   })
@@ -68,13 +73,13 @@ describe(`grapqhl-runner`, () => {
       message: `Cannot query field boyhowdy on RootQueryType`,
     }
 
-    graphql.mockImplementation(() =>
+    execute.mockImplementation(() =>
       Promise.resolve({
         errors: [errorObject],
       })
     )
 
-    await graphqlRunner({}, {})
+    await graphqlRunner(``, {})
     expect(reporter.panicOnBuild).toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(reporter.panicOnBuild).toMatchSnapshot()
   })
diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/query/graphql-runner.js b/packages/gatsby/src/query/graphql-runner.js
index cc1f55741b289..d46b8c383c7bb 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby/src/query/graphql-runner.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/query/graphql-runner.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-const { graphql } = require(`graphql`)
+const { parse, validate, execute } = require(`graphql`)
+const { debounce } = require(`lodash`)
 
 const withResolverContext = require(`../schema/context`)
 const { LocalNodeModel } = require(`../schema/node-model`)
@@ -16,24 +17,68 @@ class GraphQLRunner {
       schemaComposer: schemaCustomization.composer,
       createPageDependency,
     })
+    this.schema = schema
+    this.parseCache = new Map()
+    this.validDocuments = new WeakSet()
+    this.scheduleClearCache = debounce(this.clearCache.bind(this), 5000)
+  }
+
+  clearCache() {
+    this.parseCache.clear()
+    this.validDocuments = new WeakSet()
+  }
+
+  parse(query) {
+    if (!this.parseCache.has(query)) {
+      this.parseCache.set(query, parse(query))
+    }
+    return this.parseCache.get(query)
+  }
+
+  validate(schema, document) {
+    if (!this.validDocuments.has(document)) {
+      const errors = validate(schema, document)
+      if (!errors.length) {
+        this.validDocuments.add(document)
+      }
+      return errors
+    }
+    return []
   }
 
   query(query, context) {
     const { schema, schemaCustomization } = this.store.getState()
 
-    return graphql(
-      schema,
-      query,
-      context,
-      withResolverContext({
-        schema,
-        schemaComposer: schemaCustomization.composer,
-        context,
-        customContext: schemaCustomization.context,
-        nodeModel: this.nodeModel,
-      }),
-      context
-    )
+    if (this.schema !== schema) {
+      this.schema = schema
+      this.clearCache()
+    }
+
+    const document = this.parse(query)
+    const errors = this.validate(schema, document)
+
+    const result =
+      errors.length > 0
+        ? { errors }
+        : execute({
+            schema,
+            document,
+            rootValue: context,
+            contextValue: withResolverContext({
+              schema,
+              schemaComposer: schemaCustomization.composer,
+              context,
+              customContext: schemaCustomization.context,
+              nodeModel: this.nodeModel,
+            }),
+            variableValues: context,
+          })
+
+    // Queries are usually executed in batch. But after the batch is finished
+    // cache just wastes memory without much benefits.
+    // TODO: consider a better strategy for cache purging/invalidation
+    this.scheduleClearCache()
+    return result
   }
 }