diff --git a/QuickLook.Plugin.MIQ/MiqSettings.cs b/QuickLook.Plugin.MIQ/MiqSettings.cs
index bf3f373..ede6026 100644
--- a/QuickLook.Plugin.MIQ/MiqSettings.cs
+++ b/QuickLook.Plugin.MIQ/MiqSettings.cs
@@ -157,10 +157,15 @@ private static void WriteBreadcrumb(string? pluginDir, string settingsPath)
             return;
         try
         {
-            File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(pluginDir!, "MIQ settings location.txt"),
+            var breadcrumb = Path.Combine(pluginDir!, "MIQ settings location.txt");
+            var text =
                 "MIQ preview settings are stored outside this folder so they\r\n" +
                 "survive plugin updates. Edit this file:\r\n\r\n    " +
-                settingsPath + "\r\n");
+                settingsPath + "\r\n";
+            // Load() runs on every preview; write only when missing or stale
+            // (wiped by an upgrade, or the settings path moved).
+            if (File.Exists(breadcrumb) && File.ReadAllText(breadcrumb) == text) return;
+            File.WriteAllText(breadcrumb, text);
         }
         catch { /* best-effort breadcrumb */ }
     }
diff --git a/QuickLook.Plugin.MIQ/Plugin.cs b/QuickLook.Plugin.MIQ/Plugin.cs
index 4f2af8f..c2604f4 100644
--- a/QuickLook.Plugin.MIQ/Plugin.cs
+++ b/QuickLook.Plugin.MIQ/Plugin.cs
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ public sealed class Plugin : IViewer
     private MiqVolume? _volume;
     // Cancelled in Cleanup() so background tasks don't touch a recycled viewer.
     private CancellationTokenSource? _cts;
+    // Loaded once per preview in Prepare() and reused by View(), so the ini is
+    // read (and its breadcrumb checked) once per Space, not twice.
+    private MiqSettings? _settings;
 
     // Above QuickLook's generic ArchiveViewer, which otherwise grabs ".gz".
     public int Priority => 100;
@@ -59,7 +62,9 @@ public bool CanHandle(string path)
 
     public void Prepare(string path, ContextObject context)
     {
+        // Re-read every preview so ini edits apply on the next Space.
         var settings = MiqSettings.Load();
+        _settings = settings;
         context.PreferredSize = new WpfSize(settings.PreviewWidth, settings.PreviewHeight);
         context.Theme = Themes.Dark;
     }
@@ -76,12 +81,14 @@ public void View(string path, ContextObject context)
         context.ViewerContent = _control;
 
         var control = _control;
+        // Frozen WPF resources only, so safe to hand to the background task.
+        // Load here only if the host skipped Prepare().
+        var loaded = _settings;
         Task.Run(() =>
         {
             try
             {
-                // Re-read every preview so ini edits apply on the next Space.
-                var settings = MiqSettings.Load();
+                var settings = loaded ?? MiqSettings.Load();
                 var options = settings.Options;
                 var kind = MiqFileKindExtensions.FromPath(path);