diff --git a/src/net/interface.go b/src/net/interface.go
index c99f8fd2166..52b857c65f1 100644
--- a/src/net/interface.go
+++ b/src/net/interface.go
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@
 
 package net
 
-import "errors"
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+)
 
 var (
 	errInvalidInterface         = errors.New("invalid network interface")
@@ -88,9 +92,12 @@ func (ifi *Interface) MulticastAddrs() ([]Addr, error) {
 func Interfaces() ([]Interface, error) {
 	ift, err := interfaceTable(0)
 	if err != nil {
-		err = &OpError{Op: "route", Net: "ip+net", Source: nil, Addr: nil, Err: err}
+		return nil, &OpError{Op: "route", Net: "ip+net", Source: nil, Addr: nil, Err: err}
 	}
-	return ift, err
+	if len(ift) != 0 {
+		zoneCache.update(ift)
+	}
+	return ift, nil
 }
 
 // InterfaceAddrs returns a list of the system's network interface
@@ -137,6 +144,9 @@ func InterfaceByName(name string) (*Interface, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, &OpError{Op: "route", Net: "ip+net", Source: nil, Addr: nil, Err: err}
 	}
+	if len(ift) != 0 {
+		zoneCache.update(ift)
+	}
 	for _, ifi := range ift {
 		if name == ifi.Name {
 			return &ifi, nil
@@ -144,3 +154,68 @@ func InterfaceByName(name string) (*Interface, error) {
 	}
 	return nil, &OpError{Op: "route", Net: "ip+net", Source: nil, Addr: nil, Err: errNoSuchInterface}
 }
+
+// An ipv6ZoneCache represents a cache holding partial network
+// interface information. It is used for reducing the cost of IPv6
+// addressing scope zone resolution.
+type ipv6ZoneCache struct {
+	sync.RWMutex                // guard the following
+	lastFetched  time.Time      // last time routing information was fetched
+	toIndex      map[string]int // interface name to its index
+	toName       map[int]string // interface index to its name
+}
+
+var zoneCache = ipv6ZoneCache{
+	toIndex: make(map[string]int),
+	toName:  make(map[int]string),
+}
+
+func (zc *ipv6ZoneCache) update(ift []Interface) {
+	zc.Lock()
+	defer zc.Unlock()
+	now := time.Now()
+	if zc.lastFetched.After(now.Add(-60 * time.Second)) {
+		return
+	}
+	zc.lastFetched = now
+	if len(ift) == 0 {
+		var err error
+		if ift, err = interfaceTable(0); err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	zc.toIndex = make(map[string]int, len(ift))
+	zc.toName = make(map[int]string, len(ift))
+	for _, ifi := range ift {
+		zc.toIndex[ifi.Name] = ifi.Index
+		zc.toName[ifi.Index] = ifi.Name
+	}
+}
+
+func zoneToString(zone int) string {
+	if zone == 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+	zoneCache.update(nil)
+	zoneCache.RLock()
+	defer zoneCache.RUnlock()
+	name, ok := zoneCache.toName[zone]
+	if !ok {
+		name = uitoa(uint(zone))
+	}
+	return name
+}
+
+func zoneToInt(zone string) int {
+	if zone == "" {
+		return 0
+	}
+	zoneCache.update(nil)
+	zoneCache.RLock()
+	defer zoneCache.RUnlock()
+	index, ok := zoneCache.toIndex[zone]
+	if !ok {
+		index, _, _ = dtoi(zone, 0)
+	}
+	return index
+}
diff --git a/src/net/ipsock.go b/src/net/ipsock.go
index f093b4926d7..dc13c174396 100644
--- a/src/net/ipsock.go
+++ b/src/net/ipsock.go
@@ -249,24 +249,3 @@ func internetAddrList(net, addr string, deadline time.Time) (addrList, error) {
 	}
 	return filterAddrList(filter, ips, inetaddr)
 }
-
-func zoneToString(zone int) string {
-	if zone == 0 {
-		return ""
-	}
-	if ifi, err := InterfaceByIndex(zone); err == nil {
-		return ifi.Name
-	}
-	return uitoa(uint(zone))
-}
-
-func zoneToInt(zone string) int {
-	if zone == "" {
-		return 0
-	}
-	if ifi, err := InterfaceByName(zone); err == nil {
-		return ifi.Index
-	}
-	n, _, _ := dtoi(zone, 0)
-	return n
-}
diff --git a/src/net/udpsock_test.go b/src/net/udpsock_test.go
index 1da24b2cc81..29d769c5a58 100644
--- a/src/net/udpsock_test.go
+++ b/src/net/udpsock_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,43 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+func BenchmarkUDP6LinkLocalUnicast(b *testing.B) {
+	testHookUninstaller.Do(uninstallTestHooks)
+
+	if !supportsIPv6 {
+		b.Skip("IPv6 is not supported")
+	}
+	ifi := loopbackInterface()
+	if ifi == nil {
+		b.Skip("loopback interface not found")
+	}
+	lla := ipv6LinkLocalUnicastAddr(ifi)
+	if lla == "" {
+		b.Skip("IPv6 link-local unicast address not found")
+	}
+
+	c1, err := ListenPacket("udp6", JoinHostPort(lla+"%"+ifi.Name, "0"))
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer c1.Close()
+	c2, err := ListenPacket("udp6", JoinHostPort(lla+"%"+ifi.Name, "0"))
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer c2.Close()
+
+	var buf [1]byte
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		if _, err := c1.WriteTo(buf[:], c2.LocalAddr()); err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if _, _, err := c2.ReadFrom(buf[:]); err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 type resolveUDPAddrTest struct {
 	network       string
 	litAddrOrName string