diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5e8525909..8d0a0e036 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ TODO
 
 Bug fixes:
 
+* [BUG #1116](https://github.com/rust-lang/regex/issues/1116):
+Fixes a memory usage regression for large regexes (introduced in `regex 1.9`).
 * [BUG #1165](https://github.com/rust-lang/regex/issues/1083):
 Fixes a panic in the lazy DFA (can only occur for especially large regexes).
 
diff --git a/regex-automata/src/meta/wrappers.rs b/regex-automata/src/meta/wrappers.rs
index fd1d5a144..6651cb907 100644
--- a/regex-automata/src/meta/wrappers.rs
+++ b/regex-automata/src/meta/wrappers.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ impl PikeVM {
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn create_cache(&self) -> PikeVMCache {
-        PikeVMCache::new(self)
+        PikeVMCache::none()
     }
 
     #[cfg_attr(feature = "perf-inline", inline(always))]
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ impl PikeVMEngine {
         cache: &mut PikeVMCache,
         input: &Input<'_>,
     ) -> bool {
-        self.0.is_match(cache.0.as_mut().unwrap(), input.clone())
+        self.0.is_match(cache.get(&self.0), input.clone())
     }
 
     #[cfg_attr(feature = "perf-inline", inline(always))]
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ impl PikeVMEngine {
         input: &Input<'_>,
         slots: &mut [Option<NonMaxUsize>],
     ) -> Option<PatternID> {
-        self.0.search_slots(cache.0.as_mut().unwrap(), input, slots)
+        self.0.search_slots(cache.get(&self.0), input, slots)
     }
 
     #[cfg_attr(feature = "perf-inline", inline(always))]
@@ -113,11 +113,7 @@ impl PikeVMEngine {
         input: &Input<'_>,
         patset: &mut PatternSet,
     ) {
-        self.0.which_overlapping_matches(
-            cache.0.as_mut().unwrap(),
-            input,
-            patset,
-        )
+        self.0.which_overlapping_matches(cache.get(&self.0), input, patset)
     }
 }
 
@@ -129,17 +125,17 @@ impl PikeVMCache {
         PikeVMCache(None)
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn new(builder: &PikeVM) -> PikeVMCache {
-        PikeVMCache(Some(builder.get().0.create_cache()))
-    }
-
     pub(crate) fn reset(&mut self, builder: &PikeVM) {
-        self.0.as_mut().unwrap().reset(&builder.get().0);
+        self.get(&builder.get().0).reset(&builder.get().0);
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn memory_usage(&self) -> usize {
         self.0.as_ref().map_or(0, |c| c.memory_usage())
     }
+
+    fn get(&mut self, vm: &pikevm::PikeVM) -> &mut pikevm::Cache {
+        self.0.get_or_insert_with(|| vm.create_cache())
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -155,7 +151,7 @@ impl BoundedBacktracker {
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn create_cache(&self) -> BoundedBacktrackerCache {
-        BoundedBacktrackerCache::new(self)
+        BoundedBacktrackerCache::none()
     }
 
     #[cfg_attr(feature = "perf-inline", inline(always))]
@@ -235,9 +231,7 @@ impl BoundedBacktrackerEngine {
             // OK because we only permit access to this engine when we know
             // the haystack is short enough for the backtracker to run without
             // reporting an error.
-            self.0
-                .try_is_match(cache.0.as_mut().unwrap(), input.clone())
-                .unwrap()
+            self.0.try_is_match(cache.get(&self.0), input.clone()).unwrap()
         }
         #[cfg(not(feature = "nfa-backtrack"))]
         {
@@ -259,9 +253,7 @@ impl BoundedBacktrackerEngine {
             // OK because we only permit access to this engine when we know
             // the haystack is short enough for the backtracker to run without
             // reporting an error.
-            self.0
-                .try_search_slots(cache.0.as_mut().unwrap(), input, slots)
-                .unwrap()
+            self.0.try_search_slots(cache.get(&self.0), input, slots).unwrap()
         }
         #[cfg(not(feature = "nfa-backtrack"))]
         {
@@ -304,25 +296,10 @@ impl BoundedBacktrackerCache {
         }
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn new(
-        builder: &BoundedBacktracker,
-    ) -> BoundedBacktrackerCache {
-        #[cfg(feature = "nfa-backtrack")]
-        {
-            BoundedBacktrackerCache(
-                builder.0.as_ref().map(|e| e.0.create_cache()),
-            )
-        }
-        #[cfg(not(feature = "nfa-backtrack"))]
-        {
-            BoundedBacktrackerCache(())
-        }
-    }
-
     pub(crate) fn reset(&mut self, builder: &BoundedBacktracker) {
         #[cfg(feature = "nfa-backtrack")]
         if let Some(ref e) = builder.0 {
-            self.0.as_mut().unwrap().reset(&e.0);
+            self.get(&e.0).reset(&e.0);
         }
     }
 
@@ -336,6 +313,14 @@ impl BoundedBacktrackerCache {
             0
         }
     }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "nfa-backtrack")]
+    fn get(
+        &mut self,
+        bb: &backtrack::BoundedBacktracker,
+    ) -> &mut backtrack::Cache {
+        self.0.get_or_insert_with(|| bb.create_cache())
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]