diff --git a/core/io/resource_loader.cpp b/core/io/resource_loader.cpp
index c5975653c5d..abe0287d71a 100644
--- a/core/io/resource_loader.cpp
+++ b/core/io/resource_loader.cpp
@@ -1184,7 +1184,10 @@ String ResourceLoader::get_resource_script_class(const String &p_path) {
 }
 
 ResourceUID::ID ResourceLoader::get_resource_uid(const String &p_path) {
-	String local_path = _validate_local_path(p_path);
+	const String local_path = _validate_local_path(p_path);
+	if (!Engine::get_singleton()->is_editor_hint()) {
+		return ResourceUID::get_singleton()->get_path_id(local_path);
+	}
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < loader_count; i++) {
 		ResourceUID::ID id = loader[i]->get_resource_uid(local_path);
diff --git a/core/io/resource_uid.cpp b/core/io/resource_uid.cpp
index 9663c1c50d1..a2e72abc760 100644
--- a/core/io/resource_uid.cpp
+++ b/core/io/resource_uid.cpp
@@ -160,6 +160,9 @@ void ResourceUID::add_id(ID p_id, const String &p_path) {
 	Cache c;
 	c.cs = p_path.utf8();
 	unique_ids[p_id] = c;
+	if (use_reverse_cache) {
+		reverse_cache[c.cs] = p_id;
+	}
 	changed = true;
 }
 
@@ -175,6 +178,9 @@ void ResourceUID::set_id(ID p_id, const String &p_path) {
 	if ((update_ptr == nullptr) != (cached_ptr == nullptr) || strcmp(update_ptr, cached_ptr) != 0) {
 		unique_ids[p_id].cs = cs;
 		unique_ids[p_id].saved_to_cache = false; //changed
+		if (use_reverse_cache) {
+			reverse_cache[cs] = p_id;
+		}
 		changed = true;
 	}
 }
@@ -201,9 +207,20 @@ String ResourceUID::get_id_path(ID p_id) const {
 	return String::utf8(cs.ptr());
 }
 
+ResourceUID::ID ResourceUID::get_path_id(const String &p_path) const {
+	const ID *id = reverse_cache.getptr(p_path.utf8());
+	if (id) {
+		return *id;
+	}
+	return INVALID_ID;
+}
+
 void ResourceUID::remove_id(ID p_id) {
 	MutexLock l(mutex);
 	ERR_FAIL_COND(!unique_ids.has(p_id));
+	if (use_reverse_cache) {
+		reverse_cache.erase(unique_ids[p_id].cs);
+	}
 	unique_ids.erase(p_id);
 }
 
@@ -265,6 +282,9 @@ Error ResourceUID::load_from_cache(bool p_reset) {
 
 	MutexLock l(mutex);
 	if (p_reset) {
+		if (use_reverse_cache) {
+			reverse_cache.clear();
+		}
 		unique_ids.clear();
 	}
 
@@ -281,6 +301,9 @@ Error ResourceUID::load_from_cache(bool p_reset) {
 
 		c.saved_to_cache = true;
 		unique_ids[id] = c;
+		if (use_reverse_cache) {
+			reverse_cache[c.cs] = id;
+		}
 	}
 
 	cache_entries = entry_count;
@@ -351,6 +374,9 @@ String ResourceUID::get_path_from_cache(Ref<FileAccess> &p_cache_file, const Str
 
 void ResourceUID::clear() {
 	cache_entries = 0;
+	if (use_reverse_cache) {
+		reverse_cache.clear();
+	}
 	unique_ids.clear();
 	changed = false;
 }
diff --git a/core/io/resource_uid.h b/core/io/resource_uid.h
index 6ac4c9c998b..3832d25d911 100644
--- a/core/io/resource_uid.h
+++ b/core/io/resource_uid.h
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ private:
 		bool saved_to_cache = false;
 	};
 
-	HashMap<ID, Cache> unique_ids; //unique IDs and utf8 paths (less memory used)
+	HashMap<ID, Cache> unique_ids; // Unique IDs and utf8 paths (less memory used).
+	bool use_reverse_cache = false;
+	HashMap<CharString, ID> reverse_cache; // Used at runtime.
 	static ResourceUID *singleton;
 
 	uint32_t cache_entries = 0;
@@ -75,6 +77,7 @@ public:
 	void add_id(ID p_id, const String &p_path);
 	void set_id(ID p_id, const String &p_path);
 	String get_id_path(ID p_id) const;
+	ID get_path_id(const String &p_path) const;
 	void remove_id(ID p_id);
 
 	static String uid_to_path(const String &p_uid);
@@ -86,6 +89,7 @@ public:
 	Error update_cache();
 	static String get_path_from_cache(Ref<FileAccess> &p_cache_file, const String &p_uid_string);
 
+	void enable_reverse_cache() { use_reverse_cache = true; }
 	void clear();
 
 	static ResourceUID *get_singleton() { return singleton; }
diff --git a/main/main.cpp b/main/main.cpp
index 750b93cca8d..548275ff626 100644
--- a/main/main.cpp
+++ b/main/main.cpp
@@ -2201,6 +2201,9 @@ Error Main::setup(const char *execpath, int argc, char *argv[], bool p_second_ph
 	initialize_modules(MODULE_INITIALIZATION_LEVEL_CORE);
 	register_core_extensions(); // core extensions must be registered after globals setup and before display
 
+	if (!editor) {
+		ResourceUID::get_singleton()->enable_reverse_cache();
+	}
 	ResourceUID::get_singleton()->load_from_cache(true); // Load UUIDs from cache.
 	ProjectSettings::get_singleton()->fix_autoload_paths(); // Handles autoloads saved as UID.