diff --git a/consul/acl.go b/consul/acl.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..29fe4c5f64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/consul/acl.go
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+package consul
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/acl"
+)
+
+// aclCacheEntry is used to cache non-authoritative ACL's
+// If non-authoritative, then we must respect a TTL
+type aclCacheEntry struct {
+	ACL     acl.ACL
+	TTL     time.Duration
+	Expires time.Time
+}
+
+// aclFault is used to fault in the rules for an ACL if we take a miss
+func (s *Server) aclFault(id string) (string, error) {
+	state := s.fsm.State()
+	_, acl, err := state.ACLGet(id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if acl == nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("ACL not found: %s", id)
+	}
+	return acl.Rules, nil
+}
+
+// resolveToken is used to resolve an ACL is any is appropriate
+func (s *Server) resolveToken(id string) (acl.ACL, error) {
+	// Check if there is no ACL datacenter (ACL's disabled)
+	authDC := s.config.ACLDatacenter
+	if authDC == "" {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	// Check if we are the ACL datacenter and the leader, use the
+	// authoritative cache
+	if s.config.Datacenter == authDC && s.IsLeader() {
+		return s.aclAuthCache.GetACL(id)
+	}
+
+	// Use our non-authoritative cache
+	return s.lookupACL(id)
+}
+
+// lookupACL is used when we are non-authoritative, and need
+// to resolve an ACL
+func (s *Server) lookupACL(id string) (acl.ACL, error) {
+	// Check the cache for the ACL
+	var cached *aclCacheEntry
+	raw, ok := s.aclCache.Get(id)
+	if ok {
+		cached = raw.(*aclCacheEntry)
+	}
+
+	// Check for live cache
+	if cached != nil && time.Now().Before(cached.Expires) {
+		return cached.ACL, nil
+	}
+
+	// Attempt to refresh the policy
+	// TODO: GetPolicy...
+
+	// Unable to refresh, apply the down policy
+	switch s.config.ACLDownPolicy {
+	case "allow":
+		return acl.AllowAll(), nil
+	case "extend-cache":
+		if cached != nil {
+			return cached.ACL, nil
+		}
+		fallthrough
+	default:
+		return acl.DenyAll(), nil
+	}
+}
diff --git a/consul/acl_endpoint.go b/consul/acl_endpoint.go
index 89c7ee6d6c..908d2fcb53 100644
--- a/consul/acl_endpoint.go
+++ b/consul/acl_endpoint.go
@@ -81,6 +81,26 @@ func (a *ACL) Get(args *structs.ACLSpecificRequest,
 		})
 }
 
+// GetPolicy is used to retrieve a compiled policy object with a TTL. Does not
+// support a blocking query.
+func (a *ACL) GetPolicy(args *structs.ACLSpecificRequest, reply *structs.ACLPolicy) error {
+	if done, err := a.srv.forward("ACL.GetPolicy", args, args, reply); done {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Get the policy via the cache
+	policy, err := a.srv.aclAuthCache.GetACLPolicy(args.ACL)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Setup the response
+	reply.Policy = policy
+	reply.TTL = a.srv.config.ACLTTL
+	a.srv.setQueryMeta(&reply.QueryMeta)
+	return nil
+}
+
 // List is used to list all the ACLs
 func (a *ACL) List(args *structs.DCSpecificRequest,
 	reply *structs.IndexedACLs) error {
diff --git a/consul/acl_endpoint_test.go b/consul/acl_endpoint_test.go
index 7f08787972..032df55206 100644
--- a/consul/acl_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/consul/acl_endpoint_test.go
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 package consul
 
 import (
-	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/consul/structs"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/testutil"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/consul/structs"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/testutil"
 )
 
 func TestACLEndpoint_Apply(t *testing.T) {
@@ -106,6 +108,45 @@ func TestACLEndpoint_Get(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestACLEndpoint_GetPolicy(t *testing.T) {
+	dir1, s1 := testServer(t)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir1)
+	defer s1.Shutdown()
+	client := rpcClient(t, s1)
+	defer client.Close()
+
+	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, client.Call, "dc1")
+
+	arg := structs.ACLRequest{
+		Datacenter: "dc1",
+		Op:         structs.ACLSet,
+		ACL: structs.ACL{
+			Name: "User token",
+			Type: structs.ACLTypeClient,
+		},
+	}
+	var out string
+	if err := client.Call("ACL.Apply", &arg, &out); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	getR := structs.ACLSpecificRequest{
+		Datacenter: "dc1",
+		ACL:        out,
+	}
+	var acls structs.ACLPolicy
+	if err := client.Call("ACL.GetPolicy", &getR, &acls); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if acls.Policy == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Bad: %v", acls)
+	}
+	if acls.TTL != 30*time.Second {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %v", acls)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestACLEndpoint_List(t *testing.T) {
 	dir1, s1 := testServer(t)
 	defer os.RemoveAll(dir1)
diff --git a/consul/server.go b/consul/server.go
index b07522e156..5e0465213f 100644
--- a/consul/server.go
+++ b/consul/server.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/acl"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/raft"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/raft-mdb"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/serf/serf"
@@ -43,11 +45,21 @@ const (
 	// serverMaxStreams controsl how many idle streams we keep
 	// open to a server
 	serverMaxStreams = 64
+
+	// Maximum number of cached ACL entries
+	aclCacheSize = 256
 )
 
 // Server is Consul server which manages the service discovery,
 // health checking, DC forwarding, Raft, and multiple Serf pools.
 type Server struct {
+	// aclAuthCache is the authoritative ACL cache
+	aclAuthCache *acl.Cache
+
+	// aclCache is a non-authoritative ACL cache
+	aclCache *lru.Cache
+
+	// Consul configuration
 	config *Config
 
 	// Connection pool to other consul servers
@@ -181,6 +193,29 @@ func NewServer(config *Config) (*Server, error) {
 		shutdownCh:    make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 
+	// Determine the ACL root policy
+	var aclRoot acl.ACL
+	switch config.ACLDefaultPolicy {
+	case "allow":
+		aclRoot = acl.AllowAll()
+	case "deny":
+		aclRoot = acl.DenyAll()
+	}
+
+	// Initialize the authoritative ACL cache
+	s.aclAuthCache, err = acl.NewCache(aclCacheSize, aclRoot, s.aclFault)
+	if err != nil {
+		s.Shutdown()
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to create ACL cache: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Initialize the non-authoritative ACL cache
+	s.aclCache, err = lru.New(aclCacheSize)
+	if err != nil {
+		s.Shutdown()
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Failed to create ACL cache: %v", err)
+	}
+
 	// Initialize the RPC layer
 	if err := s.setupRPC(tlsConfig); err != nil {
 		s.Shutdown()
diff --git a/consul/structs/structs.go b/consul/structs/structs.go
index 27cffd0b28..3c9b78c9a8 100644
--- a/consul/structs/structs.go
+++ b/consul/structs/structs.go
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@ package structs
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/ugorji/go/codec"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/acl"
+	"github.com/ugorji/go/codec"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -469,6 +471,12 @@ type IndexedACLs struct {
 	QueryMeta
 }
 
+type ACLPolicy struct {
+	Policy *acl.Policy
+	TTL    time.Duration
+	QueryMeta
+}
+
 // msgpackHandle is a shared handle for encoding/decoding of structs
 var msgpackHandle = &codec.MsgpackHandle{}