diff --git a/src/cache/event.rs b/src/cache/event.rs
index 9c55feda22e..0bb48f7b8c6 100644
--- a/src/cache/event.rs
+++ b/src/cache/event.rs
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ impl CacheUpdate for GuildCreateEvent {
         for (user_id, member) in &mut guild.members {
             cache.update_user_entry(&member.user);
             if let Some(u) = cache.user(user_id) {
-                member.user = u;
+                member.user = u.clone();
             }
         }
 
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ impl CacheUpdate for GuildMemberAddEvent {
         let user_id = self.member.user.id;
         cache.update_user_entry(&self.member.user);
         if let Some(u) = cache.user(user_id) {
-            self.member.user = u;
+            self.member.user = u.clone();
         }
 
         if let Some(mut guild) = cache.guilds.get_mut(&self.member.guild_id) {
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ impl CacheUpdate for PresenceUpdateEvent {
         }
 
         if let Some(user) = cache.user(self.presence.user.id) {
-            self.presence.user.update_with_user(user);
+            self.presence.user.update_with_user(&user);
         }
 
         if let Some(guild_id) = self.presence.guild_id {
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ impl CacheUpdate for ReadyEvent {
                 cache.update_user_entry(&user);
             }
             if let Some(user) = cache.user(user_id) {
-                presence.user.update_with_user(user);
+                presence.user.update_with_user(&user);
             }
 
             cache.presences.insert(*user_id, presence.clone());
diff --git a/src/cache/mod.rs b/src/cache/mod.rs
index eb014751955..f96eada412a 100644
--- a/src/cache/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cache/mod.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ use std::collections::{HashMap, VecDeque};
 use std::hash::Hash;
 use std::str::FromStr;
 #[cfg(feature = "temp_cache")]
+use std::sync::Arc;
+#[cfg(feature = "temp_cache")]
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 use dashmap::mapref::entry::Entry;
@@ -57,6 +59,8 @@ type MessageCache = DashMap<ChannelId, HashMap<MessageId, Message>>;
 struct NotSend;
 
 enum CacheRefInner<'a, K, V> {
+    #[cfg(feature = "temp_cache")]
+    Arc(Arc<V>),
     DashRef(Ref<'a, K, V>),
     ReadGuard(parking_lot::RwLockReadGuard<'a, V>),
 }
@@ -74,6 +78,11 @@ impl<'a, K, V> CacheRef<'a, K, V> {
         }
     }
 
+    #[cfg(feature = "temp_cache")]
+    fn from_arc(inner: Arc<V>) -> Self {
+        Self::new(CacheRefInner::Arc(inner))
+    }
+
     fn from_ref(inner: Ref<'a, K, V>) -> Self {
         Self::new(CacheRefInner::DashRef(inner))
     }
@@ -88,12 +97,15 @@ impl<K: Eq + Hash, V> std::ops::Deref for CacheRef<'_, K, V> {
 
     fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
         match &self.inner {
+            #[cfg(feature = "temp_cache")]
+            CacheRefInner::Arc(inner) => &*inner,
             CacheRefInner::DashRef(inner) => inner.value(),
             CacheRefInner::ReadGuard(inner) => &*inner,
         }
     }
 }
 
+pub type UserRef<'a> = CacheRef<'a, UserId, User>;
 pub type GuildRef<'a> = CacheRef<'a, GuildId, Guild>;
 pub type CurrentUserRef<'a> = CacheRef<'a, (), CurrentUser>;
 pub type GuildChannelRef<'a> = CacheRef<'a, ChannelId, GuildChannel>;
@@ -215,7 +227,7 @@ pub struct Cache {
     ///
     /// Each value has a max TTL of 1 hour.
     #[cfg(feature = "temp_cache")]
-    pub(crate) temp_users: DashCache<UserId, User>,
+    pub(crate) temp_users: DashCache<UserId, Arc<User>>,
     /// The settings for the cache.
     settings: RwLock<Settings>,
 }
@@ -836,22 +848,22 @@ impl Cache {
     /// # }
     /// ```
     #[inline]
-    pub fn user<U: Into<UserId>>(&self, user_id: U) -> Option<User> {
+    pub fn user<U: Into<UserId>>(&self, user_id: U) -> Option<UserRef<'_>> {
         self._user(user_id.into())
     }
 
     #[cfg(feature = "temp_cache")]
-    fn _user(&self, user_id: UserId) -> Option<User> {
+    fn _user(&self, user_id: UserId) -> Option<UserRef<'_>> {
         if let Some(user) = self.users.get(&user_id) {
-            Some(user.clone())
+            Some(CacheRef::from_ref(user))
         } else {
-            self.temp_users.get(&user_id)
+            self.temp_users.get(&user_id).map(CacheRef::from_arc)
         }
     }
 
     #[cfg(not(feature = "temp_cache"))]
-    fn _user(&self, user_id: UserId) -> Option<User> {
-        self.users.get(&user_id).map(|u| u.clone())
+    fn _user(&self, user_id: UserId) -> Option<UserRef<'_>> {
+        self.users.get(&user_id).map(CacheRef::from_ref)
     }
 
     /// Clones all users and returns them.
diff --git a/src/model/gateway.rs b/src/model/gateway.rs
index f1371ca34a4..c7c9bfd2105 100644
--- a/src/model/gateway.rs
+++ b/src/model/gateway.rs
@@ -466,14 +466,14 @@ impl PresenceUser {
     }
 
     #[cfg(feature = "cache")] // method is only used with the cache feature enabled
-    pub(crate) fn update_with_user(&mut self, user: User) {
+    pub(crate) fn update_with_user(&mut self, user: &User) {
         self.id = user.id;
-        if let Some(avatar) = user.avatar {
-            self.avatar = Some(avatar);
+        if let Some(avatar) = &user.avatar {
+            self.avatar = Some(avatar.clone());
         }
         self.bot = Some(user.bot);
         self.discriminator = Some(user.discriminator);
-        self.name = Some(user.name);
+        self.name = Some(user.name.clone());
         if let Some(public_flags) = user.public_flags {
             self.public_flags = Some(public_flags);
         }
diff --git a/src/model/user.rs b/src/model/user.rs
index 795f0449659..e3fb3052415 100644
--- a/src/model/user.rs
+++ b/src/model/user.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 use std::fmt;
 #[cfg(feature = "model")]
 use std::fmt::Write;
+#[cfg(feature = "temp_cache")]
+use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
@@ -10,7 +12,7 @@ use super::prelude::*;
 #[cfg(feature = "model")]
 use crate::builder::{CreateBotAuthParameters, CreateMessage, EditProfile};
 #[cfg(all(feature = "cache", feature = "model"))]
-use crate::cache::Cache;
+use crate::cache::{Cache, UserRef};
 #[cfg(feature = "collector")]
 use crate::client::bridge::gateway::ShardMessenger;
 #[cfg(feature = "collector")]
@@ -1106,7 +1108,7 @@ impl UserId {
     #[cfg(feature = "cache")]
     #[allow(clippy::unused_async)]
     #[inline]
-    pub async fn to_user_cached(self, cache: impl AsRef<Cache>) -> Option<User> {
+    pub async fn to_user_cached(self, cache: &impl AsRef<Cache>) -> Option<UserRef<'_>> {
         cache.as_ref().user(self)
     }
 
@@ -1131,7 +1133,7 @@ impl UserId {
         {
             if let Some(cache) = cache_http.cache() {
                 if let Some(user) = cache.user(self) {
-                    return Ok(user);
+                    return Ok(user.clone());
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -1141,7 +1143,7 @@ impl UserId {
         #[cfg(all(feature = "cache", feature = "temp_cache"))]
         {
             if let Some(cache) = cache_http.cache() {
-                cache.temp_users.insert(user.id, user.clone());
+                cache.temp_users.insert(user.id, Arc::new(user.clone()));
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/utils/content_safe.rs b/src/utils/content_safe.rs
index 79ddb3e9233..b1a227cc1f5 100644
--- a/src/utils/content_safe.rs
+++ b/src/utils/content_safe.rs
@@ -256,10 +256,10 @@ fn clean_mention(
                 }
                 .into()
             };
+
             cache
                 .user(id)
-                .as_ref()
-                .map(get_username)
+                .map(|u| get_username(&u))
                 .or_else(|| users.iter().find(|u| u.id == id).map(get_username))
                 .unwrap_or(Cow::Borrowed("@invalid-user"))
         },