diff --git a/change_log.txt b/change_log.txt
index 493ea103..0d10d4cd 100644
--- a/change_log.txt
+++ b/change_log.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  14.10.2014
  - bugfix any tag placed within "<script language=php>" will throw a security exception to close all thinkable holes
  - bugfix classmap in root composer.json should start at "libs/..."
+ - improvement cache is_file(file_exists) results of loadPlugin() to avoid unnecessary calls during compilation (Issue 201}
 
  12.10.2014
  - bugfix a comment like "<script{*foo*} language=php>" bypassed $php_handling checking (Thue Kristensen)
diff --git a/libs/Smarty.class.php b/libs/Smarty.class.php
index 4c0d6da8..00aaaa00 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty.class.php
@@ -662,6 +662,14 @@ class Smarty extends Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase
      * @var array
      */
     public $merged_templates_func = array();
+
+    /**
+     * Cache of is_file results of loadPlugin()
+     * 
+     * @var array
+     */
+    public static $_is_file_cache= array();
+
     /**#@-*/
 
     /**
@@ -1372,9 +1380,8 @@ class Smarty extends Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase
         // if type is "internal", get plugin from sysplugins
         if (strtolower($_name_parts[1]) == 'internal') {
             $file = SMARTY_SYSPLUGINS_DIR . strtolower($plugin_name) . '.php';
-            if (file_exists($file)) {
+            if (isset(self::$_is_file_cache[$file]) ? self::$_is_file_cache[$file] : self::$_is_file_cache[$file] = is_file($file)) {
                 require_once($file);
-
                 return $file;
             } else {
                 return false;
@@ -1392,9 +1399,8 @@ class Smarty extends Smarty_Internal_TemplateBase
                 $_plugin_dir . strtolower($_plugin_filename),
             );
             foreach ($names as $file) {
-                if (file_exists($file)) {
+                if (isset(self::$_is_file_cache[$file]) ? self::$_is_file_cache[$file] : self::$_is_file_cache[$file] = is_file($file)) {
                     require_once($file);
-
                     return $file;
                 }
                 if ($this->use_include_path && !preg_match('/^([\/\\\\]|[a-zA-Z]:[\/\\\\])/', $_plugin_dir)) {