diff --git a/control/trust.go b/control/trust.go
index b16e49c05f..cff947de3d 100644
--- a/control/trust.go
+++ b/control/trust.go
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func newCachingSignerGen(
 
 	gen := trust.SignerGen{
 		IA: ia,
-		DB: cstrust.CryptoLoader{
+		DB: &cstrust.CryptoLoader{
 			Dir:     filepath.Join(cfgDir, "crypto/as"),
 			TRCDirs: []string{filepath.Join(cfgDir, "certs")},
 			DB:      db,
diff --git a/control/trust/crypto_loader.go b/control/trust/crypto_loader.go
index 238e69b30e..1081499468 100644
--- a/control/trust/crypto_loader.go
+++ b/control/trust/crypto_loader.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"errors"
+	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/scionproto/scion/pkg/log"
 	"github.com/scionproto/scion/pkg/private/serrors"
@@ -33,9 +34,13 @@ type CryptoLoader struct {
 	Dir string
 	// TRCDirs are optional directories from which TRCs are loaded.
 	TRCDirs []string
+
+	trcLoaders        map[string]*trust.TRCLoader
+	trcLoadersInitMtx sync.Mutex
 }
 
-func (l CryptoLoader) SignedTRC(ctx context.Context, id cppki.TRCID) (cppki.SignedTRC, error) {
+func (l *CryptoLoader) SignedTRC(ctx context.Context, id cppki.TRCID) (cppki.SignedTRC, error) {
+	l.initTRCLoaders()
 	if err := l.loadTRCs(ctx); err != nil {
 		log.FromCtx(ctx).Info("Failed to load TRCs from disk, continuing", "err", err)
 	}
@@ -44,7 +49,7 @@ func (l CryptoLoader) SignedTRC(ctx context.Context, id cppki.TRCID) (cppki.Sign
 
 // Chains loads chains from disk, stores them to DB, and returns the result from
 // DB. The fallback mode is always the result of the DB.
-func (l CryptoLoader) Chains(ctx context.Context,
+func (l *CryptoLoader) Chains(ctx context.Context,
 	query trust.ChainQuery) ([][]*x509.Certificate, error) {
 
 	r, err := trust.LoadChains(ctx, l.Dir, l.DB)
@@ -70,7 +75,24 @@ func (l CryptoLoader) Chains(ctx context.Context,
 	return l.DB.Chains(ctx, query)
 }
 
-func (l CryptoLoader) loadTRCs(ctx context.Context) error {
+func (l *CryptoLoader) initTRCLoaders() {
+	l.trcLoadersInitMtx.Lock()
+	defer l.trcLoadersInitMtx.Unlock()
+	if l.trcLoaders != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	l.trcLoaders = make(map[string]*trust.TRCLoader, len(l.TRCDirs)+1)
+	for _, dir := range append([]string{l.Dir}, l.TRCDirs...) {
+		if _, ok := l.trcLoaders[dir]; !ok {
+			l.trcLoaders[dir] = &trust.TRCLoader{
+				DB:  l.DB,
+				Dir: dir,
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (l *CryptoLoader) loadTRCs(ctx context.Context) error {
 	var errs serrors.List
 	for _, dir := range append([]string{l.Dir}, l.TRCDirs...) {
 		if err := l.loadTRCsFromDir(ctx, dir); err != nil {
@@ -80,8 +102,8 @@ func (l CryptoLoader) loadTRCs(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return errs.ToError()
 }
 
-func (l CryptoLoader) loadTRCsFromDir(ctx context.Context, dir string) error {
-	r, err := trust.LoadTRCs(ctx, dir, l.DB)
+func (l *CryptoLoader) loadTRCsFromDir(ctx context.Context, dir string) error {
+	r, err := l.trcLoaders[dir].Load(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/daemon/cmd/daemon/main.go b/daemon/cmd/daemon/main.go
index 5faf0c9bc2..32fd124427 100644
--- a/daemon/cmd/daemon/main.go
+++ b/daemon/cmd/daemon/main.go
@@ -159,10 +159,13 @@ func realMain(ctx context.Context) error {
 		CacheHits:          metrics.NewPromCounter(trustmetrics.CacheHitsTotal),
 		MaxCacheExpiration: globalCfg.TrustEngine.Cache.Expiration.Duration,
 	}
-	trcLoader := periodic.Start(periodic.Func{
+	trcLoader := trust.TRCLoader{
+		Dir: filepath.Join(globalCfg.General.ConfigDir, "certs"),
+		DB:  trustDB,
+	}
+	trcLoaderTask := periodic.Start(periodic.Func{
 		Task: func(ctx context.Context) {
-			trcDirs := filepath.Join(globalCfg.General.ConfigDir, "certs")
-			res, err := trust.LoadTRCs(ctx, trcDirs, trustDB)
+			res, err := trcLoader.Load(ctx)
 			if err != nil {
 				log.SafeInfo(log.FromCtx(ctx), "TRC loading failed", "err", err)
 			}
@@ -172,7 +175,7 @@ func realMain(ctx context.Context) error {
 		},
 		TaskName: "daemon_trc_loader",
 	}, 10*time.Second, 10*time.Second)
-	defer trcLoader.Stop()
+	defer trcLoaderTask.Stop()
 
 	var drkeyClientEngine *sd_drkey.ClientEngine
 	if globalCfg.DRKeyLevel2DB.Connection != "" {
diff --git a/private/trust/store.go b/private/trust/store.go
index 1eaea6f017..76815cb656 100644
--- a/private/trust/store.go
+++ b/private/trust/store.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/scionproto/scion/pkg/private/serrors"
@@ -112,9 +113,22 @@ func LoadChains(ctx context.Context, dir string, db DB) (LoadResult, error) {
 }
 
 // LoadTRCs loads all *.trc located in a directory in the database. This
-// function exits on the first encountered error. TRCs with a not before time
-// in the future are ignored.
+// function exits on the first encountered error. TRCs with a not before time in
+// the future are ignored.
+//
+// This function is not recommended for repeated use as it will read all TRC
+// files in a directory on every invocation. Consider using a TRCLoader if you
+// want to monitor a directory for new TRCs.
 func LoadTRCs(ctx context.Context, dir string, db DB) (LoadResult, error) {
+	return loadTRCs(ctx, dir, db, nil)
+}
+
+func loadTRCs(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	dir string,
+	db DB,
+	ignoreFiles map[string]struct{},
+) (LoadResult, error) {
 	if _, err := os.Stat(dir); err != nil {
 		return LoadResult{}, serrors.WrapNoStack("stating directory", err, "dir", dir)
 	}
@@ -127,6 +141,10 @@ func LoadTRCs(ctx context.Context, dir string, db DB) (LoadResult, error) {
 	res := LoadResult{Ignored: map[string]error{}}
 	// TODO(roosd): should probably be a transaction.
 	for _, f := range files {
+		// ignore as per request of the caller
+		if _, ok := ignoreFiles[f]; ok {
+			continue
+		}
 		raw, err := os.ReadFile(f)
 		if err != nil {
 			return res, serrors.WrapNoStack("reading TRC", err, "file", f)
@@ -148,10 +166,41 @@ func LoadTRCs(ctx context.Context, dir string, db DB) (LoadResult, error) {
 			return res, serrors.WrapNoStack("adding TRC to DB", err, "file", f)
 		}
 		if !inserted {
-			res.Ignored[f] = serrors.JoinNoStack(ErrAlreadyExists, err)
+			res.Ignored[f] = ErrAlreadyExists
 			continue
 		}
 		res.Loaded = append(res.Loaded, f)
 	}
 	return res, nil
 }
+
+// TRCLoader loads TRCs from a directory and stores them in the database. It
+// tracks files that it has already loaded and does not load them again.
+type TRCLoader struct {
+	Dir string
+	DB  DB
+
+	seen map[string]struct{}
+	mtx  sync.Mutex
+}
+
+// Load loads all TRCs from the directory into database. Files that have been
+// loaded by a previous Load invocation are silently ignored.
+func (l *TRCLoader) Load(ctx context.Context) (LoadResult, error) {
+	l.mtx.Lock()
+	defer l.mtx.Unlock()
+	if l.seen == nil {
+		l.seen = make(map[string]struct{})
+	}
+
+	result, err := loadTRCs(ctx, l.Dir, l.DB, l.seen)
+	for _, f := range result.Loaded {
+		l.seen[f] = struct{}{}
+	}
+	for f, err := range result.Ignored {
+		if errors.Is(err, ErrAlreadyExists) {
+			l.seen[f] = struct{}{}
+		}
+	}
+	return result, err
+}
diff --git a/private/trust/store_test.go b/private/trust/store_test.go
index b5c040342a..642b07bde7 100644
--- a/private/trust/store_test.go
+++ b/private/trust/store_test.go
@@ -317,3 +317,45 @@ func TestLoadTRCs(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestTRCLoaderLoad(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := genCrypto(t)
+
+	testCases := map[string]struct {
+		inputDir string
+		setupDB  func(ctrl *gomock.Controller) trust.DB
+		test     func(t *testing.T, loader *trust.TRCLoader)
+	}{
+		"repeated load": {
+			inputDir: filepath.Join(dir, "ISD1/trcs"),
+			setupDB: func(ctrl *gomock.Controller) trust.DB {
+				db := mock_trust.NewMockDB(ctrl)
+				db.EXPECT().InsertTRC(gomock.Any(), gomock.Any()).Times(2).Return(
+					true, nil,
+				)
+				return db
+			},
+			test: func(t *testing.T, loader *trust.TRCLoader) {
+				res, err := loader.Load(context.Background())
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				assert.Len(t, res.Loaded, 2)
+				res, err = loader.Load(context.Background())
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				assert.Len(t, res.Loaded, 0)
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	for name, tc := range testCases {
+		name, tc := name, tc
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			ctrl := gomock.NewController(t)
+			db := tc.setupDB(ctrl)
+			loader := &trust.TRCLoader{
+				DB:  db,
+				Dir: tc.inputDir,
+			}
+			tc.test(t, loader)
+		})
+	}
+}