diff --git a/dist/esm/index.mjs b/dist/esm/index.mjs
index 67004332b2bd4d8ce97a6e2c04f64a810597a95a..6219a52e26932c9b9f698eeb2491281175660b16 100644
--- a/dist/esm/index.mjs
+++ b/dist/esm/index.mjs
@@ -8,18 +8,35 @@ import { abortablePromiseFn } from './internal-utils/abortablePromiseFn.mjs';
 import { createGetChainSpec } from './chainspec.mjs';
 export { AbortError } from '@polkadot-api/utils';
 
+const clientCache = /* @__PURE__ */ new Map();
 const createClient = (provider) => {
+  const cached = clientCache.get(provider);
+  if (cached) {
+    cached.refCount++;
+    return cached.client;
+  }
   const { request, disconnect } = createClient$1(provider);
-  return {
+  const destroy = () => {
+    const cached2 = clientCache.get(provider);
+    if (!cached2 || cached2.refCount <= 1) {
+      clientCache.delete(provider);
+      disconnect();
+    } else {
+      cached2.refCount--;
+    }
+  };
+  const client = {
     chainHead: getChainHead(request),
     transaction: getTransaction(request),
     getChainSpecData: createGetChainSpec(request),
-    destroy: disconnect,
+    destroy,
     request: abortablePromiseFn(
       (onSuccess, onError, method, params) => request(method, params, { onSuccess, onError })
     ),
     _request: request
   };
+  clientCache.set(provider, { client, refCount: 1 });
+  return client;
 };
 
 export { createClient };