diff --git a/litellm/proxy/auth/auth_checks.py b/litellm/proxy/auth/auth_checks.py
index d95b7bd03d6a..81f34bd9cde1 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/auth/auth_checks.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/auth/auth_checks.py
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 
 from .auth_checks_organization import organization_role_based_access_check
 from .auth_utils import get_model_from_request
+from functools import lru_cache
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from opentelemetry.trace import Span as _Span
@@ -1829,8 +1830,7 @@ def is_model_allowed_by_pattern(model: str, allowed_model_pattern: str) -> bool:
         bool: True if model matches the pattern, False otherwise
     """
     if "*" in allowed_model_pattern:
-        pattern = f"^{allowed_model_pattern.replace('*', '.*')}$"
-        return bool(re.match(pattern, model))
+        return bool(_compile_pattern(allowed_model_pattern).match(model))
 
     return False
 
@@ -1846,24 +1846,17 @@ def _model_matches_any_wildcard_pattern_in_list(
     - model=`bedrock/us.amazon.nova-micro-v1:0`, allowed_models=`bedrock/us.*` returns True
     - model=`bedrockzzzz/us.amazon.nova-micro-v1:0`, allowed_models=`bedrock/*` returns False
     """
+    # Split out patterns to test only wildcard ones per spec.
+    for allowed_model_pattern in allowed_model_list:
+        if _is_wildcard_pattern(allowed_model_pattern) and is_model_allowed_by_pattern(model, allowed_model_pattern):
+            return True
 
-    if any(
-        _is_wildcard_pattern(allowed_model_pattern)
-        and is_model_allowed_by_pattern(
+    for allowed_model_pattern in allowed_model_list:
+        if _is_wildcard_pattern(allowed_model_pattern) and _model_custom_llm_provider_matches_wildcard_pattern(
             model=model, allowed_model_pattern=allowed_model_pattern
-        )
-        for allowed_model_pattern in allowed_model_list
-    ):
-        return True
+        ):
+            return True
 
-    if any(
-        _is_wildcard_pattern(allowed_model_pattern)
-        and _model_custom_llm_provider_matches_wildcard_pattern(
-            model=model, allowed_model_pattern=allowed_model_pattern
-        )
-        for allowed_model_pattern in allowed_model_list
-    ):
-        return True
 
     return False
 
@@ -1999,3 +1992,12 @@ def _can_object_call_vector_stores(
             )
 
     return True
+
+
+@lru_cache(maxsize=8192)
+def _compile_pattern(allowed_model_pattern: str) -> re.Pattern:
+    """
+    Cache compiled regex patterns for allowed model patterns containing wildcards.
+    """
+    pattern = f"^{allowed_model_pattern.replace('*', '.*')}$"
+    return re.compile(pattern)