diff --git a/client-js.php b/client-js.php
index 213d200..274ffc2 100644
--- a/client-js.php
+++ b/client-js.php
@@ -13,31 +13,50 @@ function json_api_client_js() {
 		wp_register_script( 'wp-api', $src, array( 'jquery', 'underscore', 'backbone' ), '1.0', true );
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @var \WP_REST_Server $wp_rest_server
-	 */
-	global $wp_rest_server;
-	if ( empty( $wp_rest_server ) ) {
-		/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/rest-api.php */
-		$wp_rest_server_class = apply_filters( 'wp_rest_server_class', 'WP_REST_Server' );
-		$wp_rest_server = new $wp_rest_server_class();
-
-		/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/rest-api.php */
-		do_action( 'rest_api_init', $wp_rest_server );
+
+	$client_has_schema = false;
+	if ( false !== ( $schema_hash = get_transient( 'api-schema-hash-cache' ) ) ) {
+		if ( isset( $_COOKIE['api-schema-hash'] ) && $schema_hash == $_COOKIE['api-schema-hash'] ) {
+			$client_has_schema = true;
+		}
 	}
 
-	$schema_request = new WP_REST_Request( 'GET', '/wp/v2' );
-	$schema_response = $wp_rest_server->dispatch( $schema_request );
 	$schema = null;
-	if ( ! $schema_response->is_error() ) {
-		$schema = $schema_response->get_data();
+
+	if ( ! $client_has_schema ) {
+
+		/**
+		 * @var \WP_REST_Server $wp_rest_server
+		 */
+		global $wp_rest_server;
+		if ( empty( $wp_rest_server ) ) {
+			/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/rest-api.php */
+			$wp_rest_server_class = apply_filters( 'wp_rest_server_class', 'WP_REST_Server' );
+			$wp_rest_server = new $wp_rest_server_class();
+
+			/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/rest-api.php */
+			do_action( 'rest_api_init', $wp_rest_server );
+		}
+
+		$schema_request = new WP_REST_Request( 'GET', '/wp/v2' );
+		$schema_response = $wp_rest_server->dispatch( $schema_request );
+
+		// Check to see if the request contains a schema hash cookie matching the cached hash.
+		if ( ! $schema_response->is_error() ) {
+			$schema = $schema_response->get_data();
+		}
+		$schema_hash = md5( json_encode( $schema ) );
+
+		// Cache the schema hash for up to an hour.
+		set_transient( 'api-schema-hash-cache', $schema_hash, 60 * MINUTE_IN_SECONDS );
 	}
 
 	$settings = array(
-		'root' => esc_url_raw( get_rest_url() ),
-		'nonce' => wp_create_nonce( 'wp_rest' ),
+		'root'          => esc_url_raw( get_rest_url() ),
+		'nonce'         => wp_create_nonce( 'wp_rest' ),
 		'versionString' => 'wp/v2/',
-		'schema' => $schema,
+		'schema'        => $schema,
+		'schemaHash'    => $schema_hash,
 	);
 	wp_localize_script( 'wp-api', 'wpApiSettings', $settings );
 
diff --git a/js/load.js b/js/load.js
index 298648c..7b75788 100644
--- a/js/load.js
+++ b/js/load.js
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@
 
 				// Use schema supplied as model attribute.
 				model.schemaModel.set( model.schemaModel.parse( model.get( 'schema' ) ) );
+
+				// Store a copy of the schema model in the session cache if available.
+				if ( ! _.isUndefined( sessionStorage ) ) {
+					sessionStorage.setItem( 'wp-api-schema-model' + model.get( 'apiRoot' ) + model.get( 'versionString' ), JSON.stringify(  model.schemaModel ) );
+					document.cookie = 'api-schema-hash=' + wpApiSettings.schemaHash;
+				}
+
 			} else if ( ! _.isUndefined( sessionStorage ) && sessionStorage.getItem( 'wp-api-schema-model' + model.get( 'apiRoot' ) + model.get( 'versionString' ) ) ) {
 
 				// Used a cached copy of the schema model if available.
@@ -358,7 +365,7 @@
 				 * @return {Object} user A backbone model representing the author user.
 				 */
 				getAuthorUser: function() {
-					var user, authorId, embeddeds, attributes,
+					var user, authorId, embeddeds, attributes;
 
 					authorId  = this.get( 'author' );
 					embeddeds = this.get( '_embedded' ) || {};
@@ -474,7 +481,7 @@
 		 * @todo required arguments
 		 */
 		_.each( modelInstance.defaults, function( theDefault, index ) {
-			if ( _.isUndefined( theDefault['default'] ) ) {
+			if ( null === theDefault || _.isUndefined( theDefault['default'] ) ) {
 				modelInstance.defaults[ index ] = null;
 			} else {
 				modelInstance.defaults[ index ] = theDefault['default'];