diff --git a/rlp/decode.go b/rlp/decode.go
index 976780971..e4262b64d 100644
--- a/rlp/decode.go
+++ b/rlp/decode.go
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func makeListDecoder(typ reflect.Type, tag tags) (decoder, error) {
 		}
 		return decodeByteSlice, nil
 	}
-	etypeinfo := cachedTypeInfo1(etype, tags{})
+	etypeinfo := theTC.infoWhileGenerating(etype, tags{})
 	if etypeinfo.decoderErr != nil {
 		return nil, etypeinfo.decoderErr
 	}
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ func zeroFields(structval reflect.Value, fields []field) {
 // makePtrDecoder creates a decoder that decodes into the pointer's element type.
 func makePtrDecoder(typ reflect.Type, tag tags) (decoder, error) {
 	etype := typ.Elem()
-	etypeinfo := cachedTypeInfo1(etype, tags{})
+	etypeinfo := theTC.infoWhileGenerating(etype, tags{})
 	switch {
 	case etypeinfo.decoderErr != nil:
 		return nil, etypeinfo.decoderErr
diff --git a/rlp/encode.go b/rlp/encode.go
index b7e74a133..2e1b0102c 100644
--- a/rlp/encode.go
+++ b/rlp/encode.go
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ func writeInterface(val reflect.Value, w *encbuf) error {
 }
 
 func makeSliceWriter(typ reflect.Type, ts tags) (writer, error) {
-	etypeinfo := cachedTypeInfo1(typ.Elem(), tags{})
+	etypeinfo := theTC.infoWhileGenerating(typ.Elem(), tags{})
 	if etypeinfo.writerErr != nil {
 		return nil, etypeinfo.writerErr
 	}
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ func makeStructWriter(typ reflect.Type) (writer, error) {
 }
 
 func makePtrWriter(typ reflect.Type, ts tags) (writer, error) {
-	etypeinfo := cachedTypeInfo1(typ.Elem(), tags{})
+	etypeinfo := theTC.infoWhileGenerating(typ.Elem(), tags{})
 	if etypeinfo.writerErr != nil {
 		return nil, etypeinfo.writerErr
 	}
diff --git a/rlp/encode_test.go b/rlp/encode_test.go
index 74e8ededc..0177bb035 100644
--- a/rlp/encode_test.go
+++ b/rlp/encode_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"math/big"
+	"runtime"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -480,3 +481,35 @@ func BenchmarkEncodeBigInts(b *testing.B) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func BenchmarkEncodeConcurrentInterface(b *testing.B) {
+	type struct1 struct {
+		A string
+		B *big.Int
+		C [20]byte
+	}
+	value := []interface{}{
+		uint(999),
+		&struct1{A: "hello", B: big.NewInt(0xFFFFFFFF)},
+		[10]byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6},
+		[]string{"yeah", "yeah", "yeah"},
+	}
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for cpu := 0; cpu < runtime.NumCPU(); cpu++ {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+
+			var buffer bytes.Buffer
+			for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+				buffer.Reset()
+				err := Encode(&buffer, value)
+				if err != nil {
+					panic(err)
+				}
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+}
diff --git a/rlp/typecache.go b/rlp/typecache.go
index 3910dcf08..62553d3b5 100644
--- a/rlp/typecache.go
+++ b/rlp/typecache.go
@@ -21,13 +21,10 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 )
 
-var (
-	typeCacheMutex sync.RWMutex
-	typeCache      = make(map[typekey]*typeinfo)
-)
-
+// typeinfo is an entry in the type cache.
 type typeinfo struct {
 	decoder    decoder
 	decoderErr error // error from makeDecoder
@@ -65,41 +62,76 @@ type decoder func(*Stream, reflect.Value) error
 
 type writer func(reflect.Value, *encbuf) error
 
+var theTC = newTypeCache()
+
+type typeCache struct {
+	cur atomic.Value
+
+	// This lock synchronizes writers.
+	mu   sync.Mutex
+	next map[typekey]*typeinfo
+}
+
+func newTypeCache() *typeCache {
+	c := new(typeCache)
+	c.cur.Store(make(map[typekey]*typeinfo))
+	return c
+}
+
 func cachedDecoder(typ reflect.Type) (decoder, error) {
-	info := cachedTypeInfo(typ, tags{})
+	info := theTC.info(typ)
 	return info.decoder, info.decoderErr
 }
 
 func cachedWriter(typ reflect.Type) (writer, error) {
-	info := cachedTypeInfo(typ, tags{})
+	info := theTC.info(typ)
 	return info.writer, info.writerErr
 }
 
-func cachedTypeInfo(typ reflect.Type, tags tags) *typeinfo {
-	typeCacheMutex.RLock()
-	info := typeCache[typekey{typ, tags}]
-	typeCacheMutex.RUnlock()
-	if info != nil {
+func (c *typeCache) info(typ reflect.Type) *typeinfo {
+	key := typekey{Type: typ}
+	if info := c.cur.Load().(map[typekey]*typeinfo)[key]; info != nil {
 		return info
 	}
-	// not in the cache, need to generate info for this type.
-	typeCacheMutex.Lock()
-	defer typeCacheMutex.Unlock()
-	return cachedTypeInfo1(typ, tags)
+
+	// Not in the cache, need to generate info for this type.
+	return c.generate(typ, tags{})
+}
+
+func (c *typeCache) generate(typ reflect.Type, tags tags) *typeinfo {
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	defer c.mu.Unlock()
+
+	cur := c.cur.Load().(map[typekey]*typeinfo)
+	if info := cur[typekey{typ, tags}]; info != nil {
+		return info
+	}
+
+	// Copy cur to next.
+	c.next = make(map[typekey]*typeinfo, len(cur)+1)
+	for k, v := range cur {
+		c.next[k] = v
+	}
+
+	// Generate.
+	info := c.infoWhileGenerating(typ, tags)
+
+	// next -> cur
+	c.cur.Store(c.next)
+	c.next = nil
+	return info
 }
 
-func cachedTypeInfo1(typ reflect.Type, tags tags) *typeinfo {
+func (c *typeCache) infoWhileGenerating(typ reflect.Type, tags tags) *typeinfo {
 	key := typekey{typ, tags}
-	info := typeCache[key]
-	if info != nil {
-		// another goroutine got the write lock first
+	if info := c.next[key]; info != nil {
 		return info
 	}
-	// put a dummy value into the cache before generating.
-	// if the generator tries to lookup itself, it will get
+	// Put a dummy value into the cache before generating.
+	// If the generator tries to lookup itself, it will get
 	// the dummy value and won't call itself recursively.
-	info = new(typeinfo)
-	typeCache[key] = info
+	info := new(typeinfo)
+	c.next[key] = info
 	info.generate(typ, tags)
 	return info
 }
@@ -133,7 +165,7 @@ func structFields(typ reflect.Type) (fields []field, err error) {
 			} else if anyOptional {
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf(`rlp: struct field %v.%s needs "optional" tag`, typ, f.Name)
 			}
-			info := cachedTypeInfo1(f.Type, tags)
+			info := theTC.infoWhileGenerating(f.Type, tags)
 			fields = append(fields, field{i, info, tags.optional})
 		}
 	}