diff --git a/src/backend.rs b/src/backend.rs
index eacdf6c..c270b27 100644
--- a/src/backend.rs
+++ b/src/backend.rs
@@ -5,18 +5,19 @@ use crate::{
 use codex_api::{
     ApiError, Compression, ReqwestTransport, ResponsesApiRequest, ResponsesClient, ResponsesOptions,
 };
-use codex_http_client::{ClientRouteClass, HttpClientFactory};
+use codex_http_client::{ClientRouteClass, HttpClient, HttpClientFactory};
 use codex_login::{AuthManager, default_client::create_client_for_route};
 use codex_model_provider::SharedModelProvider;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::SessionSource;
 use futures::StreamExt;
-use std::sync::{Arc, OnceLock};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, OnceLock};
 use tokio::sync::{mpsc, oneshot};
 
 pub struct Backend {
     pub provider: SharedModelProvider,
     pub auth: Arc<AuthManager>,
     pub factory: HttpClientFactory,
+    pub responses_http: Mutex<Option<(String, HttpClient)>>,
     pub chatgpt_base_url: String,
     pub platform_base_url: String,
     pub auth_base_url: String,
@@ -339,13 +340,26 @@ impl Backend {
             if *auth_changes.borrow() != revision {
                 continue;
             }
-            let http = create_client_for_route(
-                &self.factory,
-                &resolved.url_for_path("/responses"),
-                ClientRouteClass::Api,
-                codex_login::default_client::ClientRedirectPolicy::Default,
-            )
-            .map_err(GatewayError::internal)?;
+            let url = resolved.url_for_path("/responses");
+            let http = {
+                let mut cached = self
+                    .responses_http
+                    .lock()
+                    .map_err(|_| GatewayError::internal("responses HTTP client lock poisoned"))?;
+                if let Some((_, http)) = cached.as_ref().filter(|(u, _)| u == &url) {
+                    http.clone()
+                } else {
+                    let http = create_client_for_route(
+                        &self.factory,
+                        &url,
+                        ClientRouteClass::Api,
+                        codex_login::default_client::ClientRedirectPolicy::Default,
+                    )
+                    .map_err(GatewayError::internal)?;
+                    *cached = Some((url, http.clone()));
+                    http
+                }
+            };
             let (sender, receiver) = mpsc::channel(8);
             let response_headers = Arc::new(OnceLock::new());
             let transport = TapTransport {
diff --git a/src/settings.rs b/src/settings.rs
index 9c9a6ab..61be429 100644
--- a/src/settings.rs
+++ b/src/settings.rs
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ async fn load_backend_inner(codex_home: PathBuf, device_login: bool) -> anyhow::
         provider,
         auth,
         factory,
+        responses_http: Default::default(),
         chatgpt_base_url,
         platform_base_url: "https://api.openai.com/v1".into(),
         auth_base_url: "https://auth.openai.com".into(),
diff --git a/tests/catalog.rs b/tests/catalog.rs
index e50623a..a1b808d 100644
--- a/tests/catalog.rs
+++ b/tests/catalog.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ async fn backend(app: Router) -> (Backend, tokio::task::JoinHandle<()>) {
             ),
             auth,
             factory: HttpClientFactory::new(OutboundProxyPolicy::ReqwestDefault),
+            responses_http: Default::default(),
             chatgpt_base_url: url.clone(),
             platform_base_url: url.clone(),
             auth_base_url: url,
diff --git a/tests/gateway.rs b/tests/gateway.rs
index 7ba381f..eac9be0 100644
--- a/tests/gateway.rs
+++ b/tests/gateway.rs
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ impl Harness {
             ),
             auth,
             factory: HttpClientFactory::new(OutboundProxyPolicy::ReqwestDefault),
+            responses_http: Default::default(),
             chatgpt_base_url: upstream_url.clone(),
             platform_base_url: upstream_url.clone(),
             auth_base_url: upstream_url.clone(),
@@ -378,6 +379,32 @@ fn parse_sse(text: &str) -> Vec<Value> {
         .collect()
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn responses_reuse_upstream_connection() {
+    let expected = events();
+    let h = Harness::new(
+        expected.clone(),
+        StatusCode::OK,
+        false,
+        Duration::from_secs(5),
+    )
+    .await;
+    let client = reqwest::Client::new();
+    for path in ["/v1/responses", "/codex/responses", "/v1/responses"] {
+        let response = client
+            .post(format!("{}{path}", h.url))
+            .bearer_auth("client-key")
+            .json(&json!({"model":h.model,"input":"hello","stream":true}))
+            .send()
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(response.status(), StatusCode::OK);
+        assert_eq!(parse_sse(&response.text().await.unwrap()), expected);
+    }
+    assert_eq!(h.fake.received.lock().unwrap().len(), 3);
+    assert_eq!(h.capture.connection_count(), 1);
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn stream_preserves_full_events_and_uses_codex_request_and_headers() {
     let expected = events();
diff --git a/tests/support/wire.rs b/tests/support/wire.rs
index ecbb907..81dac7b 100644
--- a/tests/support/wire.rs
+++ b/tests/support/wire.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ impl Drop for Capture {
     }
 }
 impl Capture {
+    pub fn connection_count(&self) -> usize {
+        self.connections.lock().unwrap().len()
+    }
+
     pub async fn start(destination: String) -> Self {
         let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").await.unwrap();
         let url = format!("http://{}", listener.local_addr().unwrap());