diff --git a/dvc/repo/__init__.py b/dvc/repo/__init__.py
index ecfc39221..49ce64a68 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/__init__.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/__init__.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from dvc.stage import Stage
     from dvc.types import DictStrAny
     from dvc_data.hashfile.state import StateBase
+    from dvc_data.index import DataIndex
 
     from .experiments import Experiments
     from .index import Index
@@ -179,6 +180,7 @@ class Repo:
         self._fs_conf = {"repo_factory": repo_factory}
         self._fs = fs or localfs
         self._scm = scm
+        self._data_index = None
 
         if rev and not fs:
             self._scm = scm = SCM(root_dir or os.curdir)
@@ -341,6 +343,31 @@ class Repo:
         # fs.
         self._reset()
 
+    @property
+    def data_index(self) -> Optional["DataIndex"]:
+        from appdirs import user_cache_dir
+        from fsspec.utils import tokenize
+
+        from dvc_data.index import DataIndex
+
+        if not self.config["feature"].get("data_index_cache"):
+            return None
+
+        if self._data_index is None:
+            cache_dir = user_cache_dir(self.config.APPNAME, self.config.APPAUTHOR)
+            index_dir = os.path.join(
+                cache_dir,
+                "index",
+                "data",
+                # scm.root_dir and repo.root_dir don't match for subrepos
+                tokenize((self.scm.root_dir, self.root_dir)),
+            )
+            os.makedirs(index_dir, exist_ok=True)
+
+            self._data_index = DataIndex.open(os.path.join(index_dir, "db.db"))
+
+        return self._data_index
+
     def __repr__(self):
         return f"{self.__class__.__name__}: '{self.root_dir}'"
 
@@ -553,6 +580,8 @@ class Repo:
     def close(self):
         self.scm.close()
         self.state.close()
+        if self._data_index is not None:
+            self._data_index.close()
 
     def _reset_cached_indecies(self):
         self.__dict__.pop("index", None)
diff --git a/dvc/repo/index.py b/dvc/repo/index.py
index dc241efa0..1b9fef083 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/index.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/index.py
@@ -358,31 +358,13 @@ class Index:
         prefix: "DataIndexKey"
         loaded = False
 
-        if self.repo.config["feature"].get("data_index_cache"):
-            import os
-
-            from appdirs import user_cache_dir
-            from fsspec.utils import tokenize
-
-            cache_dir = user_cache_dir(
-                self.repo.config.APPNAME, self.repo.config.APPAUTHOR
-            )
-            index_dir = os.path.join(
-                cache_dir,
-                "index",
-                "data",
-                # scm.root_dir and repo.root_dir don't match for subrepos
-                tokenize((self.repo.scm.root_dir, self.repo.root_dir)),
-            )
-            os.makedirs(index_dir, exist_ok=True)
-
-            index = DataIndex.open(os.path.join(index_dir, "db.db"))
-            prefix = (self.data_tree.hash_info.value,)
-            if prefix in index.ls((), detail=False):
-                loaded = True
-        else:
+        index = self.repo.data_index
+        if index is None:
             index = DataIndex()
-            prefix = ()
+
+        prefix = (self.data_tree.hash_info.value,)
+        if prefix in index.ls((), detail=False):
+            loaded = True
 
         try:
             if not loaded:
diff --git a/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py b/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py
index d1509b649..42b23ab42 100644
--- a/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py
+++ b/tests/func/test_data_cloud.py
@@ -199,7 +199,8 @@ def test_verify_hashes(tmp_dir, scm, dvc, mocker, tmp_path_factory, local_remote
     hash_spy = mocker.spy(dvc_data.hashfile.hash, "file_md5")
 
     dvc.pull()
-    assert hash_spy.call_count == 0
+    # NOTE: 1 is for index.data_tree building
+    assert hash_spy.call_count == 1
 
     # Removing cache will invalidate existing state entries
     dvc.cache.local.clear()
@@ -207,7 +208,7 @@ def test_verify_hashes(tmp_dir, scm, dvc, mocker, tmp_path_factory, local_remote
     dvc.config["remote"]["upstream"]["verify"] = True
 
     dvc.pull()
-    assert hash_spy.call_count == 4
+    assert hash_spy.call_count == 6
 
 
 @flaky(max_runs=3, min_passes=1)