diff --git a/src/fastapi_toolsets/crud/factory.py b/src/fastapi_toolsets/crud/factory.py
index 57c0e99..b270f8b 100644
--- a/src/fastapi_toolsets/crud/factory.py
+++ b/src/fastapi_toolsets/crud/factory.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import uuid as uuid_module
 from collections.abc import Awaitable, Callable, Sequence
 from datetime import date, datetime
 from decimal import Decimal
+from enum import Enum
 from typing import Any, ClassVar, Generic, Literal, Self, cast, overload
 
 from fastapi import Query
@@ -49,17 +50,43 @@ from .search import (
 )
 
 
-def _encode_cursor(value: Any, *, direction: str = "next") -> str:
+class _CursorDirection(str, Enum):
+    NEXT = "next"
+    PREV = "prev"
+
+
+def _encode_cursor(
+    value: Any, *, direction: _CursorDirection = _CursorDirection.NEXT
+) -> str:
     """Encode a cursor column value and navigation direction as a base64 string."""
     return base64.b64encode(
         json.dumps({"val": str(value), "dir": direction}).encode()
     ).decode()
 
 
-def _decode_cursor(cursor: str) -> tuple[str, str]:
+def _decode_cursor(cursor: str) -> tuple[str, _CursorDirection]:
     """Decode a cursor base64 string into ``(raw_value, direction)``."""
     payload = json.loads(base64.b64decode(cursor.encode()).decode())
-    return payload["val"], payload["dir"]
+    return payload["val"], _CursorDirection(payload["dir"])
+
+
+def _parse_cursor_value(raw_val: str, col_type: Any) -> Any:
+    """Parse a raw cursor string value back into the appropriate Python type."""
+    if isinstance(col_type, Integer):
+        return int(raw_val)
+    if isinstance(col_type, Uuid):
+        return uuid_module.UUID(raw_val)
+    if isinstance(col_type, DateTime):
+        return datetime.fromisoformat(raw_val)
+    if isinstance(col_type, Date):
+        return date.fromisoformat(raw_val)
+    if isinstance(col_type, (Float, Numeric)):
+        return Decimal(raw_val)
+    raise ValueError(
+        f"Unsupported cursor column type: {type(col_type).__name__!r}. "
+        "Supported types: Integer, BigInteger, SmallInteger, Uuid, "
+        "DateTime, Date, Float, Numeric."
+    )
 
 
 def _apply_joins(q: Any, joins: JoinType | None, outer_join: bool) -> Any:
@@ -108,8 +135,9 @@ class AsyncCrud(Generic[ModelType]):
         if raw_fields is None:
             cls.searchable_fields = [pk_col]
         else:
-            existing_keys = {f.key for f in raw_fields if not isinstance(f, tuple)}
-            if pk_key not in existing_keys:
+            if not any(
+                not isinstance(f, tuple) and f.key == pk_key for f in raw_fields
+            ):
                 cls.searchable_fields = [pk_col, *raw_fields]
 
     @classmethod
@@ -1048,27 +1076,12 @@ class AsyncCrud(Generic[ModelType]):
         cursor_column: Any = cls.cursor_column
         cursor_col_name: str = cursor_column.key
 
-        direction = "next"
+        direction = _CursorDirection.NEXT
         if cursor is not None:
             raw_val, direction = _decode_cursor(cursor)
             col_type = cursor_column.property.columns[0].type
-            if isinstance(col_type, Integer):
-                cursor_val: Any = int(raw_val)
-            elif isinstance(col_type, Uuid):
-                cursor_val = uuid_module.UUID(raw_val)
-            elif isinstance(col_type, DateTime):
-                cursor_val = datetime.fromisoformat(raw_val)
-            elif isinstance(col_type, Date):
-                cursor_val = date.fromisoformat(raw_val)
-            elif isinstance(col_type, (Float, Numeric)):
-                cursor_val = Decimal(raw_val)
-            else:
-                raise ValueError(
-                    f"Unsupported cursor column type: {type(col_type).__name__!r}. "
-                    "Supported types: Integer, BigInteger, SmallInteger, Uuid, "
-                    "DateTime, Date, Float, Numeric."
-                )
-            if direction == "prev":
+            cursor_val: Any = _parse_cursor_value(raw_val, col_type)
+            if direction is _CursorDirection.PREV:
                 filters.append(cursor_column < cursor_val)
             else:
                 filters.append(cursor_column > cursor_val)
@@ -1099,7 +1112,7 @@ class AsyncCrud(Generic[ModelType]):
             q = q.options(*resolved)
 
         # Cursor column is always the primary sort; reverse direction for prev traversal
-        if direction == "prev":
+        if direction is _CursorDirection.PREV:
             q = q.order_by(cursor_column.desc())
         else:
             q = q.order_by(cursor_column)
@@ -1115,32 +1128,34 @@ class AsyncCrud(Generic[ModelType]):
         items_page = raw_items[:items_per_page]
 
         # Restore ascending order when traversing backward
-        if direction == "prev":
+        if direction is _CursorDirection.PREV:
             items_page = list(reversed(items_page))
 
         # next_cursor: points past the last item in ascending order
         next_cursor: str | None = None
-        if direction == "next":
+        if direction is _CursorDirection.NEXT:
             if has_more and items_page:
                 next_cursor = _encode_cursor(
-                    getattr(items_page[-1], cursor_col_name), direction="next"
+                    getattr(items_page[-1], cursor_col_name),
+                    direction=_CursorDirection.NEXT,
                 )
         else:
             # Going backward: always provide a next_cursor to allow returning forward
             if items_page:
                 next_cursor = _encode_cursor(
-                    getattr(items_page[-1], cursor_col_name), direction="next"
+                    getattr(items_page[-1], cursor_col_name),
+                    direction=_CursorDirection.NEXT,
                 )
 
         # prev_cursor: points before the first item in ascending order
         prev_cursor: str | None = None
-        if direction == "next" and cursor is not None and items_page:
+        if direction is _CursorDirection.NEXT and cursor is not None and items_page:
             prev_cursor = _encode_cursor(
-                getattr(items_page[0], cursor_col_name), direction="prev"
+                getattr(items_page[0], cursor_col_name), direction=_CursorDirection.PREV
             )
-        elif direction == "prev" and has_more and items_page:
+        elif direction is _CursorDirection.PREV and has_more and items_page:
             prev_cursor = _encode_cursor(
-                getattr(items_page[0], cursor_col_name), direction="prev"
+                getattr(items_page[0], cursor_col_name), direction=_CursorDirection.PREV
             )
 
         items: list[Any] = [schema.model_validate(item) for item in items_page]
diff --git a/src/fastapi_toolsets/schemas.py b/src/fastapi_toolsets/schemas.py
index 504d0b5..a3dd176 100644
--- a/src/fastapi_toolsets/schemas.py
+++ b/src/fastapi_toolsets/schemas.py
@@ -150,14 +150,20 @@ class PaginatedResponse(BaseResponse, Generic[DataT]):
     pagination_type: PaginationType | None = None
     filter_attributes: dict[str, list[Any]] | None = None
 
+    _discriminated_union_cache: ClassVar[dict[Any, Any]] = {}
+
     def __class_getitem__(  # type: ignore[invalid-method-override]
         cls, item: type[Any] | tuple[type[Any], ...]
     ) -> type[Any]:
         if cls is PaginatedResponse and not isinstance(item, TypeVar):
-            return Annotated[  # type: ignore[invalid-return-type]
-                Union[CursorPaginatedResponse[item], OffsetPaginatedResponse[item]],  # type: ignore[invalid-type-form]
-                Field(discriminator="pagination_type"),
-            ]
+            cached = cls._discriminated_union_cache.get(item)
+            if cached is None:
+                cached = Annotated[
+                    Union[CursorPaginatedResponse[item], OffsetPaginatedResponse[item]],  # type: ignore[invalid-type-form]
+                    Field(discriminator="pagination_type"),
+                ]
+                cls._discriminated_union_cache[item] = cached
+            return cached  # type: ignore[invalid-return-type]
         return super().__class_getitem__(item)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_crud.py b/tests/test_crud.py
index 790ae72..306a61e 100644
--- a/tests/test_crud.py
+++ b/tests/test_crud.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
 from sqlalchemy.orm import selectinload
 
 from fastapi_toolsets.crud import CrudFactory, PaginationType
-from fastapi_toolsets.crud.factory import AsyncCrud
+from fastapi_toolsets.crud.factory import AsyncCrud, _CursorDirection
 from fastapi_toolsets.exceptions import NotFoundError
 
 from .conftest import (
@@ -2016,7 +2016,7 @@ class TestCursorPaginatePrevCursor:
         assert isinstance(page1.pagination, CursorPagination)
 
         # Manually craft a backward cursor before any existing id
-        before_all = _encode_cursor(0, direction="prev")
+        before_all = _encode_cursor(0, direction=_CursorDirection.PREV)
         empty = await IntRoleCursorCrud.cursor_paginate(
             db_session, cursor=before_all, items_per_page=5, schema=IntRoleRead
         )
diff --git a/tests/test_schemas.py b/tests/test_schemas.py
index 3433d52..c58f5a4 100644
--- a/tests/test_schemas.py
+++ b/tests/test_schemas.py
@@ -324,6 +324,10 @@ class TestPaginatedResponse:
         assert CursorPaginatedResponse[dict] in union_args
         assert OffsetPaginatedResponse[dict] in union_args
 
+    def test_class_getitem_is_cached(self):
+        """Repeated subscripting with the same type returns the identical cached object."""
+        assert PaginatedResponse[dict] is PaginatedResponse[dict]
+
     def test_class_getitem_with_typevar_returns_generic(self):
         """PaginatedResponse[TypeVar] falls through to Pydantic generic parametrisation."""
         from typing import TypeVar