diff --git a/auto_editor/__main__.py b/auto_editor/__main__.py
index 253e75a23..f08533c41 100755
--- a/auto_editor/__main__.py
+++ b/auto_editor/__main__.py
@@ -140,10 +140,7 @@ def main_options(parser: ArgumentParser) -> ArgumentParser:
     )
     parser.add_text("Utility Options:")
     parser.add_argument(
-        "--export",
-        "-ex",
-        metavar="EXPORT:ATTRS?",
-        help="Choose the export mode",
+        "--export", "-ex", metavar="EXPORT:ATTRS?", help="Choose the export mode"
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--output-file",
@@ -153,15 +150,10 @@ def main_options(parser: ArgumentParser) -> ArgumentParser:
         help="Set the name/path of the new output file.",
     )
     parser.add_argument(
-        "--player",
-        "-p",
-        metavar="CMD",
-        help="Set player to open output media files",
+        "--player", "-p", metavar="CMD", help="Set player to open output media files"
     )
     parser.add_argument(
-        "--no-open",
-        flag=True,
-        help="Do not open the output file after editing is done",
+        "--no-open", flag=True, help="Do not open the output file after editing is done"
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--temp-dir",
@@ -255,7 +247,7 @@ def main_options(parser: ArgumentParser) -> ArgumentParser:
     parser.add_argument(
         "--audio-normalize",
         metavar="NORM-TYPE",
-        help="Apply audio rendering to all audio tracks. Applied right before rendering the output file.",
+        help="Apply audio rendering to all audio tracks. Applied right before rendering the output file",
     )
     parser.add_text("Miscellaneous:")
     parser.add_argument(
@@ -268,6 +260,9 @@ def main_options(parser: ArgumentParser) -> ArgumentParser:
         metavar="CMD",
         help="Add extra options for ffmpeg. Must be in quotes",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--no-cache", flag=True, help="Don't look for or write a cache file"
+    )
     parser.add_argument("--version", "-V", flag=True, help="Display version and halt")
     return parser
 
diff --git a/auto_editor/analyze.py b/auto_editor/analyze.py
index 11a6b89b7..50c308718 100644
--- a/auto_editor/analyze.py
+++ b/auto_editor/analyze.py
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ class Levels:
     src: FileInfo
     tb: Fraction
     bar: Bar
+    no_cache: bool
     temp: str
     log: Log
 
@@ -210,6 +211,9 @@ def all(self) -> NDArray[np.bool_]:
         return np.zeros(self.media_length, dtype=np.bool_)
 
     def read_cache(self, tag: str, obj: dict[str, Any]) -> None | np.ndarray:
+        if self.no_cache:
+            return None
+
         workfile = os.path.join(
             os.path.dirname(self.temp), f"ae-{__version__}", "cache.npz"
         )
@@ -227,7 +231,10 @@ def read_cache(self, tag: str, obj: dict[str, Any]) -> None | np.ndarray:
         self.log.debug("Using cache")
         return npzfile[key]
 
-    def cache(self, tag: str, obj: dict[str, Any], arr: np.ndarray) -> np.ndarray:
+    def cache(self, arr: np.ndarray, tag: str, obj: dict[str, Any]) -> np.ndarray:
+        if self.no_cache:
+            return arr
+
         workdur = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(self.temp), f"ae-{__version__}")
         if not os.path.exists(workdur):
             os.mkdir(workdur)
@@ -268,7 +275,7 @@ def audio(self, stream: int) -> NDArray[np.float32]:
             index += 1
 
         bar.end()
-        return self.cache("audio", {"stream": stream}, result[:index])
+        return self.cache(result[:index], "audio", {"stream": stream})
 
     def motion(self, stream: int, blur: int, width: int) -> NDArray[np.float32]:
         if stream >= len(self.src.videos):
@@ -301,7 +308,7 @@ def motion(self, stream: int, blur: int, width: int) -> NDArray[np.float32]:
             index += 1
 
         bar.end()
-        return self.cache("motion", mobj, result[:index])
+        return self.cache(result[:index], "motion", mobj)
 
     def subtitle(
         self,
diff --git a/auto_editor/make_layers.py b/auto_editor/make_layers.py
index ed0c51fb9..f13a185ad 100644
--- a/auto_editor/make_layers.py
+++ b/auto_editor/make_layers.py
@@ -71,44 +71,6 @@ def make_av(src: FileInfo, all_clips: list[list[Clip]]) -> tuple[VSpace, ASpace]
     return vtl, atl
 
 
-def run_interpreter_for_edit_option(
-    text: str, filesetup: FileSetup
-) -> NDArray[np.bool_]:
-    src = filesetup.src
-    tb = filesetup.tb
-    bar = filesetup.bar
-    temp = filesetup.temp
-    log = filesetup.log
-
-    try:
-        parser = Parser(Lexer("`--edit`", text))
-        if log.is_debug:
-            log.debug(f"edit: {parser}")
-
-        env["timebase"] = tb
-        env["@levels"] = Levels(src, tb, bar, temp, log)
-        env["@filesetup"] = filesetup
-
-        results = interpret(env, parser)
-
-        if len(results) == 0:
-            raise MyError("Expression in --edit must return a bool-array, got nothing")
-
-        result = results[-1]
-        if callable(result):
-            result = result()
-
-        if not is_boolarr(result):
-            raise MyError(
-                f"Expression in --edit must return a bool-array, got {print_str(result)}"
-            )
-    except MyError as e:
-        log.error(e)
-
-    assert isinstance(result, np.ndarray)
-    return result
-
-
 def make_sane_timebase(fps: Fraction) -> Fraction:
     tb = round(fps, 2)
 
@@ -159,8 +121,6 @@ def make_timeline(
     except CoerceError as e:
         log.error(e)
 
-    method = args.edit_based_on
-
     has_loud = np.array([], dtype=np.bool_)
     src_index = np.array([], dtype=np.int32)
     concat = np.concatenate
@@ -168,11 +128,36 @@ def make_timeline(
     for i, src in enumerate(sources):
         filesetup = FileSetup(src, len(sources) < 2, tb, bar, temp, log)
 
-        edit_result = run_interpreter_for_edit_option(method, filesetup)
-        mut_margin(edit_result, start_margin, end_margin)
+        try:
+            parser = Parser(Lexer("`--edit`", args.edit_based_on))
+            if log.is_debug:
+                log.debug(f"edit: {parser}")
+
+            env["timebase"] = tb
+            env["@levels"] = Levels(src, tb, bar, args.no_cache, temp, log)
+            env["@filesetup"] = filesetup
+
+            results = interpret(env, parser)
+
+            if len(results) == 0:
+                log.error("Expression in --edit must return a bool-array, got nothing")
+
+            result = results[-1]
+            if callable(result):
+                result = result()
+        except MyError as e:
+            log.error(e)
+
+        if not is_boolarr(result):
+            log.error(
+                f"Expression in --edit must return a bool-array, got {print_str(result)}"
+            )
+        assert isinstance(result, np.ndarray)
+
+        mut_margin(result, start_margin, end_margin)
 
-        has_loud = concat((has_loud, edit_result))
-        src_index = concat((src_index, np.full(len(edit_result), i, dtype=np.int32)))
+        has_loud = concat((has_loud, result))
+        src_index = concat((src_index, np.full(len(result), i, dtype=np.int32)))
 
     # Setup for handling custom speeds
     speed_index = has_loud.astype(np.uint)
diff --git a/auto_editor/preview.py b/auto_editor/preview.py
index 56613ffaf..bd2d4fe9f 100644
--- a/auto_editor/preview.py
+++ b/auto_editor/preview.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def preview(tl: v3, temp: str, log: Log) -> None:
 
     in_len = 0
     for src in all_sources:
-        in_len += Levels(src, tb, Bar("none"), temp, log).media_length
+        in_len += Levels(src, tb, Bar("none"), False, temp, log).media_length
 
     out_len = tl.out_len()
 
diff --git a/auto_editor/subcommands/levels.py b/auto_editor/subcommands/levels.py
index 8332d00df..2c739123c 100644
--- a/auto_editor/subcommands/levels.py
+++ b/auto_editor/subcommands/levels.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ def main(sys_args: list[str] = sys.argv[1:]) -> None:
             except ParserError as e:
                 log.error(e)
 
-        levels = Levels(src, tb, bar, temp, log)
+        levels = Levels(src, tb, bar, False, temp, log)
         try:
             if method == "audio":
                 print_arr_gen(iter_audio(src, tb, **obj))
diff --git a/auto_editor/subcommands/repl.py b/auto_editor/subcommands/repl.py
index 621cc8715..cf315a4c3 100644
--- a/auto_editor/subcommands/repl.py
+++ b/auto_editor/subcommands/repl.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def main(sys_args: list[str] = sys.argv[1:]) -> None:
         tb = src.get_fps() if args.timebase is None else args.timebase
         bar = Bar("modern")
         env["timebase"] = tb
-        env["@levels"] = Levels(src, tb, bar, temp, log)
+        env["@levels"] = Levels(src, tb, bar, False, temp, log)
         env["@filesetup"] = FileSetup(src, strict, tb, bar, temp, log)
 
     print(f"Auto-Editor {auto_editor.__version__}")
diff --git a/auto_editor/utils/types.py b/auto_editor/utils/types.py
index 0b475ef1d..d703f85df 100644
--- a/auto_editor/utils/types.py
+++ b/auto_editor/utils/types.py
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ def resolution(val: str | None) -> tuple[int, int] | None:
     return natural(vals[0]), natural(vals[1])
 
 
-@dataclass
+@dataclass(slots=True)
 class Args:
     yt_dlp_location: str = "yt-dlp"
     download_format: str | None = None
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ class Args:
     show_ffmpeg_output: bool = False
     quiet: bool = False
     preview: bool = False
+    no_cache: bool = False
     margin: tuple[str, str] = ("0.2s", "0.2s")
     silent_speed: float = 99999.0
     video_speed: float = 1.0