diff --git a/internal/repository/repository.go b/internal/repository/repository.go
index 41f22f307..3ed9f7afa 100644
--- a/internal/repository/repository.go
+++ b/internal/repository/repository.go
@@ -950,10 +950,10 @@ const maxUnusedRange = 4 * 1024 * 1024
 // then LoadBlobsFromPack will abort and not retry it. The buf passed to the callback is only valid within
 // this specific call. The callback must not keep a reference to buf.
 func (r *Repository) LoadBlobsFromPack(ctx context.Context, packID restic.ID, blobs []restic.Blob, handleBlobFn func(blob restic.BlobHandle, buf []byte, err error) error) error {
-	return streamPack(ctx, r.Backend().Load, r.LoadBlob, r.key, packID, blobs, handleBlobFn)
+	return streamPack(ctx, r.Backend().Load, r.LoadBlob, r.getZstdDecoder(), r.key, packID, blobs, handleBlobFn)
 }
 
-func streamPack(ctx context.Context, beLoad backendLoadFn, loadBlobFn loadBlobFn, key *crypto.Key, packID restic.ID, blobs []restic.Blob, handleBlobFn func(blob restic.BlobHandle, buf []byte, err error) error) error {
+func streamPack(ctx context.Context, beLoad backendLoadFn, loadBlobFn loadBlobFn, dec *zstd.Decoder, key *crypto.Key, packID restic.ID, blobs []restic.Blob, handleBlobFn func(blob restic.BlobHandle, buf []byte, err error) error) error {
 	if len(blobs) == 0 {
 		// nothing to do
 		return nil
@@ -987,7 +987,7 @@ func streamPack(ctx context.Context, beLoad backendLoadFn, loadBlobFn loadBlobFn
 
 		if split {
 			// load everything up to the skipped file section
-			err := streamPackPart(ctx, beLoad, loadBlobFn, key, packID, blobs[lowerIdx:i], handleBlobFn)
+			err := streamPackPart(ctx, beLoad, loadBlobFn, dec, key, packID, blobs[lowerIdx:i], handleBlobFn)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -996,10 +996,10 @@ func streamPack(ctx context.Context, beLoad backendLoadFn, loadBlobFn loadBlobFn
 		lastPos = blobs[i].Offset + blobs[i].Length
 	}
 	// load remainder
-	return streamPackPart(ctx, beLoad, loadBlobFn, key, packID, blobs[lowerIdx:], handleBlobFn)
+	return streamPackPart(ctx, beLoad, loadBlobFn, dec, key, packID, blobs[lowerIdx:], handleBlobFn)
 }
 
-func streamPackPart(ctx context.Context, beLoad backendLoadFn, loadBlobFn loadBlobFn, key *crypto.Key, packID restic.ID, blobs []restic.Blob, handleBlobFn func(blob restic.BlobHandle, buf []byte, err error) error) error {
+func streamPackPart(ctx context.Context, beLoad backendLoadFn, loadBlobFn loadBlobFn, dec *zstd.Decoder, key *crypto.Key, packID restic.ID, blobs []restic.Blob, handleBlobFn func(blob restic.BlobHandle, buf []byte, err error) error) error {
 	h := backend.Handle{Type: restic.PackFile, Name: packID.String(), IsMetadata: false}
 
 	dataStart := blobs[0].Offset
@@ -1007,14 +1007,8 @@ func streamPackPart(ctx context.Context, beLoad backendLoadFn, loadBlobFn loadBl
 
 	debug.Log("streaming pack %v (%d to %d bytes), blobs: %v", packID, dataStart, dataEnd, len(blobs))
 
-	dec, err := zstd.NewReader(nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(dec)
-	}
-	defer dec.Close()
-
 	data := make([]byte, int(dataEnd-dataStart))
-	err = beLoad(ctx, h, int(dataEnd-dataStart), int64(dataStart), func(rd io.Reader) error {
+	err := beLoad(ctx, h, int(dataEnd-dataStart), int64(dataStart), func(rd io.Reader) error {
 		_, cerr := io.ReadFull(rd, data)
 		return cerr
 	})
diff --git a/internal/repository/repository_internal_test.go b/internal/repository/repository_internal_test.go
index 1f71b17de..16e6e8484 100644
--- a/internal/repository/repository_internal_test.go
+++ b/internal/repository/repository_internal_test.go
@@ -146,6 +146,12 @@ func TestStreamPack(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func testStreamPack(t *testing.T, version uint) {
+	dec, err := zstd.NewReader(nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(dec)
+	}
+	defer dec.Close()
+
 	// always use the same key for deterministic output
 	key := testKey(t)
 
@@ -270,7 +276,7 @@ func testStreamPack(t *testing.T, version uint) {
 
 				loadCalls = 0
 				shortFirstLoad = test.shortFirstLoad
-				err := streamPack(ctx, load, nil, &key, restic.ID{}, test.blobs, handleBlob)
+				err := streamPack(ctx, load, nil, dec, &key, restic.ID{}, test.blobs, handleBlob)
 				if err != nil {
 					t.Fatal(err)
 				}
@@ -333,7 +339,7 @@ func testStreamPack(t *testing.T, version uint) {
 					return err
 				}
 
-				err := streamPack(ctx, load, nil, &key, restic.ID{}, test.blobs, handleBlob)
+				err := streamPack(ctx, load, nil, dec, &key, restic.ID{}, test.blobs, handleBlob)
 				if err == nil {
 					t.Fatalf("wanted error %v, got nil", test.err)
 				}
@@ -456,6 +462,12 @@ func testKey(t *testing.T) crypto.Key {
 }
 
 func TestStreamPackFallback(t *testing.T) {
+	dec, err := zstd.NewReader(nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(dec)
+	}
+	defer dec.Close()
+
 	test := func(t *testing.T, failLoad bool) {
 		key := testKey(t)
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
@@ -503,7 +515,7 @@ func TestStreamPackFallback(t *testing.T) {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		err := streamPack(ctx, loadPack, loadBlob, &key, restic.ID{}, blobs, handleBlob)
+		err := streamPack(ctx, loadPack, loadBlob, dec, &key, restic.ID{}, blobs, handleBlob)
 		rtest.OK(t, err)
 		rtest.Assert(t, blobOK, "blob failed to load")
 	}