diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button.html
index 38f6be38c..98edac6a1 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/shelve_button/shelve_button.html
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 {% load bookwyrm_tags %}
 {% load utilities %}
+{% load cache %}
 
 {% if request.user.is_authenticated %}
+{% cache 900 shelve_button request.user.id book.id %}
 
 {% with book.id|uuid as uuid %}
 {% active_shelf book as active_shelf %}
@@ -32,4 +34,5 @@
 {% include 'snippets/reading_modals/progress_update_modal.html' with book=active_shelf.book id=modal_id readthrough=readthrough class="" %}
 
 {% endwith %}
+{% endcache %}
 {% endif %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/reading.py b/bookwyrm/views/reading.py
index 35847558e..6531efc23 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/reading.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/reading.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 """ the good stuff! the books! """
 from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required
+from django.core.cache import cache
+from django.core.cache.utils import make_template_fragment_key
 from django.db import transaction
 from django.http import HttpResponse, HttpResponseBadRequest, HttpResponseNotFound
 from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404, redirect
@@ -44,6 +46,10 @@ class ReadingStatus(View):
         if not identifier:
             return HttpResponseBadRequest()
 
+        # invalidate the template cache
+        cache_key = make_template_fragment_key("shelve_button", [request.user.id, book_id])
+        cache.delete(cache_key)
+
         desired_shelf = get_object_or_404(
             models.Shelf, identifier=identifier, user=request.user
         )