diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/api/LoadBeanBuffer.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/api/LoadBeanBuffer.java
index 3b999bc3c..e19b2d3c0 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/api/LoadBeanBuffer.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/api/LoadBeanBuffer.java
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import io.ebean.bean.EntityBeanIntercept;
 import io.ebean.bean.PersistenceContext;
 import io.ebeaninternal.server.deploy.BeanDescriptor;
 
-import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 /**
  * A buffer of beans for batch lazy loading and secondary query loading.
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ public interface LoadBeanBuffer {
 
   int batchSize();
 
-  List<EntityBeanIntercept> batch();
+  Set<EntityBeanIntercept> batch();
 
   BeanDescriptor<?> descriptor();
 
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/api/LoadBeanRequest.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/api/LoadBeanRequest.java
index ffe28462c..092050e7e 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/api/LoadBeanRequest.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/api/LoadBeanRequest.java
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import java.util.Set;
  */
 public final class LoadBeanRequest extends LoadRequest {
 
-  private final List<EntityBeanIntercept> batch;
+  private final Set<EntityBeanIntercept> batch;
   private final LoadBeanBuffer loadBuffer;
   private final String lazyLoadProperty;
   private final boolean loadCache;
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public final class LoadBeanRequest extends LoadRequest {
   /**
    * Return the batch of beans to actually load.
    */
-  public List<EntityBeanIntercept> batch() {
+  public Set<EntityBeanIntercept> batch() {
     return batch;
   }
 
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DefaultBeanLoader.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DefaultBeanLoader.java
index 9648c7037..9de9ab7ff 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DefaultBeanLoader.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/core/DefaultBeanLoader.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
 import javax.persistence.EntityNotFoundException;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 /**
  * Helper to handle lazy loading and refreshing of beans.
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ final class DefaultBeanLoader {
    * Load a batch of beans for +query or +lazy loading.
    */
   void loadBean(LoadBeanRequest loadRequest) {
-    List<EntityBeanIntercept> batch = loadRequest.batch();
+    Set<EntityBeanIntercept> batch = loadRequest.batch();
     if (batch.isEmpty()) {
       throw new RuntimeException("Nothing in batch?");
     }
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptor.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptor.java
index 1826caebe..d7a5f5ff5 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptor.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptor.java
@@ -1312,8 +1312,8 @@ public class BeanDescriptor<T> implements BeanType<T>, STreeType, SpiBeanType {
    * Hit the bean cache trying to load a list/batch of entities.
    * Return the set of entities that were successfully loaded from L2 cache.
    */
-  public Set<EntityBeanIntercept> cacheBeanLoadAll(List<EntityBeanIntercept> list, PersistenceContext persistenceContext, int lazyLoadProperty, String propertyName) {
-    return cacheHelp.beanCacheLoadAll(list, persistenceContext, lazyLoadProperty, propertyName);
+  public Set<EntityBeanIntercept> cacheBeanLoadAll(Set<EntityBeanIntercept> batch, PersistenceContext persistenceContext, int lazyLoadProperty, String propertyName) {
+    return cacheHelp.beanCacheLoadAll(batch, persistenceContext, lazyLoadProperty, propertyName);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptorCacheHelp.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptorCacheHelp.java
index 901f8dff3..725a850e2 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptorCacheHelp.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/BeanDescriptorCacheHelp.java
@@ -693,9 +693,9 @@ final class BeanDescriptorCacheHelp<T> {
   /**
    * Load a batch of entities from L2 bean cache checking the lazy loaded property is loaded.
    */
-  Set<EntityBeanIntercept> beanCacheLoadAll(List<EntityBeanIntercept> list, PersistenceContext context, int lazyLoadProperty, String propertyName) {
+  Set<EntityBeanIntercept> beanCacheLoadAll(Set<EntityBeanIntercept> batch, PersistenceContext context, int lazyLoadProperty, String propertyName) {
     Map<Object, EntityBeanIntercept> ebis = new HashMap<>();
-    for (EntityBeanIntercept ebi : list) {
+    for (EntityBeanIntercept ebi : batch) {
       ebis.put(desc.cacheKeyForBean(ebi.getOwner()), ebi);
     }
 
diff --git a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/loadcontext/DLoadBeanContext.java b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/loadcontext/DLoadBeanContext.java
index 54c4dd84c..a8533956c 100644
--- a/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/loadcontext/DLoadBeanContext.java
+++ b/ebean-core/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/loadcontext/DLoadBeanContext.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import io.ebeaninternal.server.deploy.BeanPropertyAssocMany;
 import io.ebeaninternal.server.querydefn.OrmQueryProperties;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.Lock;
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ final class DLoadBeanContext extends DLoadBaseContext implements LoadBeanContext
     try {
       if (bufferList != null) {
         for (LoadBuffer loadBuffer : bufferList) {
-          if (!loadBuffer.list.isEmpty()) {
+          if (!loadBuffer.batch.isEmpty()) {
             parent.getEbeanServer().loadBean(new LoadBeanRequest(loadBuffer, parentRequest));
           }
           if (forEach) {
@@ -115,13 +116,13 @@ final class DLoadBeanContext extends DLoadBaseContext implements LoadBeanContext
     private final ReentrantLock bufferLock = new ReentrantLock();
     private final DLoadBeanContext context;
     private final int batchSize;
-    private final List<EntityBeanIntercept> list;
+    private final Set<EntityBeanIntercept> batch;
     private PersistenceContext persistenceContext;
 
     LoadBuffer(DLoadBeanContext context, int batchSize) {
       this.context = context;
       this.batchSize = batchSize;
-      this.list = new ArrayList<>(batchSize);
+      this.batch = new HashSet<>(Math.max((int) (batchSize/.75f) + 1, 16));
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@ final class DLoadBeanContext extends DLoadBaseContext implements LoadBeanContext
      * Return true if the buffer is full.
      */
     public boolean isFull() {
-      return batchSize == list.size();
+      return batchSize == batch.size();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -150,12 +151,12 @@ final class DLoadBeanContext extends DLoadBaseContext implements LoadBeanContext
         // get persistenceContext from first loaded bean into the buffer
         persistenceContext = ebi.getPersistenceContext();
       }
-      list.add(ebi);
+      batch.add(ebi);
     }
 
     @Override
-    public List<EntityBeanIntercept> batch() {
-      return list;
+    public Set<EntityBeanIntercept> batch() {
+      return batch;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -190,13 +191,13 @@ final class DLoadBeanContext extends DLoadBaseContext implements LoadBeanContext
         // lazy load property was a Many
         return;
       }
-      if (!list.contains(ebi)) {
+      if (!batch.contains(ebi)) {
         // re-add to the batch and lazy load from DB skipping l2 cache
-        list.add(ebi);
+        batch.add(ebi);
       } else if (context.hitCache) {
-        Set<EntityBeanIntercept> hits = context.desc.cacheBeanLoadAll(list, persistenceContext, ebi.getLazyLoadPropertyIndex(), ebi.getLazyLoadProperty());
-        list.removeAll(hits);
-        if (list.isEmpty() || hits.contains(ebi)) {
+        Set<EntityBeanIntercept> hits = context.desc.cacheBeanLoadAll(batch, persistenceContext, ebi.getLazyLoadPropertyIndex(), ebi.getLazyLoadProperty());
+        batch.removeAll(hits);
+        if (batch.isEmpty() || hits.contains(ebi)) {
           // successfully hit the L2 cache so don't invoke DB lazy loading
           return;
         }
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ final class DLoadBeanContext extends DLoadBaseContext implements LoadBeanContext
 
       LoadBeanRequest req = new LoadBeanRequest(this, ebi, context.hitCache);
       context.desc.ebeanServer().loadBean(req);
-      list.clear();
+      batch.clear();
     }
   }