diff --git a/src/datasets/data_files.py b/src/datasets/data_files.py
index 686faa03d36..37a17b56b37 100644
--- a/src/datasets/data_files.py
+++ b/src/datasets/data_files.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 import huggingface_hub
 from fsspec.core import url_to_fs
+from fsspec.utils import glob_translate
 from huggingface_hub import HfFileSystem
 from packaging import version
 from tqdm.contrib.concurrent import thread_map
@@ -475,8 +476,31 @@ def get_data_patterns(base_path: str, download_config: Optional[DownloadConfig]
 
     In order, it first tests if SPLIT_PATTERN_SHARDED works, otherwise it tests the patterns in ALL_DEFAULT_PATTERNS.
     """
-    resolver = partial(resolve_pattern, base_path=base_path, download_config=download_config)
     try:
+        resolver: Callable[[str], list[str]]
+        if is_relative_path(base_path) or is_local_path(base_path):
+            # Local fast-path: resolve local files once and match candidate patterns in-memory.
+            # This avoids repeated expensive recursive globs over the same directory tree.
+            all_local_files = resolve_pattern("**", base_path=base_path, download_config=download_config)
+
+            def resolver(pattern: str) -> list[str]:
+                if is_relative_path(pattern):
+                    absolute_pattern = xjoin(base_path, pattern)
+                elif is_local_path(pattern):
+                    absolute_pattern = pattern
+                else:
+                    raise FileNotFoundError(f"Unable to find '{pattern}'")
+                absolute_pattern, _ = _prepare_path_and_storage_options(
+                    absolute_pattern, download_config=download_config
+                )
+                regex = re.compile(glob_translate(absolute_pattern))
+                matched_paths = [path for path in all_local_files if regex.match(path)]
+                if not matched_paths:
+                    raise FileNotFoundError(f"Unable to find '{absolute_pattern}'")
+                return matched_paths
+
+        else:
+            resolver = partial(resolve_pattern, base_path=base_path, download_config=download_config)
         return _get_data_files_patterns(resolver)
     except FileNotFoundError:
         raise EmptyDatasetError(f"The directory at {base_path} doesn't contain any data files") from None
diff --git a/tests/test_data_files.py b/tests/test_data_files.py
index 74f48dbd2d5..7c7165a3500 100644
--- a/tests/test_data_files.py
+++ b/tests/test_data_files.py
@@ -678,3 +678,11 @@ def test_get_data_patterns_from_directory_with_the_word_data_twice(tmp_path):
     data_file.touch()
     data_file_patterns = get_data_patterns(repo_dir.as_posix())
     assert data_file_patterns == {"train": ["data/train-[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]-of-[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]*.*"]}
+
+
+def test_get_data_patterns_local_path_uses_single_resolve(complex_data_dir):
+    with patch("datasets.data_files.resolve_pattern", wraps=resolve_pattern) as mocked_resolve_pattern:
+        patterns = get_data_patterns(complex_data_dir)
+    assert list(patterns.keys()) == ["train", "test"]
+    assert patterns["train"] and patterns["test"]
+    assert mocked_resolve_pattern.call_count == 1