diff --git a/packages/obsidian-testing-framework/src/electron-singleton.ts b/packages/obsidian-testing-framework/src/electron-singleton.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13bc9ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/obsidian-testing-framework/src/electron-singleton.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import type { ElectronApplication } from "playwright"
+import {_electron as electron} from "playwright";
+import { addConsoleListener } from "./internal-util";
+
+const singleton: {
+	app: ElectronApplication | null
+} = {
+	app: null,
+}
+
+export async function getOrCreateApp(obsidianPath: string, uriArg?: string) {
+	if (singleton.app) {
+		return singleton.app;
+	}
+	const app = await electron.launch({
+		timeout: 60000,
+		args: [obsidianPath, uriArg].filter((a) => !!a) as string[],
+	});
+	addConsoleListener(app);
+	singleton.app = app;
+	return app;
+}
diff --git a/packages/obsidian-testing-framework/src/index.ts b/packages/obsidian-testing-framework/src/index.ts
index de1ba75..66e9057 100644
--- a/packages/obsidian-testing-framework/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/obsidian-testing-framework/src/index.ts
@@ -5,50 +5,13 @@ import { ObsidianTestFixtures } from "./fixtures.js";
 import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync } from "fs";
 import { pageUtils, waitForIndexingComplete } from "./util.js";
 import { randomBytes } from "crypto";
+import { addConsoleListener, checkToy, getExe } from "./internal-util.js";
+import { getOrCreateApp } from "./electron-singleton.js";
 
 export interface ObsidianTestingConfig {
 	vault?: string;
 	obsidianPath?: string;
-}
-
-export function getExe(obsidianPath?: string): string {
-	checkToy();
-	if (obsidianPath) {
-			return path.join(obsidianPath, "Resources", "app.asar");	
-	}
-	if (process.platform == "win32") {
-		const p = path.join(
-			process.env.LOCALAPPDATA!,
-			"Obsidian",
-			"Resources",
-			"app.asar"
-		);
-		if (existsSync(p)) {
-			return p;
-		}	
-	}
-
-	const possibleDirs = [
-		"/opt/Obsidian",
-		"/usr/lib/Obsidian",
-		"/opt/obsidian",
-		"/usr/lib/obsidian",
-		"/var/lib/flatpak/app/md.obsidian.Obsidian/current/active/files",
-		"/snap/obsidian/current",
-	];
-	for (let i = 0; i < possibleDirs.length; i++) {
-		if (existsSync(possibleDirs[i])) {
-			// console.log(execSync(`ls -l ${possibleDirs[i]}`).toString());
-			return path.join(possibleDirs[i], "resources", "app.asar");
-		}
-	}
-	return "";
-}
-
-function checkToy() {
-	if (process.platform == "darwin") {
-		throw new Error("use a non-toy operating system, dumbass");
-	}
+	experimentalUseSingleton?: boolean;
 }
 
 function generateVaultConfig(vault: string) {
@@ -87,17 +50,18 @@ function generateVaultConfig(vault: string) {
 		writeFileSync(path.join(configLocation, `${vaultHash}.json`), "{}");
 		return vaultHash;
 	} else {
-		return Object.entries(json.vaults).find(a => a[1].path === vault)![0];
+		return Object.entries(json.vaults).find((a) => a[1].path === vault)![0];
 	}
 }
 
 // @ts-ignore some error about a string type now having `undefined` as part of it's union
 export const test = base.extend<ObsidianTestFixtures>({
 	electronApp: [
-		async ({obsidian}, run) => {
+		async ({ obsidian }, run) => {
 			console.log("obsidian", obsidian);
-			const {obsidianPath = undefined} = obsidian ?? {};
-			const vault = <string> inject("vault")
+			const { obsidianPath = undefined, experimentalUseSingleton = false } =
+				obsidian ?? {};
+			const vault = <string>inject("vault");
 			process.env.ELECTRON_DISABLE_SECURITY_WARNINGS = "true";
 			console.log("asar located at:", getExe(obsidianPath));
 			let uriArg = "";
@@ -108,19 +72,23 @@ export const test = base.extend<ObsidianTestFixtures>({
 				}
 			}
 
-			const electronApp = await electron.launch({
-				timeout: 60000,
-				args: [getExe(obsidianPath), uriArg].filter((a) => !!a) as string[],
-			});
-			electronApp.on("console", async (msg) => {
-				console.log(
-					...(await Promise.all(msg.args().map((a) => a.jsonValue())))
-				);
-			});
+			const electronApp = experimentalUseSingleton
+				? await getOrCreateApp(
+						getExe(obsidianPath),
+						!!uriArg ? uriArg : undefined
+				  )
+				: await electron.launch({
+						timeout: 60000,
+						args: [getExe(obsidianPath), uriArg].filter((a) => !!a) as string[],
+				  });
+			addConsoleListener(electronApp);	
 			await electronApp.firstWindow();
 			await run(electronApp);
-			await electronApp.close();
-		}, {auto: true}
+			if (!experimentalUseSingleton) {
+				await electronApp.close();
+			}
+		},
+		{ auto: true },
 	],
 	page: [
 		async ({ electronApp }, run) => {
@@ -130,22 +98,23 @@ export const test = base.extend<ObsidianTestFixtures>({
 			await page.waitForLoadState("domcontentloaded");
 			try {
 				await waitForIndexingComplete(page);
-			} catch(e) {
+			} catch (e) {
 				console.warn("timed out waiting for metadata cache. continuing...");
 			}
-			for(let fn of Object.entries(pageUtils)) {
+			for (let fn of Object.entries(pageUtils)) {
 				await page.exposeFunction(fn[0], fn[1]);
 			}
-			page.on("pageerror", exc => {
+			page.on("pageerror", (exc) => {
 				console.error("EXCEPTION");
 				console.error(exc);
-			})
+			});
 			page.on("console", async (msg) => {
 				console.log(
 					...(await Promise.all(msg.args().map((a) => a.jsonValue())))
 				);
 			});
 			await run(page);
-		}, {auto: true}
+		},
+		{ auto: true },
 	],
 });
diff --git a/packages/obsidian-testing-framework/src/internal-util.ts b/packages/obsidian-testing-framework/src/internal-util.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad19c1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/obsidian-testing-framework/src/internal-util.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import path from "path";
+import { existsSync } from "fs";
+import { ElectronApplication } from "playwright";
+
+export function checkToy() {
+	if (process.platform == "darwin") {
+		throw new Error("use a non-toy operating system, dumbass");
+	}
+}
+
+export function getExe(obsidianPath?: string): string {
+	checkToy();
+	if (obsidianPath) {
+			return path.join(obsidianPath, "Resources", "app.asar");	
+	}
+	if (process.platform == "win32") {
+		const p = path.join(
+			process.env.LOCALAPPDATA!,
+			"Obsidian",
+			"Resources",
+			"app.asar"
+		);
+		if (existsSync(p)) {
+			return p;
+		}	
+	}
+
+	const possibleDirs = [
+		"/opt/Obsidian",
+		"/usr/lib/Obsidian",
+		"/opt/obsidian",
+		"/usr/lib/obsidian",
+		"/var/lib/flatpak/app/md.obsidian.Obsidian/current/active/files",
+		"/snap/obsidian/current",
+	];
+	for (let i = 0; i < possibleDirs.length; i++) {
+		if (existsSync(possibleDirs[i])) {
+			// console.log(execSync(`ls -l ${possibleDirs[i]}`).toString());
+			return path.join(possibleDirs[i], "resources", "app.asar");
+		}
+	}
+	return "";
+}
+
+export function addConsoleListener(app: ElectronApplication) {
+	app.on("console", async (msg) => {
+		console.log(
+			...(await Promise.all(msg.args().map((a) => a.jsonValue())))
+		);
+	});
+}