diff --git a/fontique/src/collection/mod.rs b/fontique/src/collection/mod.rs
index f873a511..efd4c114 100644
--- a/fontique/src/collection/mod.rs
+++ b/fontique/src/collection/mod.rs
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@ impl Collection {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Converts an unshared collection into a shared collection
+    #[cfg(feature = "std")]
+    pub fn make_shared(&mut self) {
+        self.inner.make_shared();
+    }
+
     /// Load system fonts. If system fonts are already loaded then this does nothing.
     pub fn load_system_fonts(&mut self) {
         if self.inner.system.is_none() {
@@ -254,6 +260,16 @@ impl Inner {
         }
     }
 
+    #[cfg(feature = "std")]
+    pub fn make_shared(&mut self) {
+        if self.shared.is_none() {
+            self.shared = Some(Arc::new(Shared {
+                data: Mutex::new(core::mem::take(&mut self.data)),
+                version: AtomicCounter::new(self.shared_version),
+            }));
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Load system fonts. If system fonts are already loaded then they will be reloaded.
     pub fn load_system_fonts(&mut self) {
         self.system = Some(System::new());
diff --git a/fontique/src/source_cache.rs b/fontique/src/source_cache.rs
index 734c9372..db8e5b72 100644
--- a/fontique/src/source_cache.rs
+++ b/fontique/src/source_cache.rs
@@ -77,6 +77,15 @@ impl SourceCache {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Turns an unshared cache into a shared cache that can used to ensure that fonts only get loaded once
+    /// even when they are loaded across multiple threads.
+    #[cfg(feature = "std")]
+    pub fn make_shared(&mut self) {
+        if self.shared.is_none() {
+            self.shared = Some(Arc::new(Mutex::new(Shared::from_local(&self.cache))));
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Returns the [blob] for the given font data, attempting to load
     /// it from the file system if not already present.
     ///
@@ -159,6 +168,17 @@ struct Shared {
 
 #[cfg(feature = "std")]
 impl Shared {
+    /// Bootstrap a shared cache from a local one
+    fn from_local(unshared: &HashMap<SourceId, Entry<Blob<u8>>>) -> Self {
+        let shared_cache: HashMap<SourceId, Entry<WeakBlob<u8>>> = unshared
+            .iter()
+            .map(|(key, value)| (*key, value.into()))
+            .collect();
+        Self {
+            cache: shared_cache,
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn get(&mut self, id: SourceId, path: &Path) -> Option<Blob<u8>> {
         use hashbrown::hash_map::Entry as HashEntry;
         match self.cache.entry(id) {
@@ -213,6 +233,19 @@ struct EntryData<T> {
     serial: u64,
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+impl<T> From<&Entry<Blob<T>>> for Entry<WeakBlob<T>> {
+    fn from(value: &Entry<Blob<T>>) -> Self {
+        match value {
+            Entry::Loaded(entry_data) => Self::Loaded(EntryData {
+                font_data: entry_data.font_data.downgrade(),
+                serial: entry_data.serial,
+            }),
+            Entry::Failed => Self::Failed,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(feature = "std")]
 pub(crate) fn load_blob(path: &Path) -> Option<Blob<u8>> {
     let file = std::fs::File::open(path).ok()?;