diff --git a/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/registry_proxy.py b/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/registry_proxy.py
index 9fa703a24dbb..5b71c3dc4dcd 100644
--- a/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/registry_proxy.py
+++ b/services/director/src/simcore_service_director/registry_proxy.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import httpx
 from aiocache import Cache, SimpleMemoryCache  # type: ignore[import-untyped]
 from fastapi import FastAPI, status
+from servicelib.background_task import start_periodic_task, stop_periodic_task
 from servicelib.logging_utils import log_catch, log_context
 from servicelib.utils import limited_as_completed
 from tenacity import retry
@@ -189,26 +190,26 @@ async def registry_request(
     app: FastAPI,
     *,
     path: str,
-    method: str = "GET",
-    no_cache: bool = False,
+    method: str,
+    use_cache: bool,
     **session_kwargs,
 ) -> tuple[dict, Mapping]:
     cache: SimpleMemoryCache = app.state.registry_cache_memory
     cache_key = f"{method}_{path}"
-    if not no_cache and (cached_response := await cache.get(cache_key)):
+    if use_cache and (cached_response := await cache.get(cache_key)):
         assert isinstance(cached_response, tuple)  # nosec
         return cast(tuple[dict, Mapping], cached_response)
 
     app_settings = get_application_settings(app)
     try:
         response, response_headers = await _retried_request(
-            app, path, method, **session_kwargs
+            app, path, method.upper(), **session_kwargs
         )
     except httpx.RequestError as exc:
         msg = f"Unknown error while accessing registry: {exc!s} via {exc.request}"
         raise DirectorRuntimeError(msg=msg) from exc
 
-    if not no_cache and app_settings.DIRECTOR_REGISTRY_CACHING and method == "GET":
+    if app_settings.DIRECTOR_REGISTRY_CACHING and method.upper() == "GET":
         await cache.set(
             cache_key,
             (response, response_headers),
@@ -236,16 +237,29 @@ async def _wait_until_registry_responsive(app: FastAPI) -> None:
         await _wait_until_registry_responsive(app)
 
 
+async def _list_all_services_task(app: FastAPI) -> None:
+    with log_context(_logger, logging.INFO, msg="Listing all services"):
+        await list_services(app, ServiceType.ALL)
+
+
 def setup(app: FastAPI) -> None:
     async def on_startup() -> None:
         cache = Cache(Cache.MEMORY)
         assert isinstance(cache, SimpleMemoryCache)  # nosec
         app.state.registry_cache_memory = cache
         await _setup_registry(app)
+        app_settings = get_application_settings(app)
+        app.state.auto_cache_task = None
+        if app_settings.DIRECTOR_REGISTRY_CACHING:
+            app.state.auto_cache_task = await start_periodic_task(
+                _list_all_services_task,
+                interval=app_settings.DIRECTOR_REGISTRY_CACHING_TTL / 2,
+                task_name="director-auto-cache-task",
+            )
 
     async def on_shutdown() -> None:
-        # nothing to do here
-        ...
+        if app.state.auto_cache_task:
+            await stop_periodic_task(app.state.auto_cache_task)
 
     app.add_event_handler("startup", on_startup)
     app.add_event_handler("shutdown", on_shutdown)
@@ -270,7 +284,9 @@ async def _list_repositories_gen(
 ) -> AsyncGenerator[list[str], None]:
     with log_context(_logger, logging.DEBUG, msg="listing repositories"):
         path = f"_catalog?n={get_application_settings(app).DIRECTOR_REGISTRY_CLIENT_MAX_NUMBER_OF_RETRIEVED_OBJECTS}"
-        result, headers = await registry_request(app, path=path)  # initial call
+        result, headers = await registry_request(
+            app, path=path, method="GET", use_cache=True
+        )  # initial call
 
         while True:
             if "Link" in headers:
@@ -278,7 +294,7 @@ async def _list_repositories_gen(
                     str(headers["Link"]).split(";")[0].strip("<>").removeprefix("/v2/")
                 )
                 prefetch_task = asyncio.create_task(
-                    registry_request(app, path=next_path)
+                    registry_request(app, path=next_path, method="GET", use_cache=True)
                 )
             else:
                 prefetch_task = None
@@ -300,14 +316,16 @@ async def list_image_tags_gen(
 ) -> AsyncGenerator[list[str], None]:
     with log_context(_logger, logging.DEBUG, msg=f"listing image tags in {image_key}"):
         path = f"{image_key}/tags/list?n={get_application_settings(app).DIRECTOR_REGISTRY_CLIENT_MAX_NUMBER_OF_RETRIEVED_OBJECTS}"
-        tags, headers = await registry_request(app, path=path)  # initial call
+        tags, headers = await registry_request(
+            app, path=path, method="GET", use_cache=True
+        )  # initial call
         while True:
             if "Link" in headers:
                 next_path = (
                     str(headers["Link"]).split(";")[0].strip("<>").removeprefix("/v2/")
                 )
                 prefetch_task = asyncio.create_task(
-                    registry_request(app, path=next_path)
+                    registry_request(app, path=next_path, method="GET", use_cache=True)
                 )
             else:
                 prefetch_task = None
@@ -342,7 +360,7 @@ async def get_image_digest(app: FastAPI, image: str, tag: str) -> str | None:
     SEE https://distribution.github.io/distribution/spec/api/#digest-header
     """
     path = f"{image}/manifests/{tag}"
-    _, headers = await registry_request(app, path=path)
+    _, headers = await registry_request(app, path=path, method="GET", use_cache=True)
 
     headers = headers or {}
     return headers.get(_DOCKER_CONTENT_DIGEST_HEADER, None)
@@ -355,7 +373,9 @@ async def get_image_labels(
 
     _logger.debug("getting image labels of %s:%s", image, tag)
     path = f"{image}/manifests/{tag}"
-    request_result, headers = await registry_request(app, path=path)
+    request_result, headers = await registry_request(
+        app, path=path, method="GET", use_cache=True
+    )
     v1_compatibility_key = json.loads(request_result["history"][0]["v1Compatibility"])
     container_config: dict[str, Any] = v1_compatibility_key.get(
         "container_config", v1_compatibility_key["config"]