diff --git a/src/orm/base_model/index.ts b/src/orm/base_model/index.ts
index 44104824..93affd18 100644
--- a/src/orm/base_model/index.ts
+++ b/src/orm/base_model/index.ts
@@ -1802,6 +1802,16 @@ class BaseModelImpl implements LucidRow {
       .processAllForOne(this, queryClient)
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Load relationships onto the instance, but only if they are not
+   * already preloaded
+   */
+  async loadOnce(relationName: any) {
+    if (!this.$preloaded[relationName]) {
+      return this.load(relationName)
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * @deprecated
    */
diff --git a/src/types/model.ts b/src/types/model.ts
index 7a2d7e5c..7e698d17 100644
--- a/src/types/model.ts
+++ b/src/types/model.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import {
   WhereHas,
   WithAggregate,
   WithCount,
+  PreloadWithoutCallback,
 } from './relations.js'
 
 /**
@@ -314,6 +315,9 @@ export interface LucidRowPreload<Model extends LucidRow> extends Preload<Model,
   (callback: (preloader: PreloaderContract<Model>) => void): Promise<void>
 }
 
+export interface LucidRowPreloadOnce<Model extends LucidRow>
+  extends PreloadWithoutCallback<Model, Promise<void>> {}
+
 export interface LucidRowAggregate<Model extends LucidRow> extends Preload<Model, Promise<void>> {
   (callback: (preloader: PreloaderContract<Model>) => void): Promise<void>
 }
@@ -643,6 +647,12 @@ export interface LucidRow {
    */
   load: LucidRowPreload<this>
 
+  /**
+   * Load relationships onto the instance, but only if they are not
+   * already preloaded
+   */
+  loadOnce: LucidRowPreloadOnce<this>
+
   /**
    * Alias for "load"
    * @deprecated
diff --git a/src/types/relations.ts b/src/types/relations.ts
index 0aae34ba..5c338795 100644
--- a/src/types/relations.ts
+++ b/src/types/relations.ts
@@ -1058,6 +1058,10 @@ export interface Preload<Model extends LucidRow, Builder> {
   ): Builder
 }
 
+export interface PreloadWithoutCallback<Model extends LucidRow, Builder> {
+  <Name extends ExtractModelRelations<Model>>(relation: Name): Builder
+}
+
 /**
  * Shape of the preloader to preload relationships
  */
diff --git a/test/orm/model_belongs_to.spec.ts b/test/orm/model_belongs_to.spec.ts
index 8da6ccd0..41b30a20 100644
--- a/test/orm/model_belongs_to.spec.ts
+++ b/test/orm/model_belongs_to.spec.ts
@@ -1215,6 +1215,67 @@ test.group('Model | BelongsTo | preload', (group) => {
     assert.equal(profile.user.id, profile.userId)
   })
 
+  test('preload once using model instance', async ({ assert, fs }) => {
+    const app = new AppFactory().create(fs.baseUrl, () => {})
+    await app.init()
+    const db = getDb()
+    const adapter = ormAdapter(db)
+    const BaseModel = getBaseModel(adapter)
+
+    let queryCount = 0
+
+    class User extends BaseModel {
+      @column({ isPrimary: true })
+      declare id: number
+    }
+
+    class Profile extends BaseModel {
+      @column({ isPrimary: true })
+      declare id: number
+
+      @column()
+      declare userId: number
+
+      @column()
+      declare displayName: string
+
+      @belongsTo(() => User, {
+        onQuery() {
+          queryCount++
+        },
+      })
+      declare user: BelongsTo<typeof User>
+    }
+
+    await db
+      .insertQuery()
+      .table('users')
+      .insert([{ username: 'virk' }])
+
+    const users = await db.query().from('users')
+    await db
+      .insertQuery()
+      .table('profiles')
+      .insert([
+        {
+          user_id: users[0].id,
+          display_name: 'virk',
+        },
+        {
+          user_id: users[0].id,
+          display_name: 'virk',
+        },
+      ])
+
+    const profile = await Profile.findOrFail(1)
+    await profile.loadOnce('user')
+    await profile.loadOnce('user')
+
+    assert.instanceOf(profile.user, User)
+    assert.equal(profile.user.id, profile.userId)
+    assert.equal(queryCount, 1)
+  })
+
   test('preload nested relations', async ({ assert, fs }) => {
     const app = new AppFactory().create(fs.baseUrl, () => {})
     await app.init()