diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index ac4e6315..4e8d7412 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ defaults:
   run:
     shell: bash
 
+env:
+  NU_LOG_LEVEL: DEBUG
+
 jobs:
   tests:
     strategy:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d045d857..c0fe602c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
 A collection of Nushell tools to manage `git` repositories.
 
 # Table of content
-- [*what is `nu-git-manager`*](#bulb-what-is-nu-git-manager-toc)
-- [*requirements*](#link-requirements-toc)
-- [*installation*](#recycle-installation-toc)
-- [*usage*](#gear-usage-toc)
-    - [*getting help*](#pray-getting-help-toc)
-- [*some ideas of advanced (?) usage*](#exclamation-some-ideas-of-advanced--usage-toc)
+- [nu-git-manager](#nu-git-manager)
+- [Table of content](#table-of-content)
+  - [:bulb: what is `nu-git-manager` \[toc\]](#bulb-what-is-nu-git-manager-toc)
+  - [:link: requirements \[toc\]](#link-requirements-toc)
+  - [:recycle: installation \[toc\]](#recycle-installation-toc)
+  - [:gear: usage \[toc\]](#gear-usage-toc)
+    - [:pray: getting help \[toc\]](#pray-getting-help-toc)
+  - [:exclamation: some ideas of advanced (?) usage \[toc\]](#exclamation-some-ideas-of-advanced--usage-toc)
 
 ## :bulb: what is `nu-git-manager` [[toc](#table-of-content)]
 like [`ghq`](https://github.com/x-motemen/ghq), `nu-git-manager` aims at being a fully-featured
@@ -26,9 +28,6 @@ it provides two main modules:
 - `gh` (optional) 2.29.0 (used by `sugar gh`)
     - with Pacman and `pacman -S community/github-cli`
     - with Nix and `nix run nixpkgs#gh`
-- `find` 4.9.0
-    - with Pacman and `pacman -S core/findutils`
-    - with Nix and `nix run nixpkgs#findutils`
 
 ## :recycle: installation [[toc](#table-of-content)]
 - install [Nupm] (**recommended**) by following the [Nupm instructions]
diff --git a/nu-git-manager/fs/path.nu b/nu-git-manager/fs/path.nu
index 48a8007e..051d67f2 100644
--- a/nu-git-manager/fs/path.nu
+++ b/nu-git-manager/fs/path.nu
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # sanitize a Windows path
 export def "path sanitize" []: path -> path {
-    str replace --all '\' '/'
+    str replace --regex '^.:' '' | str replace --all '\' '/'
 }
diff --git a/nu-git-manager/fs/store.nu b/nu-git-manager/fs/store.nu
index 3ca15f10..3810475a 100644
--- a/nu-git-manager/fs/store.nu
+++ b/nu-git-manager/fs/store.nu
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use std log
 use path.nu "path sanitize"
 
 export def get-repo-store-path []: nothing -> path {
@@ -6,17 +7,49 @@ export def get-repo-store-path []: nothing -> path {
     ) | path expand | path sanitize
 }
 
+export def get-repo-store-cache-path []: nothing -> path {
+    $env.XDG_CACHE_HOME?
+        | default ($nu.home-path | path join ".cache")
+        | path join "nu-git-manager/cache.nuon"
+        | path expand
+        | path sanitize
+}
+
+export def check-cache-file [cache_file: path]: nothing -> nothing {
+    if not ($cache_file | path exists) {
+        error make --unspanned {
+            msg: (
+                $"(ansi red_bold)cache_not_found(ansi reset):\n"
+              + $"please run `(ansi default_dimmed)gm cache --update(ansi reset)` to create the cache"
+            )
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 export def list-repos-in-store []: nothing -> list<path> {
     if not (get-repo-store-path | path exists) {
+        log debug $"the store does not exist: `(get-repo-store-path)`"
         return []
     }
 
-    if $nu.os-info.name == "windows" {
-        # FIXME: this is super slow on windows
-        glob **/*.git --not [**/*.venv **/node_modules/** **/target/** **/build/** */]
-    } else {
-        # FIXME: do not use external `find` command
-        ^find (get-repo-store-path) -name ".git"
-            | lines
-    }  | each { path split | range 0..(-2) | path join }
+    # FIXME: glob does not work very well with Windows and absolute paths: the easy fix is to `cd`
+    # first and then perform the globbing
+    # related to https://github.com/nushell/nushell/issues/7125
+    cd (get-repo-store-path)
+    let heads: list<string> = glob "**/HEAD" --not [
+            **/.git/**/refs/remotes/**/HEAD,
+            **/.git/modules/**/HEAD,
+            **/logs/HEAD
+        ]
+    # NOTE: we need to keep the trailing `/` here to avoid telling that `foo.bar` is a duplicate of
+    # `foo`, because `foo/` is not contained in `foo.bar/`
+    let repos = $heads | each { path sanitize } | str replace --regex '(.git/)?HEAD$' ''
+
+    let sorted = $repos | sort
+    let pairs = $sorted | range 1.. | zip ($sorted | range ..(-2))
+    $pairs
+        | filter {|it| not ($it.0 | str starts-with $it.1)}
+        | each { get 0 }
+        | prepend $sorted.0
+        | str trim --right --char "/"
 }
diff --git a/nu-git-manager/mod.nu b/nu-git-manager/mod.nu
index 38a396e6..51f2e0a5 100644
--- a/nu-git-manager/mod.nu
+++ b/nu-git-manager/mod.nu
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use std log
 
-use fs/store.nu [get-repo-store-path, list-repos-in-store]
+use fs/store.nu [
+    check-cache-file, get-repo-store-path, get-repo-store-cache-path, list-repos-in-store
+]
 use git/url.nu [parse-git-url, get-fetch-push-urls]
 
 def "nu-complete git-protocols" []: nothing -> table<value: string, description: string> {
@@ -70,6 +72,15 @@ export def "gm clone" [
 
     git -C $local_path remote set-url $remote $urls.fetch
     git -C $local_path remote set-url $remote --push $urls.push
+
+    let cache_file = get-repo-store-cache-path
+    check-cache-file $cache_file
+
+    print --no-newline "updating cache... "
+    open $cache_file | append $local_path | uniq | sort | save --force $cache_file
+    print "done"
+
+    null
 }
 
 # list all the local repositories in your local store
@@ -86,12 +97,15 @@ export def "gm clone" [
 export def "gm list" [
     --full-path # show the full path instead of only the "owner + group + repo" name
 ]: nothing -> list<path> {
+    let cache_file = get-repo-store-cache-path
+    check-cache-file $cache_file
+
+    let repos = open $cache_file
     if $full_path {
-        list-repos-in-store
+        $repos
     } else {
-        let root = get-repo-store-path
-        list-repos-in-store | each {
-            str replace $root '' | str trim --left --char (char path_sep)
+        $repos | each {
+            str replace (get-repo-store-path) '' | str trim --left --char "/"
         }
     }
 }
@@ -111,6 +125,38 @@ export def "gm root" []: nothing -> path {
     get-repo-store-path
 }
 
+# get the path to the cache of the local store of repositories managed by `nu-git-manager`
+#
+# `nu-git-manager` will look for a cache in the following places, in order:
+# - `$env.XDG_CACHE_HOME | path join "nu-git-manager/cache.nuon"
+# - `~/.cache/nu-git-manager/cache.nuon`
+#
+# # Example
+#     a contrived example, assuming you are in `~`
+#     > XDG_CACHE_HOME=foo gm root
+#     ~/foo/nu-git-manager/cache.nuon
+#
+#     update the cache of repositories
+#     > gm cache --update
+export def "gm cache" [
+    --update # will dump the content of the store to the cache of `nu-git-manager`
+]: nothing -> path {
+    let cache_file = get-repo-store-cache-path
+
+    if $update {
+        rm --recursive --force $cache_file
+        mkdir ($cache_file | path dirname)
+
+        print --no-newline "updating cache... "
+        list-repos-in-store | save --force $cache_file
+        print "done"
+
+        return
+    }
+
+    get-repo-store-cache-path
+}
+
 # remove one of the repositories from your local store
 #
 # # Examples
@@ -127,9 +173,9 @@ export def "gm remove" [
     --fuzzy # remove after fuzzy-finding the repo(s) to clean
 ]: nothing -> nothing {
     let root = get-repo-store-path
-    let choices = list-repos-in-store
+    let choices = gm list
         | each {
-            str replace $root '' | str trim --left --char (char path_sep)
+            str replace $root '' | str trim --left --char "/"
         }
         | find $pattern
 
@@ -165,9 +211,19 @@ export def "gm remove" [
 
     let prompt = $"are you (ansi defu)sure(ansi reset) you want to (ansi red_bold)remove(ansi reset) (ansi yellow)($repo_to_remove)(ansi reset)? "
     match (["no", "yes"] | input list $prompt) {
-        "no" => { log info $"user chose to (ansi green_bold)keep(ansi reset) (ansi yellow)($repo_to_remove)(ansi reset)" },
+        "no" => {
+            log info $"user chose to (ansi green_bold)keep(ansi reset) (ansi yellow)($repo_to_remove)(ansi reset)"
+            return
+        },
         "yes" => { rm --recursive --force --verbose ($root | path join $repo_to_remove) },
     }
 
+    let cache_file = get-repo-store-cache-path
+    check-cache-file $cache_file
+
+    print --no-newline "updating cache... "
+    open $cache_file | where $it != ($root | path join $repo_to_remove) | save --force $cache_file
+    print "done"
+
     null
 }
diff --git a/tests/mod.nu b/tests/mod.nu
index 251ca8fd..32a87e5f 100644
--- a/tests/mod.nu
+++ b/tests/mod.nu
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 use std assert
 
 use ../nu-git-manager/git/url.nu [parse-git-url, get-fetch-push-urls]
-use ../nu-git-manager/fs/store.nu get-repo-store-path
+use ../nu-git-manager/fs/store.nu [
+    get-repo-store-path, get-repo-store-cache-path, list-repos-in-store
+]
 use ../nu-git-manager/fs/path.nu "path sanitize"
 
 export def path-sanitization [] {
@@ -88,3 +90,65 @@ export def get-store-root [] {
         assert equal $actual ($case.expected | path expand | path sanitize)
     }
 }
+
+export def get-repo-cache [] {
+    let cases = [
+        [env,                       expected];
+
+        [{XDG_CACHE_HOME: null},    "~/.cache/nu-git-manager/cache.nuon"],
+        [{XDG_CACHE_HOME: "~/xdg"}, "~/xdg/nu-git-manager/cache.nuon"],
+    ]
+
+    for case in $cases {
+        let actual = with-env $case.env { get-repo-store-cache-path }
+        assert equal $actual ($case.expected | path expand | path sanitize)
+    }
+}
+
+export def list-all-repos-in-store [] {
+    # NOTE: `$BASE` is a constant, hence the capitalized name, but `path sanitize` is not a
+    # parse-time command
+    let BASE = (
+        $nu.temp-path | path join "nu-git-manager/tests/list-all-repos-in-store" | path sanitize
+    )
+
+    if ($BASE | path exists) {
+        rm --recursive --verbose --force $BASE
+    }
+    mkdir $BASE
+
+    let store = [
+        [is_bare, in_store, path];
+
+        [false,   true,     "a/normal/"],
+        [true,    true,     "a/bare/"],
+        [false,   true,     "b/c/d/normal/"],
+        [true,    true,     "b/c/d/bare/"],
+        [false,   false,    "a/normal/b/nested/"],
+        [false,   false,    "a/normal/.git/modules/foo/"],
+        [false,   true,     "a/normal.but.more.complex/"],
+    ]
+
+    for repo in $store {
+        if $repo.is_bare {
+            git init --bare ($BASE | path join $repo.path)
+        } else {
+            git init ($BASE | path join $repo.path)
+        }
+    }
+
+    # NOTE: remove the path to BASE so that the test output is easy to read
+    let actual = with-env {GIT_REPOS_HOME: $BASE} { list-repos-in-store } | each {
+        str replace $BASE '' | str trim --left --char "/"
+    }
+    let expected = $store | where in_store | get path | each {
+        # NOTE: `list-repos-in-store` does not add `/` at the end of the paths
+        str trim --right --char "/"
+    }
+
+    # NOTE: need to sort the result to make sure the order of the `git init` does not influence the
+    # results of the test
+    assert equal ($actual | sort) ($expected | sort)
+
+    rm --recursive --verbose --force $BASE
+}