diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index ff5638dd155..add272cc5ce 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -1163,6 +1163,23 @@ class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
     pipelines.order(id: :desc).find_by(sha: sha, ref: ref)
   end
 
+  def latest_successful_pipeline_for_default_branch
+    if defined?(@latest_successful_pipeline_for_default_branch)
+      return @latest_successful_pipeline_for_default_branch
+    end
+
+    @latest_successful_pipeline_for_default_branch =
+      pipelines.latest_successful_for(default_branch)
+  end
+
+  def latest_successful_pipeline_for(ref = nil)
+    if ref && ref != default_branch
+      pipelines.latest_successful_for(ref)
+    else
+      latest_successful_pipeline_for_default_branch
+    end
+  end
+
   def enable_ci
     project_feature.update_attribute(:builds_access_level, ProjectFeature::ENABLED)
   end
diff --git a/app/views/projects/buttons/_download.html.haml b/app/views/projects/buttons/_download.html.haml
index 883922dbf04..219ccdc8164 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/buttons/_download.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/buttons/_download.html.haml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-- pipeline = local_assigns.fetch(:pipeline) { project.pipelines.latest_successful_for(ref) }
+- pipeline = local_assigns.fetch(:pipeline) { project.latest_successful_pipeline_for(ref) }
 
 - if !project.empty_repo? && can?(current_user, :download_code, project)
   .project-action-button.dropdown.inline>
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/projects-controller-show.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/projects-controller-show.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..25f4a72710b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/projects-controller-show.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Memoize pipelines for project download buttons
+merge_request:
+author:
+type: other
diff --git a/spec/models/project_spec.rb b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
index 48fc77423ff..78226c6c3fa 100644
--- a/spec/models/project_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
@@ -2682,4 +2682,60 @@ describe Project do
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#latest_successful_builds_for' do
+    let(:project) { build(:project) }
+
+    before do
+      allow(project).to receive(:default_branch).and_return('master')
+    end
+
+    context 'without a ref' do
+      it 'returns a pipeline for the default branch' do
+        expect(project)
+          .to receive(:latest_successful_pipeline_for_default_branch)
+
+        project.latest_successful_pipeline_for
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with the ref set to the default branch' do
+      it 'returns a pipeline for the default branch' do
+        expect(project)
+          .to receive(:latest_successful_pipeline_for_default_branch)
+
+        project.latest_successful_pipeline_for(project.default_branch)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with a ref that is not the default branch' do
+      it 'returns the latest successful pipeline for the given ref' do
+        expect(project.pipelines).to receive(:latest_successful_for).with('foo')
+
+        project.latest_successful_pipeline_for('foo')
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#latest_successful_pipeline_for_default_branch' do
+    let(:project) { build(:project) }
+
+    before do
+      allow(project).to receive(:default_branch).and_return('master')
+    end
+
+    it 'memoizes and returns the latest successful pipeline for the default branch' do
+      pipeline = double(:pipeline)
+
+      expect(project.pipelines).to receive(:latest_successful_for)
+        .with(project.default_branch)
+        .and_return(pipeline)
+        .once
+
+      2.times do
+        expect(project.latest_successful_pipeline_for_default_branch)
+          .to eq(pipeline)
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end