diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 5b2294ac..39e832e0 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -209,6 +209,8 @@ async fn entry() -> Result<()> {
 
     let mut uithread = UIThread::new(!opts.no_confirm);
 
+    let desired_targets = get_desired_targets(&opts.targets);
+
     // Compute install directory
     let install_path = get_install_path(opts.install_path.as_deref()).ok_or_else(|| {
         error!("No viable install path found of specified, try `--install-path`");
@@ -258,22 +260,11 @@ async fn entry() -> Result<()> {
         manifest.bin,
     );
 
-    let desired_targets = {
-        let from_opts = opts
-            .targets
-            .as_ref()
-            .map(|ts| ts.split(',').map(|t| t.to_string()).collect());
-
-        if let Some(ts) = from_opts {
-            ts
-        } else {
-            detect_targets().await
-        }
-    };
-
     let mut fetchers = MultiFetcher::default();
 
-    for target in &desired_targets {
+    let desired_targets = desired_targets.get().await;
+
+    for target in desired_targets {
         debug!("Building metadata for target: {target}");
         let mut target_meta = meta.clone();
 
diff --git a/src/target.rs b/src/target.rs
index 1ce8d308..487f7040 100644
--- a/src/target.rs
+++ b/src/target.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,68 @@
 use std::io::{BufRead, Cursor};
 use std::process::Output;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
 use tokio::process::Command;
+use tokio::sync::OnceCell;
 
 /// Compiled target triple, used as default for binary fetching
 pub const TARGET: &str = env!("TARGET");
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
+enum DesiredTargetsInner {
+    AutoDetect(Arc<OnceCell<Vec<String>>>),
+    Initialized(Vec<String>),
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct DesiredTargets(DesiredTargetsInner);
+
+impl DesiredTargets {
+    fn initialized(targets: Vec<String>) -> Self {
+        Self(DesiredTargetsInner::Initialized(targets))
+    }
+
+    fn auto_detect() -> Self {
+        let arc = Arc::new(OnceCell::new());
+
+        let once_cell = arc.clone();
+        tokio::spawn(async move {
+            once_cell.get_or_init(detect_targets).await;
+        });
+
+        Self(DesiredTargetsInner::AutoDetect(arc))
+    }
+
+    pub async fn get(&self) -> &[String] {
+        use DesiredTargetsInner::*;
+
+        match &self.0 {
+            Initialized(targets) => targets,
+
+            // This will mostly just wait for the spawned task,
+            // on rare occausion though, it will poll the future
+            // returned by `detect_targets`.
+            AutoDetect(once_cell) => once_cell.get_or_init(detect_targets).await,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// If opts_targets is `Some`, then it will be used.
+/// Otherwise, call `detect_targets` using `tokio::spawn` to detect targets.
+///
+/// Since `detect_targets` internally spawns a process and wait for it,
+/// it's pretty costy.
+///
+/// Calling it through `tokio::spawn` would enable other tasks, such as
+/// fetching the crate tarballs, to be executed concurrently.
+pub fn get_desired_targets(opts_targets: &Option<String>) -> DesiredTargets {
+    if let Some(targets) = opts_targets.as_ref() {
+        DesiredTargets::initialized(targets.split(',').map(|t| t.to_string()).collect())
+    } else {
+        DesiredTargets::auto_detect()
+    }
+}
+
 /// Detect the targets supported at runtime,
 /// which might be different from `TARGET` which is detected
 /// at compile-time.