diff --git a/conda_build/metadata.py b/conda_build/metadata.py
index 4347dc8842..dd02f9a65c 100644
--- a/conda_build/metadata.py
+++ b/conda_build/metadata.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 )
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from typing import Literal
+    from typing import Any, Literal
 
 try:
     import yaml
@@ -277,38 +277,68 @@ def eval_selector(selector_string, namespace, variants_in_place):
         return eval_selector(next_string, namespace, variants_in_place)
 
 
-def select_lines(data, namespace, variants_in_place):
-    lines = []
-
-    for i, line in enumerate(data.splitlines()):
+@lru_cache(maxsize=None)
+def _split_line_selector(text: str) -> tuple[tuple[str | None, str], ...]:
+    lines: list[tuple[str | None, str]] = []
+    for line in text.splitlines():
         line = line.rstrip()
 
+        # skip comment lines, include a blank line as a placeholder
+        if line.lstrip().startswith("#"):
+            lines.append((None, ""))
+            continue
+
+        # include blank lines
+        if not line:
+            lines.append((None, ""))
+            continue
+
+        # user may have quoted entire line to make YAML happy
         trailing_quote = ""
         if line and line[-1] in ("'", '"'):
             trailing_quote = line[-1]
 
-        if line.lstrip().startswith("#"):
-            # Don't bother with comment only lines
-            continue
-        m = sel_pat.match(line)
-        if m:
-            cond = m.group(3)
-            try:
-                if eval_selector(cond, namespace, variants_in_place):
-                    lines.append(m.group(1) + trailing_quote)
-            except Exception as e:
-                sys.exit(
-                    """\
-Error: Invalid selector in meta.yaml line %d:
-offending line:
-%s
-exception:
-%s
-"""
-                    % (i + 1, line, str(e))
-                )
+        # Checking for "[" and "]" before regex matching every line is a bit faster.
+        if (
+            ("[" in line and "]" in line)
+            and (match := sel_pat.match(line))
+            and (selector := match.group(3))
+        ):
+            # found a selector
+            lines.append((selector, (match.group(1) + trailing_quote).rstrip()))
         else:
+            # no selector found
+            lines.append((None, line))
+    return tuple(lines)
+
+
+def select_lines(text: str, namespace: dict[str, Any], variants_in_place: bool) -> str:
+    lines = []
+    selector_cache: dict[str, bool] = {}
+    for i, (selector, line) in enumerate(_split_line_selector(text)):
+        if not selector:
+            # no selector? include line as is
             lines.append(line)
+        else:
+            # include lines with a selector that evaluates to True
+            try:
+                if selector_cache[selector]:
+                    lines.append(line)
+            except KeyError:
+                # KeyError: cache miss
+                try:
+                    value = bool(eval_selector(selector, namespace, variants_in_place))
+                    selector_cache[selector] = value
+                    if value:
+                        lines.append(line)
+                except Exception as e:
+                    sys.exit(
+                        f"Error: Invalid selector in meta.yaml line {i + 1}:\n"
+                        f"offending line:\n"
+                        f"{line}\n"
+                        f"exception:\n"
+                        f"{e.__class__.__name__}: {e}\n"
+                    )
     return "\n".join(lines) + "\n"
 
 
@@ -2083,8 +2113,11 @@ def uses_vcs_in_build(self) -> Literal["git", "svn", "mercurial"] | None:
         return None
 
     def get_recipe_text(
-        self, extract_pattern=None, force_top_level=False, apply_selectors=True
-    ):
+        self,
+        extract_pattern: str | None = None,
+        force_top_level: bool = False,
+        apply_selectors: bool = True,
+    ) -> str:
         meta_path = self.meta_path
         if meta_path:
             recipe_text = read_meta_file(meta_path)
diff --git a/news/5237-select_lines-caching b/news/5237-select_lines-caching
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..434a832350
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/5237-select_lines-caching
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+### Enhancements
+
+* Add `conda_build.metadata._split_line_selector` to cache line-selector parsed text. (#5237)
+
+### Bug fixes
+
+* <news item>
+
+### Deprecations
+
+* <news item>
+
+### Docs
+
+* <news item>
+
+### Other
+
+* <news item>
diff --git a/tests/test_metadata.py b/tests/test_metadata.py
index 0f6da9b089..1b9fc34258 100644
--- a/tests/test_metadata.py
+++ b/tests/test_metadata.py
@@ -57,14 +57,14 @@ def test_uses_vcs_in_metadata(testing_workdir, testing_metadata):
 def test_select_lines():
     lines = "\n".join(
         (
-            "",
+            "",  # preserve leading newline
             "test",
             "test [abc] no",
             "test [abc] # no",
             " ' test ' ",
             ' " test " ',
-            "",
-            "# comment line",
+            "",  # preserve newline
+            "# comment line",  # preserve comment line (but not the comment)
             "test [abc]",
             " 'quoted # [abc] '",
             ' "quoted # [abc] yes "',
@@ -74,19 +74,20 @@ def test_select_lines():
             "test {{ JINJA_VAR[:2] }} # stuff yes [abc]",
             "test {{ JINJA_VAR[:2] }} # [abc] stuff yes",
             '{{ environ["test"] }}  # [abc]',
-            "",  # trailing newline
+            "",  # preserve trailing newline
         )
     )
 
     assert select_lines(lines, {"abc": True}, variants_in_place=True) == "\n".join(
         (
-            "",
+            "",  # preserve leading newline
             "test",
             "test [abc] no",
             "test [abc] # no",
             " ' test '",
             ' " test "',
-            "",
+            "",  # preserve newline
+            "",  # preserve comment line (but not the comment)
             "test",
             " 'quoted'",
             ' "quoted"',
@@ -96,20 +97,21 @@ def test_select_lines():
             "test {{ JINJA_VAR[:2] }}",
             "test {{ JINJA_VAR[:2] }}",
             '{{ environ["test"] }}',
-            "",  # trailing newline
+            "",  # preserve trailing newline
         )
     )
     assert select_lines(lines, {"abc": False}, variants_in_place=True) == "\n".join(
         (
-            "",
+            "",  # preserve leading newline
             "test",
             "test [abc] no",
             "test [abc] # no",
             " ' test '",
             ' " test "',
-            "",
+            "",  # preserve newline
+            "",  # preserve comment line (but not the comment)
             "test {{ JINJA_VAR[:2] }}",
-            "",  # trailing newline
+            "",  # preserve trailing newline
         )
     )