diff --git a/deploy/Installer.iss b/deploy/Installer.iss
index 91d2225..09d32e0 100644
--- a/deploy/Installer.iss
+++ b/deploy/Installer.iss
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // ###########################
-#define Release "1.16.3"
+#define Release "1.16.4"
 // ###########################
 
 #define AppName "voyager"
diff --git a/docs/release-notes.md b/docs/release-notes.md
index 448e73d..fa60f39 100644
--- a/docs/release-notes.md
+++ b/docs/release-notes.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Release notes
 
+### [1.16.4]
+- Use a persistent HTTP connection to make `voyager install` faster.
+
 ### [1.16.3]
 - Preserve symlinks during `voyager deploy`.
 
diff --git a/voyager/artifactdownloader.py b/voyager/artifactdownloader.py
index fe08484..a5ffab8 100644
--- a/voyager/artifactdownloader.py
+++ b/voyager/artifactdownloader.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import click
 from pathlib import Path
 from artifactory import ArtifactoryPath
+import requests
 from semver import valid_range, max_satisfying
 import semver
 
@@ -34,6 +35,9 @@ def __init__(self, libraries: list, are_build_tools: bool, download_runtime_deps
         self.build_tools = are_build_tools
         self.download_runtime_deps = download_runtime_deps
 
+        self.artifactory_session = requests.Session()
+        self.artifactory_session.headers['X-JFrog-Art-Api'] = self.config.api_key
+
     def clear_directory(self):
         try:
             shutil.rmtree(self._download_dir)
@@ -196,7 +200,7 @@ def find_versions_for_package(self, repo, library, override_archs):
             archs = self._get_active_archs()
         versions = []
         
-        path = ArtifactoryPath(self.config.artifactory_url, apikey=self.config.api_key)
+        path = ArtifactoryPath(self.config.artifactory_url, session=self.artifactory_session)
 
         args = [
             "items.find",
@@ -237,7 +241,7 @@ def _find_download_extract_package(self, repo, library, version, output_dir, ove
         for arch in archs:
             package_dir = f"{repo}/{library}/{version}/{arch}"
             url = f"{self.config.artifactory_url}/{package_dir}/voyager_package.tgz"
-            path = ArtifactoryPath(url, apikey=self.config.api_key)
+            path = ArtifactoryPath(url, session=self.artifactory_session)
 
             if path.exists():
                 click.echo(click.style(f'{arch} @ {version} ', fg='bright_blue'), nl=False)
diff --git a/voyager/voyager.py b/voyager/voyager.py
index 4b60d44..09d69a2 100644
--- a/voyager/voyager.py
+++ b/voyager/voyager.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 import voyager.doc as doc_server
 import voyager.package_update as package_updater
 
-VERSION = "1.16.3"
+VERSION = "1.16.4"
 
 
 @click.group()