diff --git a/cms/envs/aws.py b/cms/envs/aws.py
index a24e25b74e..ee95e21d16 100644
--- a/cms/envs/aws.py
+++ b/cms/envs/aws.py
@@ -122,6 +122,12 @@ SITE_NAME = ENV_TOKENS['SITE_NAME']
 LOG_DIR = ENV_TOKENS['LOG_DIR']
 
 CACHES = ENV_TOKENS['CACHES']
+# Cache used for location mapping -- called many times with the same key/value
+# in a given request.
+CACHES['loc_cache'] = {
+    'BACKEND': 'django.core.cache.backends.locmem.LocMemCache',
+    'LOCATION': 'edx_location_mem_cache',
+}
 
 SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN = ENV_TOKENS.get('SESSION_COOKIE_DOMAIN')
 SESSION_ENGINE = ENV_TOKENS.get('SESSION_ENGINE', SESSION_ENGINE)
diff --git a/lms/envs/aws.py b/lms/envs/aws.py
index 3e43a35c29..6a85255ca4 100644
--- a/lms/envs/aws.py
+++ b/lms/envs/aws.py
@@ -155,6 +155,12 @@ MEDIA_URL = ENV_TOKENS['MEDIA_URL']
 LOG_DIR = ENV_TOKENS['LOG_DIR']
 
 CACHES = ENV_TOKENS['CACHES']
+# Cache used for location mapping -- called many times with the same key/value
+# in a given request.
+CACHES['loc_cache'] = {
+    'BACKEND': 'django.core.cache.backends.locmem.LocMemCache',
+    'LOCATION': 'edx_location_mem_cache',
+}
 
 # Email overrides
 DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL = ENV_TOKENS.get('DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL', DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL)