diff --git a/search-services/alfresco-solrclient-lib/source/java/org/alfresco/solr/client/SOLRAPIClientFactory.java b/search-services/alfresco-solrclient-lib/source/java/org/alfresco/solr/client/SOLRAPIClientFactory.java
index 1d4269215..482783ce3 100644
--- a/search-services/alfresco-solrclient-lib/source/java/org/alfresco/solr/client/SOLRAPIClientFactory.java
+++ b/search-services/alfresco-solrclient-lib/source/java/org/alfresco/solr/client/SOLRAPIClientFactory.java
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
  */
 package org.alfresco.solr.client;
 
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
 import org.alfresco.encryption.KeyResourceLoader;
@@ -29,9 +31,17 @@ import org.alfresco.httpclient.HttpClientFactory.SecureCommsType;
 import org.alfresco.repo.dictionary.NamespaceDAO;
 import org.alfresco.service.cmr.dictionary.DictionaryService;
 
+/**
+ * This factory encapsulates the creation of a SOLRAPIClient and the management of that resource. 
+ * @author Ahmed Owian
+ */
 public class SOLRAPIClientFactory
 {
-
+    /*
+     * Pool of cached client resources keyed on alfresco instances
+     */
+    private static Map<String, SOLRAPIClient> clientsPerAlfresco = new HashMap<>();
+    
     // encryption related parameters
     private String secureCommsType; // "none", "https"
     private String keyStoreType;
@@ -58,31 +68,84 @@ public class SOLRAPIClientFactory
     private int maxHostConnections = 40;
     private int socketTimeout = 120000;
     
-    
-    public SOLRAPIClient getSOLRAPIClient(Properties p, KeyResourceLoader keyResourceLoader, DictionaryService dictionaryService, NamespaceDAO namespaceDAO)
+    /**
+     * Gets the client resource from the pool.
+     * @param alfrescoHost
+     * @param alfrescoPort
+     * @param alfrescoPortSSL
+     * @return
+     */
+    private SOLRAPIClient getCachedClient(String alfrescoHost, int alfrescoPort, int alfrescoPortSSL)
     {
-        alfrescoHost = p.getProperty("alfresco.host", "localhost");
-        alfrescoPort = Integer.parseInt(p.getProperty("alfresco.port", "8080"));
-        alfrescoPortSSL = Integer.parseInt(p.getProperty("alfresco.port.ssl", "8443"));
-        baseUrl = p.getProperty("alfresco.baseUrl", "/alfresco");
-        keyStoreType = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.type", "JCEKS");
-        keyStoreProvider = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.provider");
-        passwordFileLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.passwordFileLocation");
-        keyStoreLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.location");
-        sslKeyStoreType = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.type");
-        sslKeyStoreProvider = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.provider", "");
-        sslKeyStoreLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.location", "ssl.repo.client.keystore");
-        sslKeyStorePasswordFileLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.passwordFileLocation", "ssl-keystore-passwords.properties");
-        sslTrustStoreType = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.type", "JCEKS");
-        sslTrustStoreProvider = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.provider", "");
-        sslTrustStoreLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.location", "ssl.repo.client.truststore");
-        sslTrustStorePasswordFileLocation = p.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.passwordFileLocation", "ssl-truststore-passwords.properties");
-        secureCommsType = p.getProperty("alfresco.secureComms", "https");
-        maxTotalConnections = Integer.parseInt(p.getProperty("alfresco.maxTotalConnections", "40"));
-        maxHostConnections = Integer.parseInt(p.getProperty("alfresco.maxHostConnections", "40"));
-        socketTimeout = Integer.parseInt(p.getProperty("alfresco.socketTimeout", "0"));
+        String key = constructKey(alfrescoHost, alfrescoPort, alfrescoPortSSL);
+        return clientsPerAlfresco.get(key);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a key to identify a unique alfresco instance to which the client will connect.
+     * @param alfrescoHost
+     * @param alfrescoPort
+     * @param alfrescoPortSSL
+     * @return the key to get a client
+     */
+    private String constructKey(String alfrescoHost, int alfrescoPort, int alfrescoPortSSL)
+    {
+        return alfrescoHost + alfrescoPort + alfrescoPortSSL;
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Sets the client in the resource pool.
+     * @param alfrescoHost
+     * @param alfrescoPort
+     * @param alfrescoPortSSL
+     * @param client
+     */
+    private void setCachedClient(String alfrescoHost, int alfrescoPort, int alfrescoPortSSL, SOLRAPIClient client)
+    {
+        String key = constructKey(alfrescoHost, alfrescoPort, alfrescoPortSSL);
+        clientsPerAlfresco.put(key, client);
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Creates the SOLRAPIClient or gets it from a pool
+     * @param props solrcore.properties in the <coreName>/conf directory
+     * @param keyResourceLoader reads encryption key resources
+     * @param dictionaryService represents the Repository Data Dictionary
+     * @param namespaceDAO allows retrieving and creating Namespace definitions
+     * @return an instance of SOLRAPIClient
+     */
+    public SOLRAPIClient getSOLRAPIClient(Properties props, KeyResourceLoader keyResourceLoader, DictionaryService dictionaryService, NamespaceDAO namespaceDAO)
+    {
+        alfrescoHost = props.getProperty("alfresco.host", "localhost");
+        alfrescoPort = Integer.parseInt(props.getProperty("alfresco.port", "8080"));
+        alfrescoPortSSL = Integer.parseInt(props.getProperty("alfresco.port.ssl", "8443"));
         
-        return new SOLRAPIClient(getRepoClient(keyResourceLoader), dictionaryService, namespaceDAO);
+        SOLRAPIClient client = getCachedClient(alfrescoHost, alfrescoPort, alfrescoPortSSL);
+        if (client == null)
+        {
+            baseUrl = props.getProperty("alfresco.baseUrl", "/alfresco");
+            keyStoreType = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.type", "JCEKS");
+            keyStoreProvider = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.provider");
+            passwordFileLocation = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.passwordFileLocation");
+            keyStoreLocation = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.keystore.location");
+            sslKeyStoreType = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.type");
+            sslKeyStoreProvider = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.provider", "");
+            sslKeyStoreLocation = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.location", "ssl.repo.client.keystore");
+            sslKeyStorePasswordFileLocation = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.keystore.passwordFileLocation", "ssl-keystore-passwords.properties");
+            sslTrustStoreType = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.type", "JCEKS");
+            sslTrustStoreProvider = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.provider", "");
+            sslTrustStoreLocation = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.location", "ssl.repo.client.truststore");
+            sslTrustStorePasswordFileLocation = props.getProperty("alfresco.encryption.ssl.truststore.passwordFileLocation", "ssl-truststore-passwords.properties");
+            secureCommsType = props.getProperty("alfresco.secureComms", "https");
+            maxTotalConnections = Integer.parseInt(props.getProperty("alfresco.maxTotalConnections", "40"));
+            maxHostConnections = Integer.parseInt(props.getProperty("alfresco.maxHostConnections", "40"));
+            socketTimeout = Integer.parseInt(props.getProperty("alfresco.socketTimeout", "0"));
+            
+            client = new SOLRAPIClient(getRepoClient(keyResourceLoader), dictionaryService, namespaceDAO);
+            setCachedClient(alfrescoHost, alfrescoPort, alfrescoPortSSL, client);
+        }
+        
+        return client; 
     }
     
     protected AlfrescoHttpClient getRepoClient(KeyResourceLoader keyResourceLoader)