diff --git a/audit/CMakeLists.txt b/audit/CMakeLists.txt
index d6001676f0..abd65bd965 100644
--- a/audit/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/audit/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ target_sources(scylla_audit
     audit_cf_storage_helper.cc
     audit_composite_storage_helper.cc
     audit_rule.cc
-    audit_syslog_storage_helper.cc)
+    audit_syslog_storage_helper.cc
+    preprocessed_audit_rules.cc)
 target_include_directories(scylla_audit
   PUBLIC
     ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR})
diff --git a/audit/preprocessed_audit_rules.cc b/audit/preprocessed_audit_rules.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2da6cb4f20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/audit/preprocessed_audit_rules.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2026-present ScyllaDB
+ */
+
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-ScyllaDB-Source-Available-1.1
+ */
+
+#include "audit/preprocessed_audit_rules.hh"
+#include "audit/audit_rule.hh"
+
+#include <seastar/coroutine/maybe_yield.hh>
+
+namespace audit {
+
+preprocessed_audit_rules::preprocessed_audit_rules(std::vector<audit_rule> rules) noexcept
+    : _rules(std::move(rules))
+{ }
+
+future<> preprocessed_audit_rules::refresh_rules(std::vector<audit_rule> rules) {
+    _rules = std::move(rules);
+    _role_to_matching_rules.clear();
+    _table_to_matching_rules.clear();
+    ++_cache_generation;
+    co_await rebuild_cache();
+}
+
+void preprocessed_audit_rules::add_known_role(const sstring& role) {
+    auto [it, inserted] = _known_roles.insert(role);
+    if (inserted) {
+        ++_cache_generation;
+        _role_to_matching_rules[role] = compute_role_bits(_rules, role);
+    }
+}
+
+void preprocessed_audit_rules::remove_known_role(const sstring& role) {
+    if (_known_roles.erase(role)) {
+        ++_cache_generation;
+        _role_to_matching_rules.erase(role);
+    }
+}
+
+void preprocessed_audit_rules::add_known_table(const sstring& keyspace, const sstring& table) {
+    auto [it, inserted] = _known_tables.emplace(keyspace, table);
+    if (inserted) {
+        ++_cache_generation;
+        _table_to_matching_rules[known_table{keyspace, table}] = compute_table_bits(_rules, keyspace, table);
+    }
+}
+
+void preprocessed_audit_rules::remove_known_table(const sstring& keyspace, const sstring& table) {
+    if (_known_tables.erase(known_table{keyspace, table})) {
+        ++_cache_generation;
+        _table_to_matching_rules.erase(known_table{keyspace, table});
+    }
+}
+
+preprocessed_audit_rules::rule_bitset
+preprocessed_audit_rules::compute_role_bits(const std::vector<audit_rule>& rules, const sstring& role) const {
+    rule_bitset bits(rules.size());
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < rules.size(); ++i) {
+        if (matches_role(rules[i], role)) {
+            bits.set(i);
+        }
+    }
+    return bits;
+}
+
+preprocessed_audit_rules::rule_bitset
+preprocessed_audit_rules::compute_table_bits(const std::vector<audit_rule>& rules, const sstring& keyspace, const sstring& table) const {
+    rule_bitset bits(rules.size());
+    sstring qt = qualified_table_name(keyspace, table);
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < rules.size(); ++i) {
+        if (matches_qualified_table(rules[i], qt)) {
+            bits.set(i);
+        }
+    }
+    return bits;
+}
+
+audit_sink_set preprocessed_audit_rules::collect_sinks(const rule_bitset& bits,
+        statement_category category) const {
+    audit_sink_set result;
+    for (auto i = bits.find_first(); i != rule_bitset::npos; i = bits.find_next(i)) {
+        const auto& rule = _rules[i];
+        if (matches_category(rule, category)) {
+            result.add(rule_sinks(rule));
+        }
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
+future<> preprocessed_audit_rules::rebuild_cache() {
+    // Retry loop: if rules, roles, or tables change while we yield during
+    // the compute phase, the generation counter will have advanced and we
+    // discard the stale result and rebuild from the updated snapshot.
+    while (true) {
+        // Snapshot current state to detect concurrent modifications after yielding.
+        // These copies are lightweight (just names, not schema objects) and bounded
+        // by the number of audit rules, roles, and tables — expected to be modest.
+        auto rules = _rules;
+        auto known_roles = _known_roles;
+        auto known_tables = _known_tables;
+        auto generation = _cache_generation;
+
+        std::unordered_map<sstring, rule_bitset, sstring_hash, sstring_eq>
+            role_to_matching_rules;
+        std::unordered_map<known_table, rule_bitset, utils::tuple_hash, std::equal_to<>>
+            table_to_matching_rules;
+
+        // Precompute per-entity rule bitsets. Each iteration invokes fnmatch
+        // for every rule pattern, making this more expensive than the copies above.
+        if (!rules.empty()) {
+            for (const auto& role : known_roles) {
+                role_to_matching_rules[role] = compute_role_bits(rules, role);
+                co_await coroutine::maybe_yield();
+            }
+            for (const auto& [ks, tbl] : known_tables) {
+                table_to_matching_rules[known_table{ks, tbl}] = compute_table_bits(rules, ks, tbl);
+                co_await coroutine::maybe_yield();
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (generation == _cache_generation) {
+            _role_to_matching_rules = std::move(role_to_matching_rules);
+            _table_to_matching_rules = std::move(table_to_matching_rules);
+            co_return;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+future<> preprocessed_audit_rules::replace_known_entities(std::unordered_set<sstring> roles, known_table_set tables) {
+    _known_roles = std::move(roles);
+    _known_tables = std::move(tables);
+    _role_to_matching_rules.clear();
+    _table_to_matching_rules.clear();
+    ++_cache_generation;
+    co_await rebuild_cache();
+}
+
+audit_sink_set preprocessed_audit_rules::matching_sinks(statement_category category,
+                                                         std::string_view keyspace,
+                                                         std::string_view table,
+                                                         std::string_view role) const {
+    bool table_scoped = is_table_scoped_category(category);
+
+    // Look up role in the precomputed map.
+    auto role_it = _role_to_matching_rules.find(role);
+    if (role_it == _role_to_matching_rules.end()) {
+        // Unknown role — slow path: evaluate all rules with fnmatch.
+        audit_sink_set result;
+        for (const auto& rule : _rules) {
+            if (matches_rule(rule, category, keyspace, table, role)) {
+                result.add(rule_sinks(rule));
+            }
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    if (!table_scoped || keyspace.empty()) {
+        // Table-independent categories (AUTH, ADMIN, DCL) or operations with
+        // empty keyspace (e.g., batch operations spanning multiple tables):
+        // only role matching matters.
+        return collect_sinks(role_it->second, category);
+    }
+
+    // Table-scoped categories (DML, DDL, QUERY): intersect role and table bitsets.
+    auto table_it = _table_to_matching_rules.find(
+        std::pair<std::string_view, std::string_view>{keyspace, table});
+    if (table_it == _table_to_matching_rules.end()) {
+        // Unknown table — slow path: evaluate all rules with fnmatch.
+        audit_sink_set result;
+        for (const auto& rule : _rules) {
+            if (matches_rule(rule, category, keyspace, table, role)) {
+                result.add(rule_sinks(rule));
+            }
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    // Fast path: intersect precomputed bitsets and check category.
+    // Iterates inline instead of using operator& to avoid heap-allocating a temporary dynamic_bitset.
+    audit_sink_set result;
+    const auto& role_bits = role_it->second;
+    const auto& table_bits = table_it->second;
+    for (auto i = role_bits.find_first(); i != rule_bitset::npos; i = role_bits.find_next(i)) {
+        if (table_bits.test(i) && matches_category(_rules[i], category)) {
+            result.add(rule_sinks(_rules[i]));
+        }
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
+} // namespace audit
diff --git a/audit/preprocessed_audit_rules.hh b/audit/preprocessed_audit_rules.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6c00545c0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/audit/preprocessed_audit_rules.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2026-present ScyllaDB
+ */
+
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-ScyllaDB-Source-Available-1.1
+ */
+#pragma once
+
+#include "absl-flat_hash_map.hh"
+#include "audit/audit_rule.hh"
+#include "seastarx.hh"
+#include "utils/hash.hh"
+#include <boost/dynamic_bitset.hpp>
+#include <seastar/core/future.hh>
+#include <seastar/core/sstring.hh>
+
+#include <string_view>
+#include <unordered_map>
+#include <unordered_set>
+#include <vector>
+
+namespace audit {
+
+class preprocessed_audit_rules {
+public:
+    using known_table = std::pair<sstring, sstring>;  // (keyspace, table)
+    using known_table_set = std::unordered_set<known_table, utils::tuple_hash>;
+    using rule_bitset = boost::dynamic_bitset<uint64_t>;
+
+    preprocessed_audit_rules() noexcept = default;
+    explicit preprocessed_audit_rules(std::vector<audit_rule> rules) noexcept;
+
+    future<> refresh_rules(std::vector<audit_rule> rules);
+
+    void add_known_role(const sstring& role);
+    void remove_known_role(const sstring& role);
+
+    void add_known_table(const sstring& keyspace, const sstring& table);
+    void remove_known_table(const sstring& keyspace, const sstring& table);
+
+    /// Replace known roles and tables and rebuild the cache, yielding
+    /// between entities to avoid reactor stalls.
+    future<> replace_known_entities(std::unordered_set<sstring> roles, known_table_set tables);
+
+    audit_sink_set matching_sinks(statement_category category, std::string_view keyspace,
+                                  std::string_view table, std::string_view role) const;
+
+    const std::vector<audit_rule>& rules() const noexcept { return _rules; }
+    const std::unordered_set<sstring>& known_roles() const noexcept { return _known_roles; }
+
+private:
+    rule_bitset compute_role_bits(const std::vector<audit_rule>& rules, const sstring& role) const;
+    rule_bitset compute_table_bits(const std::vector<audit_rule>& rules, const sstring& keyspace, const sstring& table) const;
+
+    audit_sink_set collect_sinks(const rule_bitset& bits, statement_category category) const;
+
+    /// Rebuild the cache from snapshots and swap it in if no concurrent
+    /// cache input changed while yielding.
+    future<> rebuild_cache();
+
+    std::vector<audit_rule> _rules;
+    std::unordered_set<sstring> _known_roles;
+    known_table_set _known_tables;
+    size_t _cache_generation = 0;
+
+    /// For each known role, a bitset indicating which rules match that role.
+    /// Uses transparent hash/equal to avoid allocating an sstring on lookup.
+    std::unordered_map<sstring, rule_bitset, sstring_hash, sstring_eq>
+        _role_to_matching_rules;
+
+    /// For each known table, a bitset indicating which rules match that table.
+    /// utils::tuple_hash and std::equal_to<> are transparent, so lookups can
+    /// use a pair<string_view, string_view> without copying into sstring.
+    std::unordered_map<known_table, rule_bitset, utils::tuple_hash, std::equal_to<>>
+        _table_to_matching_rules;
+};
+
+} // namespace audit
diff --git a/configure.py b/configure.py
index 2c8ee8bf04..ae774393b4 100755
--- a/configure.py
+++ b/configure.py
@@ -1312,6 +1312,7 @@ scylla_core = (['message/messaging_service.cc',
                 'audit/audit_cf_storage_helper.cc',
                 'audit/audit_composite_storage_helper.cc',
                 'audit/audit_rule.cc',
+                'audit/preprocessed_audit_rules.cc',
                 'audit/audit_syslog_storage_helper.cc',
                 'tombstone_gc_options.cc',
                 'tombstone_gc.cc',