diff --git a/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/zarr/cache/ZarrJsonCache.java b/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/zarr/cache/ZarrJsonCache.java
index 4102414..060262e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/zarr/cache/ZarrJsonCache.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/zarr/cache/ZarrJsonCache.java
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ public void updateCacheInfo(final String normalPathKey, final String normalCache
 
 		N5CacheInfo cacheInfo = getCacheInfo(normalPathKey);
 		if (cacheInfo == null ){
-			addNewCacheInfo(normalPathKey, normalCacheKey, uncachedAttributes );
+			addNewCacheInfo(normalPathKey, normalCacheKey, uncachedAttributes);
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ public void updateCacheInfo(final String normalPathKey, final String normalCache
 		updateCache(normalPathKey, cacheInfo);
 	}
 
+	@Deprecated
 	public N5CacheInfo forceAddNewCacheInfo(final String normalPathKey, final String normalCacheKey, final JsonElement uncachedAttributes,
 			final boolean isGroup, final boolean isDataset) {
 
@@ -76,12 +77,34 @@ public N5CacheInfo forceAddNewCacheInfo(final String normalPathKey, final String
 		return cacheInfo;
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	public JsonElement getAttributes(final String normalPathKey, final String normalCacheKey) {
+
+		N5CacheInfo cacheInfo = getCacheInfo(normalPathKey);
+		if (cacheInfo == null) {
+			cacheGroupAndDataset(normalPathKey);
+			cacheInfo = getCacheInfo(normalPathKey);
+		}
+
+		if (cacheInfo == emptyCacheInfo || cacheInfo.getCache(normalCacheKey) == emptyJson) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		synchronized (cacheInfo) {
+			if (!cacheInfo.containsKey(normalCacheKey)) {
+				updateCacheInfo(normalPathKey, normalCacheKey, null);
+			}
+		}
+
+		final JsonElement output = cacheInfo.getCache(normalCacheKey);
+		return output == null ? null : output.deepCopy();
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public boolean isDataset(final String normalPathKey, final String normalCacheKey) {
 
 		N5CacheInfo cacheInfo = getCacheInfo(normalPathKey);
 		if (cacheInfo == null) {
-			addNewCacheInfo(normalPathKey, normalCacheKey, null);
+			cacheGroupAndDataset(normalPathKey);
 			cacheInfo = getCacheInfo(normalPathKey);
 		}
 		else if (cacheInfo == emptyCacheInfo || cacheInfo.isGroup())
@@ -100,7 +123,7 @@ public boolean isGroup(final String normalPathKey, final String normalCacheKey)
 
 		N5CacheInfo cacheInfo = getCacheInfo(normalPathKey);
 		if (cacheInfo == null) {
-			addNewCacheInfo(normalPathKey, normalCacheKey, null);
+			cacheGroupAndDataset(normalPathKey);
 			cacheInfo = getCacheInfo(normalPathKey);
 		}
 		else if (cacheInfo == emptyCacheInfo || cacheInfo.isDataset())
@@ -114,4 +137,42 @@ else if (!cacheInfo.containsKey(ZarrKeyValueReader.ZGROUP_FILE)) {
 		return cacheInfo.isGroup();
 	}
 
+	public N5CacheInfo cacheGroupAndDataset(final String normalPathKey) {
+
+		final JsonElement zgroup = container.getAttributesFromContainer(normalPathKey, ZarrKeyValueReader.ZGROUP_FILE);
+		final boolean isGroup = container.isGroupFromAttributes(normalPathKey, zgroup);
+
+		final JsonElement zarray = container.getAttributesFromContainer(normalPathKey, ZarrKeyValueReader.ZARRAY_FILE);
+		final boolean isDataset = container.isGroupFromAttributes(normalPathKey, zarray);
+
+		if( isGroup || isDataset ) {
+
+			final N5CacheInfo cacheInfo = newCacheInfo();
+
+			updateCacheIsGroup(cacheInfo, isGroup);
+			updateCacheAttributes(cacheInfo, ZarrKeyValueReader.ZGROUP_FILE, zgroup);
+
+			updateCacheIsDataset(cacheInfo, isDataset);
+			updateCacheAttributes(cacheInfo, ZarrKeyValueReader.ZARRAY_FILE, zarray);
+
+			updateCache(normalPathKey, cacheInfo);
+			return cacheInfo;
+		}
+
+		updateCache(normalPathKey, emptyCacheInfo);
+		return emptyCacheInfo;
+	}
+
+	public N5CacheInfo cacheAttributes(final String normalPathKey, final String normalCacheKey) {
+
+		final N5CacheInfo cacheInfo = getCacheInfo(normalPathKey);
+		if (cacheInfo != null) {
+			final JsonElement zattrs = container.getAttributesFromContainer(normalPathKey,
+					normalCacheKey);
+			updateCacheAttributes(cacheInfo, normalCacheKey, zattrs);
+		}
+
+		return cacheInfo;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/zarr/ZarrCachedFSTest.java b/src/test/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/zarr/ZarrCachedFSTest.java
index d0743da..bc372d6 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/zarr/ZarrCachedFSTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/janelia/saalfeldlab/n5/zarr/ZarrCachedFSTest.java
@@ -168,16 +168,17 @@ public static void zarrCacheBehaviorHelper(final TrackingStorage n5) {
 		int expectedExistCount = 0;
 		final int expectedGroupCount = 0;
 		final int expectedDatasetCount = 0;
-		int expectedAttributeCount = 0;
+		int expectedAttributeCount = 0; // isGroup and isDataset are called when creating the reader
 		int expectedListCount = 0;
 
 		boolean exists = n5.exists(groupA);
 		boolean groupExists = n5.groupExists(groupA);
 		boolean datasetExists = n5.datasetExists(groupA);
+		expectedAttributeCount+=2; // attributes (zarray and zgroup) are called by groupExists and datasetExists
 		assertFalse(exists); // group does not exist
 		assertFalse(groupExists); // group does not exist
 		assertFalse(datasetExists); // dataset does not exist
-		assertEquals(++expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
+		assertEquals(expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedGroupCount, n5.getGroupCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedDatasetCount, n5.getDatasetCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedAttributeCount, n5.getAttrCallCount());
@@ -189,10 +190,11 @@ public static void zarrCacheBehaviorHelper(final TrackingStorage n5) {
 		exists = n5.exists(groupB);
 		groupExists = n5.groupExists(groupB);
 		datasetExists = n5.datasetExists(groupB);
+		expectedAttributeCount+=2; // attributes (zarray and zgroup) are called by groupExists and datasetExists
 		assertFalse(exists); // group now exists
 		assertFalse(groupExists); // group now exists
 		assertFalse(datasetExists); // dataset does not exist
-		assertEquals(++expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
+		assertEquals(expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedGroupCount, n5.getGroupCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedDatasetCount, n5.getDatasetCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedAttributeCount, n5.getAttrCallCount());
@@ -212,7 +214,8 @@ public static void zarrCacheBehaviorHelper(final TrackingStorage n5) {
 		// should not check existence when creating a group
 		n5.createGroup(cachedGroup);
 		n5.createGroup(cachedGroup); // be annoying
-		assertEquals(++expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
+		expectedAttributeCount+=2; // createGroup calls isGroup and isDataset
+		assertEquals(expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedGroupCount, n5.getGroupCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedDatasetCount, n5.getDatasetCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedAttributeCount, n5.getAttrCallCount());
@@ -271,7 +274,8 @@ public static void zarrCacheBehaviorHelper(final TrackingStorage n5) {
 		 */
 		final String nonExistentGroup = "doesNotExist";
 		n5.exists(nonExistentGroup);
-		assertEquals(++expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
+		expectedAttributeCount+=2; // exists calls isGroup and isDataset
+		assertEquals(expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedGroupCount, n5.getGroupCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedDatasetCount, n5.getDatasetCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedAttributeCount, n5.getAttrCallCount());
@@ -310,10 +314,11 @@ public static void zarrCacheBehaviorHelper(final TrackingStorage n5) {
 		final String abc = "a/b/c";
 		// create "a/b/c"
 		n5.createGroup(abc);
+		expectedAttributeCount+=2; // createGroup calls isGroup and isDataset
 		assertTrue(n5.exists(abc));
 		assertTrue(n5.groupExists(abc));
 		assertFalse(n5.datasetExists(abc));
-		assertEquals(++expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
+		assertEquals(expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedGroupCount, n5.getGroupCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedDatasetCount, n5.getDatasetCallCount());
 		assertEquals(expectedAttributeCount, n5.getAttrCallCount());
@@ -362,12 +367,18 @@ public static void zarrCacheBehaviorHelper(final TrackingStorage n5) {
 
 		n5.createGroup("a");
 		assertEquals(expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
+		assertEquals(expectedAttributeCount, n5.getAttrCallCount());
 		n5.createGroup("a/a");
-		assertEquals(++expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
+		expectedAttributeCount+=2;
+		assertEquals(expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
+		assertEquals(expectedAttributeCount, n5.getAttrCallCount());
 		n5.createGroup("a/b");
 		assertEquals(expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
+		assertEquals(expectedAttributeCount, n5.getAttrCallCount());
 		n5.createGroup("a/c");
-		assertEquals(++expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
+		expectedAttributeCount+=2;
+		assertEquals(expectedExistCount, n5.getExistCallCount());
+		assertEquals(expectedAttributeCount, n5.getAttrCallCount());
 
 		assertArrayEquals(new String[] {"a", "b", "c"}, n5.list("a")); // call list
 		assertEquals(expectedGroupCount, n5.getGroupCallCount());