diff --git a/aws_lambda_powertools/utilities/feature_flags/appconfig.py b/aws_lambda_powertools/utilities/feature_flags/appconfig.py
index 2c3ca36f741..c025fff784c 100644
--- a/aws_lambda_powertools/utilities/feature_flags/appconfig.py
+++ b/aws_lambda_powertools/utilities/feature_flags/appconfig.py
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ def __init__(
             boto3_client=boto3_client,
             boto3_session=boto3_session,
         )
+        # Memoised envelope extraction: (raw document, extracted config). The Parameters cache hands back the
+        # same raw dict until expiry, so we can reuse the extracted result rather than re-running the JMESPath
+        # query and producing a new object on every call.
+        self._last_extracted: tuple[dict[str, Any], dict[str, Any]] | None = None
 
         # Override the user agent to use "feature_flags" instead of "parameters"
         self._register_feature_flags_user_agent()
@@ -140,11 +144,17 @@ def get_configuration(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
         config = self.get_raw_configuration
 
         if self.envelope:
+            if self._last_extracted is not None and self._last_extracted[0] is config:
+                self.logger.debug("Envelope enabled; reusing previously extracted config for cached document")
+                return self._last_extracted[1]
+
             self.logger.debug("Envelope enabled; extracting data from config", extra={"envelope": self.envelope})
-            config = jmespath_utils.query(
+            extracted = jmespath_utils.query(
                 data=config,
                 envelope=self.envelope,
                 jmespath_options=self.jmespath_options,
             )
+            self._last_extracted = (config, extracted)
+            return extracted
 
         return config
diff --git a/aws_lambda_powertools/utilities/feature_flags/feature_flags.py b/aws_lambda_powertools/utilities/feature_flags/feature_flags.py
index 19e96a8641d..16aa2138329 100644
--- a/aws_lambda_powertools/utilities/feature_flags/feature_flags.py
+++ b/aws_lambda_powertools/utilities/feature_flags/feature_flags.py
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ def __init__(self, store: StoreProvider, logger: logging.Logger | Logger | None
         self.store = store
         self.logger = logger or logging.getLogger(__name__)
         self._exception_handlers: dict[Exception, Callable] = {}
+        # Last document that passed schema validation. We keep a strong reference so its id() can't be
+        # recycled by a different object, which lets us safely skip re-validation on store cache hits.
+        self._last_validated_config: dict | None = None
 
     def _match_by_action(self, action: str, condition_value: Any, context_value: Any) -> bool:
         try:
@@ -210,8 +213,17 @@ def get_configuration(self) -> dict:
         # parse result conf as JSON, keep in cache for max age defined in store
         self.logger.debug(f"Fetching schema from registered store, store={self.store}")
         config: dict = self.store.get_configuration()
+
+        # Stores that serve from cache (e.g. AppConfigStore via Parameters) return the same dict object until
+        # expiry, so identity is a reliable signal that we've already validated this exact document.
+        # A store that applies an envelope returns a fresh object each time and will still be validated.
+        if config is self._last_validated_config:
+            self.logger.debug("Schema already validated, skipping validation")
+            return config
+
         validator = schema.SchemaValidator(schema=config, logger=self.logger)
         validator.validate()
+        self._last_validated_config = config
 
         return config
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/feature_flags/_boto3/test_feature_flags.py b/tests/functional/feature_flags/_boto3/test_feature_flags.py
index a4d271aba57..9bb619ff64d 100644
--- a/tests/functional/feature_flags/_boto3/test_feature_flags.py
+++ b/tests/functional/feature_flags/_boto3/test_feature_flags.py
@@ -1702,3 +1702,70 @@ def catch_exception(exc):
             context={"tenant_id": "not a list value"},
             default=False,
         )
+
+
+# Test schema validation is performed once per fetched document (#8426)
+def test_schema_validated_once_for_cached_document(mocker, config):
+    # GIVEN a store that serves the same document object on every call (e.g. a Parameters cache hit)
+    mocked_app_config_schema = {"my_feature": {"default": True}}
+    feature_flags = init_feature_flags(mocker, mocked_app_config_schema, config)
+    validate = mocker.spy(schema.SchemaValidator, "validate")
+
+    # WHEN evaluating several flags in the same invocation
+    for _ in range(5):
+        assert feature_flags.evaluate(name="my_feature", context={}, default=False) is True
+    feature_flags.get_enabled_features(context={})
+
+    # THEN the schema is validated only once
+    assert validate.call_count == 1
+
+
+def test_schema_revalidated_when_store_returns_new_document(mocker, config):
+    # GIVEN a store that returns a fresh document object on each call (e.g. after cache expiry)
+    first = {"my_feature": {"default": True}}
+    second = {"my_feature": {"default": False}}
+    store = init_fetcher_side_effect(mocker, config, side_effect=[first, second, second])
+    feature_flags = FeatureFlags(store=store)
+    validate = mocker.spy(schema.SchemaValidator, "validate")
+
+    # WHEN evaluating across a document change, then again on the same document
+    assert feature_flags.evaluate(name="my_feature", context={}, default=False) is True
+    assert feature_flags.evaluate(name="my_feature", context={}, default=False) is False
+    assert feature_flags.evaluate(name="my_feature", context={}, default=False) is False
+
+    # THEN each distinct document is validated exactly once
+    assert validate.call_count == 2
+
+
+def test_schema_invalid_document_is_never_cached_as_validated(mocker, config):
+    # GIVEN a store that first returns an invalid document, then a valid one
+    invalid = {"my_feature": {"default": "not a bool"}}
+    valid = {"my_feature": {"default": True}}
+    store = init_fetcher_side_effect(mocker, config, side_effect=[invalid, invalid, valid])
+    feature_flags = FeatureFlags(store=store)
+
+    # WHEN the invalid document is served twice
+    # THEN validation fails both times rather than being skipped after the first failure
+    with pytest.raises(schema.SchemaValidationError):
+        feature_flags.evaluate(name="my_feature", context={}, default=False)
+    with pytest.raises(schema.SchemaValidationError):
+        feature_flags.evaluate(name="my_feature", context={}, default=False)
+
+    # AND a subsequent valid document is validated and evaluated normally
+    assert feature_flags.evaluate(name="my_feature", context={}, default=False) is True
+
+
+def test_envelope_extraction_reused_for_cached_document(mocker, config):
+    # GIVEN a store with an envelope, served from cache
+    mocked_app_config_schema = {"app": {"features": {"my_feature": {"default": True}}}}
+    feature_flags = init_feature_flags(mocker, mocked_app_config_schema, config, envelope="app.features")
+    validate = mocker.spy(schema.SchemaValidator, "validate")
+
+    # WHEN evaluating several times
+    first = feature_flags.get_configuration()
+    for _ in range(3):
+        assert feature_flags.evaluate(name="my_feature", context={}, default=False) is True
+
+    # THEN the extracted document is the same object each time and validated only once
+    assert feature_flags.get_configuration() is first
+    assert validate.call_count == 1