diff --git a/accounts-db/src/read_only_accounts_cache.rs b/accounts-db/src/read_only_accounts_cache.rs
index 79581ee55edc41..57185b1c744561 100644
--- a/accounts-db/src/read_only_accounts_cache.rs
+++ b/accounts-db/src/read_only_accounts_cache.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ use {
 const CACHE_ENTRY_SIZE: usize =
     std::mem::size_of::<ReadOnlyAccountCacheEntry>() + 2 * std::mem::size_of::<ReadOnlyCacheKey>();
 
+/// Number of cache shards. This number is close to the number of accounts
+/// in cache observed on mainnet beta validators, therefore it should result
+/// in each accout having its own shard and reduced amount of locks.
+const SHARDS: usize = 65536;
+
 type ReadOnlyCacheKey = Pubkey;
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -98,7 +103,7 @@ impl ReadOnlyAccountsCache {
     ) -> Self {
         assert!(max_data_size_lo <= max_data_size_hi);
         assert!(evict_sample_size > 0);
-        let cache = Arc::new(DashMap::default());
+        let cache = Arc::new(DashMap::with_shard_amount(SHARDS));
         let data_size = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::default());
         let stats = Arc::new(AtomicReadOnlyCacheStats::default());
         let evictor_exit_flag = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));