diff --git a/eventsourcingdb/container.py b/eventsourcingdb/container.py
index 3be6b9b..484b9b9 100644
--- a/eventsourcingdb/container.py
+++ b/eventsourcingdb/container.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import tarfile
 import time
 from http import HTTPStatus
+from typing import ClassVar
 
 import docker
 import requests
@@ -16,6 +17,10 @@
 
 
 class Container:
+    # Images already pulled in this process. Every container start would
+    # otherwise hit the registry again, even though the image is local.
+    _pulled_images: ClassVar[set[str]] = set()
+
     def __init__(
         self,
     ) -> None:
@@ -191,11 +196,18 @@ def start(self) -> "Container":
         return self
 
     def _pull_or_get_image(self) -> None:
+        image = f"{self._image_name}:{self._image_tag}"
+
+        if image in Container._pulled_images:
+            return
+
         try:
             self._docker_client.images.pull(self._image_name, self._image_tag)
         except errors.APIError as e:
             self._handle_image_pull_error(e)
 
+        Container._pulled_images.add(image)
+
     def _handle_image_pull_error(self, error) -> None:
         image_name = f"{self._image_name}:{self._image_tag}"
         try: