diff --git a/kyaml/openapi/openapi.go b/kyaml/openapi/openapi.go
index eb5396d854..41ee0afc5a 100644
--- a/kyaml/openapi/openapi.go
+++ b/kyaml/openapi/openapi.go
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ var (
 	customSchema []byte //nolint:gochecknoglobals
 )
 
+// schemaParseStatus is used in cases when a schema should be parsed, but the
+// parsing may be delayed to a later time.
+type schemaParseStatus uint32
+
+const (
+	schemaNotParsed schemaParseStatus = iota
+	schemaParseDelayed
+	schemaParsed
+)
+
 // openapiData contains the parsed openapi state.  this is in a struct rather than
 // a list of vars so that it can be reset from tests.
 type openapiData struct {
@@ -57,13 +67,17 @@ type openapiData struct {
 	// is namespaceable or not
 	namespaceabilityByResourceType map[yaml.TypeMeta]bool
 
-	// noUseBuiltInSchema stores whether we want to prevent using the built-n
+	// noUseBuiltInSchema stores whether we want to prevent using the built-in
 	// Kubernetes schema as part of the global schema
 	noUseBuiltInSchema bool
 
 	// schemaInit stores whether or not we've parsed the schema already,
 	// so that we only reparse the when necessary (to speed up performance)
 	schemaInit bool
+
+	// defaultBuiltInSchemaParseStatus stores the parse status of the default
+	// built-in schema.
+	defaultBuiltInSchemaParseStatus schemaParseStatus
 }
 
 type format string
@@ -387,18 +401,45 @@ func GetSchema(s string, schema *spec.Schema) (*ResourceSchema, error) {
 // be true if the resource is namespace-scoped, and false if the type is
 // cluster-scoped.
 func IsNamespaceScoped(typeMeta yaml.TypeMeta) (bool, bool) {
-	if res, f := precomputedIsNamespaceScoped[typeMeta]; f {
-		return res, true
+	if isNamespaceScoped, found := precomputedIsNamespaceScoped[typeMeta]; found {
+		return isNamespaceScoped, found
+	}
+	if isInitSchemaNeededForNamespaceScopeCheck() {
+		initSchema()
 	}
-	return isNamespaceScopedFromSchema(typeMeta)
-}
-
-func isNamespaceScopedFromSchema(typeMeta yaml.TypeMeta) (bool, bool) {
-	initSchema()
 	isNamespaceScoped, found := globalSchema.namespaceabilityByResourceType[typeMeta]
 	return isNamespaceScoped, found
 }
 
+// isInitSchemaNeededForNamespaceScopeCheck returns true if initSchema is needed
+// to ensure globalSchema.namespaceabilityByResourceType is fully populated for
+// cases where a custom or non-default built-in schema is in use.
+func isInitSchemaNeededForNamespaceScopeCheck() bool {
+	schemaLock.Lock()
+	defer schemaLock.Unlock()
+
+	if globalSchema.schemaInit {
+		return false // globalSchema already is initialized.
+	}
+	if customSchema != nil {
+		return true // initSchema is needed.
+	}
+	if kubernetesOpenAPIVersion == "" || kubernetesOpenAPIVersion == kubernetesOpenAPIDefaultVersion {
+		// The default built-in schema is in use. Since
+		// precomputedIsNamespaceScoped aligns with the default built-in schema
+		// (verified by TestIsNamespaceScopedPrecompute), there is no need to
+		// call initSchema.
+		if globalSchema.defaultBuiltInSchemaParseStatus == schemaNotParsed {
+			// The schema may be needed for purposes other than namespace scope
+			// checks. Flag it to be parsed when that need arises.
+			globalSchema.defaultBuiltInSchemaParseStatus = schemaParseDelayed
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+	// A non-default built-in schema is in use. initSchema is needed.
+	return true
+}
+
 // IsCertainlyClusterScoped returns true for Node, Namespace, etc. and
 // false for Pod, Deployment, etc. and kinds that aren't recognized in the
 // openapi data. See:
@@ -638,13 +679,19 @@ func initSchema() {
 			panic(fmt.Errorf("invalid schema file: %w", err))
 		}
 	} else {
-		if kubernetesOpenAPIVersion == "" {
+		if kubernetesOpenAPIVersion == "" || kubernetesOpenAPIVersion == kubernetesOpenAPIDefaultVersion {
 			parseBuiltinSchema(kubernetesOpenAPIDefaultVersion)
+			globalSchema.defaultBuiltInSchemaParseStatus = schemaParsed
 		} else {
 			parseBuiltinSchema(kubernetesOpenAPIVersion)
 		}
 	}
 
+	if globalSchema.defaultBuiltInSchemaParseStatus == schemaParseDelayed {
+		parseBuiltinSchema(kubernetesOpenAPIDefaultVersion)
+		globalSchema.defaultBuiltInSchemaParseStatus = schemaParsed
+	}
+
 	if err := parse(kustomizationapi.MustAsset(kustomizationAPIAssetName), JsonOrYaml); err != nil {
 		// this should never happen
 		panic(err)
diff --git a/kyaml/openapi/openapi_benchmark_test.go b/kyaml/openapi/openapi_benchmark_test.go
index 74bfff6820..d32bba0c32 100644
--- a/kyaml/openapi/openapi_benchmark_test.go
+++ b/kyaml/openapi/openapi_benchmark_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	openapi_v2 "github.com/google/gnostic-models/openapiv2"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/kyaml/openapi/kubernetesapi"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/kyaml/yaml"
 )
 
 func BenchmarkProtoUnmarshal(t *testing.B) {
@@ -31,3 +32,19 @@ func BenchmarkProtoUnmarshal(t *testing.B) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func BenchmarkPrecomputedIsNamespaceScoped(b *testing.B) {
+	testcases := map[string]yaml.TypeMeta{
+		"namespace scoped": {APIVersion: "apps/v1", Kind: "ControllerRevision"},
+		"cluster scoped":   {APIVersion: "rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1", Kind: "ClusterRole"},
+		"unknown resource": {APIVersion: "custom.io/v1", Kind: "Custom"},
+	}
+	for name, testcase := range testcases {
+		b.Run(name, func(b *testing.B) {
+			for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+				ResetOpenAPI()
+				_, _ = IsNamespaceScoped(testcase)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}