diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 9dc40a5..b8f3b68 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -107,67 +107,64 @@ func processGraphQLRequest(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 	startTime := time.Now()
 
 	// Initialize variables with default values
-	extractedUserID := "-"
-	extractedRoleName := "-"
-	var queryCacheHash string
+	extractedUserID, extractedRoleName := "-", "-"
 
-	if cfg.Trace.Enable {
-		trace_header := c.Request().Header.Peek("X-Trace-Span")
-		if trace_header != nil {
-			traceHeaders := make(map[string]string)
-			err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(trace_header), &traceHeaders)
-			if err != nil {
-				cfg.Logger.Error(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
-					Message: "Error unmarshalling tracer header",
-					Pairs:   map[string]interface{}{"error": err},
-				})
-			}
+	// Pre-fetch headers and trace header processing
+	headers := c.Request().Header
+	traceHeader := headers.Peek("X-Trace-Span")
+	authorization := headers.Peek("Authorization")
+
+	if cfg.Trace.Enable && traceHeader != nil {
+		traceHeaders := make(map[string]string)
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(traceHeader, &traceHeaders); err != nil {
+			cfg.Logger.Error(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
+				Message: "Error unmarshalling tracer header",
+				Pairs:   map[string]interface{}{"error": err},
+			})
+		} else {
 			ctx := libpack_trace.TraceContextExtract(context.Background(), traceHeaders)
 			_, span := libpack_trace.ContinueSpanFromContext(ctx, "GraphQLRequest")
 			defer span.End()
-		} else {
-			cfg.Logger.Warning(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
-				Message: "No trace header found",
-				Pairs:   nil,
-			})
 		}
+	} else if cfg.Trace.Enable {
+		cfg.Logger.Warning(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
+			Message: "No trace header found",
+			Pairs:   nil,
+		})
 	}
 
-	authorization := c.Request().Header.Peek("Authorization")
+	// JWT and role extraction with pre-check
 	if authorization != nil && (len(cfg.Client.JWTUserClaimPath) > 0 || len(cfg.Client.JWTRoleClaimPath) > 0) {
 		extractedUserID, extractedRoleName = extractClaimsFromJWTHeader(string(authorization))
 	}
 
+	// Check for banned users early
 	if checkIfUserIsBanned(c, extractedUserID) {
-		c.Status(403).SendString("User is banned")
-		return nil
+		return c.Status(403).SendString("User is banned")
 	}
 
+	// Role extraction from header
 	if len(cfg.Client.RoleFromHeader) > 0 {
-		extractedRoleName = string(c.Request().Header.Peek(cfg.Client.RoleFromHeader))
+		extractedRoleName = string(headers.Peek(cfg.Client.RoleFromHeader))
 		if extractedRoleName == "" {
 			extractedRoleName = "-"
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Implementing rate limiting if enabled
-	if cfg.Client.RoleRateLimit {
+	// Rate limiting check
+	if cfg.Client.RoleRateLimit && !rateLimitedRequest(extractedUserID, extractedRoleName) {
 		cfg.Logger.Debug(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
 			Message: "Rate limiting enabled",
 			Pairs:   map[string]interface{}{"user_id": extractedUserID, "role_name": extractedRoleName},
 		})
-		if !rateLimitedRequest(extractedUserID, extractedRoleName) {
-			c.Status(429).SendString("Rate limit exceeded, try again later")
-			return nil
-		}
+		return c.Status(429).SendString("Rate limit exceeded, try again later")
 	}
 
+	// Parsing GraphQL query
 	parsedResult := parseGraphQLQuery(c)
 	if parsedResult.shouldBlock {
-		c.Status(403).SendString("Request blocked")
-		return nil
+		return c.Status(403).SendString("Request blocked")
 	}
-
 	if parsedResult.shouldIgnore {
 		cfg.Logger.Debug(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
 			Message: "Request passed as-is - probably not a GraphQL",
@@ -175,17 +172,10 @@ func processGraphQLRequest(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 		})
 		return proxyTheRequest(c, parsedResult.activeEndpoint)
 	}
-
-	calculatedQueryHash := libpack_cache.CalculateHash(c)
-
-	if parsedResult.cacheTime > 0 {
-		cfg.Logger.Debug(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
-			Message: "Cache time set via query",
-			Pairs:   map[string]interface{}{"cacheTime": parsedResult.cacheTime},
-		})
-	} else {
-		// If not set via query, try setting via header
-		cacheQuery := c.Request().Header.Peek("X-Cache-Graphql-Query")
+	// Cache handling logic
+	queryCacheHash := libpack_cache.CalculateHash(c)
+	if parsedResult.cacheTime == 0 {
+		cacheQuery := headers.Peek("X-Cache-Graphql-Query")
 		if cacheQuery != nil {
 			parsedResult.cacheTime, _ = strconv.Atoi(string(cacheQuery))
 			cfg.Logger.Debug(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
@@ -197,39 +187,34 @@ func processGraphQLRequest(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	wasCached := false
-
 	if parsedResult.cacheRefresh {
 		cfg.Logger.Debug(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
 			Message: "Cache refresh requested via query",
 			Pairs:   map[string]interface{}{"user_id": extractedUserID, "request_uuid": c.Locals("request_uuid")},
 		})
-		libpack_cache.CacheDelete(calculatedQueryHash)
+		libpack_cache.CacheDelete(queryCacheHash)
 	}
 
-	// Handling Cache Logic
+	wasCached := false
 	if parsedResult.cacheRequest || cfg.Cache.CacheEnable || cfg.Cache.CacheRedisEnable {
 		cfg.Logger.Debug(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
 			Message: "Cache enabled",
 			Pairs:   map[string]interface{}{"via_query": parsedResult.cacheRequest, "via_env": cfg.Cache.CacheEnable},
 		})
-		queryCacheHash = calculatedQueryHash
-
 		if cachedResponse := libpack_cache.CacheLookup(queryCacheHash); cachedResponse != nil {
 			cfg.Monitoring.Increment(libpack_monitoring.MetricsCacheHit, nil)
 			cfg.Logger.Debug(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
 				Message: "Cache hit",
 				Pairs:   map[string]interface{}{"hash": queryCacheHash, "user_id": extractedUserID, "request_uuid": c.Locals("request_uuid")},
 			})
-			c.Request().Header.Add("X-Cache-Hit", "true")
-			err := c.Send(cachedResponse)
-			if err != nil {
+			headers.Add("X-Cache-Hit", "true")
+			if err := c.Send(cachedResponse); err != nil {
 				cfg.Logger.Error(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
 					Message: "Can't send the cached response",
 					Pairs:   map[string]interface{}{"error": err.Error()},
 				})
 				cfg.Monitoring.Increment(libpack_monitoring.MetricsFailed, nil)
-				c.Status(500).SendString("Can't send the cached response - try again later")
+				return c.Status(500).SendString("Can't send the cached response - try again later")
 			}
 			wasCached = true
 		} else {
@@ -241,23 +226,18 @@ func processGraphQLRequest(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
 			proxyAndCacheTheRequest(c, queryCacheHash, parsedResult.cacheTime, parsedResult.activeEndpoint)
 		}
 	} else {
-		err := proxyTheRequest(c, parsedResult.activeEndpoint)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err := proxyTheRequest(c, parsedResult.activeEndpoint); err != nil {
 			cfg.Logger.Error(&libpack_logger.LogMessage{
 				Message: "Can't proxy the request",
 				Pairs:   map[string]interface{}{"error": err.Error()},
 			})
 			cfg.Monitoring.Increment(libpack_monitoring.MetricsFailed, nil)
-			c.Status(500).SendString("Can't proxy the request - try again later")
-			return nil
+			return c.Status(500).SendString("Can't proxy the request - try again later")
 		}
 	}
 
 	timeTaken := time.Since(startTime)
-
-	// Logging & Monitoring
 	logAndMonitorRequest(c, extractedUserID, parsedResult.operationType, parsedResult.operationName, wasCached, timeTaken, startTime)
-
 	return nil
 }