diff --git a/changes/12889-faster-software b/changes/12889-faster-software
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e4c9b1b708
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/12889-faster-software
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- Adds a `populate_software` flag to the `GET /hosts` endpoint, which will include software for each
+  host returned from that endpoint.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/fleet/hosts.go b/server/fleet/hosts.go
index 51b6e46f23..fe72573457 100644
--- a/server/fleet/hosts.go
+++ b/server/fleet/hosts.go
@@ -177,6 +177,9 @@ type HostListOptions struct {
 	// Premium feature, Fleet Free ignores the setting (it forces it to nil to
 	// disable it).
 	LowDiskSpaceFilter *int
+
+	// PopulateSoftware adds the `Software` field to all Hosts returned.
+	PopulateSoftware bool
 }
 
 // TODO(Sarah): Are we missing any filters here? Should all MDM filters be included?
diff --git a/server/service/hosts.go b/server/service/hosts.go
index 52e2e03dde..a5310d8d7a 100644
--- a/server/service/hosts.go
+++ b/server/service/hosts.go
@@ -179,7 +179,20 @@ func (svc *Service) ListHosts(ctx context.Context, opt fleet.HostListOptions) ([
 		opt.MDMBootstrapPackageFilter = nil
 	}
 
-	return svc.ds.ListHosts(ctx, filter, opt)
+	hosts, err := svc.ds.ListHosts(ctx, filter, opt)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if opt.PopulateSoftware {
+		for _, host := range hosts {
+			if err = svc.ds.LoadHostSoftware(ctx, host, license.IsPremium(ctx)); err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return hosts, nil
 }
 
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/server/service/integration_core_test.go b/server/service/integration_core_test.go
index 6492bd6d28..8e63bdcd85 100644
--- a/server/service/integration_core_test.go
+++ b/server/service/integration_core_test.go
@@ -1670,6 +1670,51 @@ func (s *integrationTestSuite) TestListHosts() {
 	resp = listHostsResponse{}
 	s.DoJSON("GET", "/api/latest/fleet/hosts", nil, http.StatusOK, &resp, "os_id", fmt.Sprintf("%d", osID+1337))
 	require.Len(t, resp.Hosts, 0)
+
+	// populate software for hosts
+	now := time.Now()
+
+	inserted, err := s.ds.InsertSoftwareVulnerability(context.Background(), fleet.SoftwareVulnerability{
+		SoftwareID: host2.Software[0].ID,
+		CVE:        "cve-123-123-123",
+	}, fleet.NVDSource)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.True(t, inserted)
+
+	require.NoError(t, s.ds.InsertCVEMeta(context.Background(), []fleet.CVEMeta{{
+		CVE:              "cve-123-123-123",
+		CVSSScore:        ptr.Float64(5.4),
+		EPSSProbability:  ptr.Float64(0.5),
+		CISAKnownExploit: ptr.Bool(true),
+		Published:        &now,
+		Description:      "a long description of the cve",
+	}}))
+
+	resp = listHostsResponse{}
+	s.DoJSON("GET", "/api/latest/fleet/hosts", nil, http.StatusOK, &resp, "populate_software", "true")
+	require.Len(t, resp.Hosts, 4)
+	for _, h := range resp.Hosts {
+		if h.ID == hosts[2].ID {
+			require.NotEmpty(t, h.Software)
+			require.Len(t, h.Software, 1)
+			require.NotEmpty(t, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities)
+
+			// all these should be nil because this isn't Premium
+			require.Nil(t, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities[0].CVSSScore)
+			require.Nil(t, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities[0].EPSSProbability)
+			require.Nil(t, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities[0].CISAKnownExploit)
+			require.Nil(t, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities[0].CVEPublished)
+			require.Nil(t, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities[0].Description)
+			require.Nil(t, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities[0].ResolvedInVersion)
+		}
+	}
+
+	resp = listHostsResponse{}
+	s.DoJSON("GET", "/api/latest/fleet/hosts", nil, http.StatusOK, &resp, "populate_software", "false")
+	require.Len(t, resp.Hosts, 4)
+	for _, h := range resp.Hosts {
+		require.Empty(t, h.Software)
+	}
 }
 
 func (s *integrationTestSuite) TestInvites() {
diff --git a/server/service/integration_enterprise_test.go b/server/service/integration_enterprise_test.go
index 62ccfb19cf..62414fb47e 100644
--- a/server/service/integration_enterprise_test.go
+++ b/server/service/integration_enterprise_test.go
@@ -3030,6 +3030,59 @@ func (s *integrationEnterpriseTestSuite) TestListHosts() {
 	s.DoJSON("GET", "/api/latest/fleet/host_summary", nil, http.StatusOK, &summaryResp, "team_id", "1", "platform", "linux")
 	require.Equal(t, uint(0), summaryResp.TotalsHostsCount)
 	require.Nil(t, summaryResp.LowDiskSpaceCount)
+
+	// populate software for hosts
+	now := time.Now()
+
+	software := []fleet.Software{
+		{Name: "foo", Version: "0.0.1", Source: "chrome_extensions"},
+	}
+	_, err = s.ds.UpdateHostSoftware(context.Background(), host1.ID, software)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.NoError(t, s.ds.LoadHostSoftware(context.Background(), host1, false))
+
+	inserted, err := s.ds.InsertSoftwareVulnerability(context.Background(), fleet.SoftwareVulnerability{
+		SoftwareID: host1.Software[0].ID,
+		CVE:        "cve-123-123-123",
+	}, fleet.NVDSource)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.True(t, inserted)
+
+	vulnMeta := []fleet.CVEMeta{{
+		CVE:              "cve-123-123-123",
+		CVSSScore:        ptr.Float64(5.4),
+		EPSSProbability:  ptr.Float64(0.5),
+		CISAKnownExploit: ptr.Bool(true),
+		Published:        &now,
+		Description:      "a long description of the cve",
+	}}
+
+	require.NoError(t, s.ds.InsertCVEMeta(context.Background(), vulnMeta))
+
+	resp = listHostsResponse{}
+	s.DoJSON("GET", "/api/latest/fleet/hosts", nil, http.StatusOK, &resp, "populate_software", "true")
+	require.Len(t, resp.Hosts, 3)
+	for _, h := range resp.Hosts {
+		if h.ID == host1.ID {
+			require.NotEmpty(t, h.Software)
+			require.Len(t, h.Software, 1)
+			require.NotEmpty(t, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities)
+
+			s := &vulnMeta[0].Description
+			require.Equal(t, &vulnMeta[0].CVSSScore, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities[0].CVSSScore)
+			require.Equal(t, &vulnMeta[0].EPSSProbability, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities[0].EPSSProbability)
+			require.Equal(t, &vulnMeta[0].CISAKnownExploit, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities[0].CISAKnownExploit)
+			require.Equal(t, &s, h.Software[0].Vulnerabilities[0].Description)
+		}
+	}
+
+	resp = listHostsResponse{}
+	s.DoJSON("GET", "/api/latest/fleet/hosts", nil, http.StatusOK, &resp, "populate_software", "false")
+	require.Len(t, resp.Hosts, 3)
+	for _, h := range resp.Hosts {
+		require.Empty(t, h.Software)
+	}
 }
 
 func (s *integrationEnterpriseTestSuite) TestMDMNotConfiguredEndpoints() {
diff --git a/server/service/transport.go b/server/service/transport.go
index 37b8989497..ca9feccb4a 100644
--- a/server/service/transport.go
+++ b/server/service/transport.go
@@ -483,6 +483,14 @@ func hostListOptionsFromRequest(r *http.Request) (fleet.HostListOptions, error)
 		}
 		hopt.LowDiskSpaceFilter = &v
 	}
+	populateSoftware := r.URL.Query().Get("populate_software")
+	if populateSoftware != "" {
+		ps, err := strconv.ParseBool(populateSoftware)
+		if err != nil {
+			return hopt, ctxerr.Wrap(r.Context(), badRequest(fmt.Sprintf("Invalid populate_software: %s", populateSoftware)))
+		}
+		hopt.PopulateSoftware = ps
+	}
 
 	// cannot combine software_id, software_version_id, and software_title_id
 	var softwareErrorLabel []string