diff --git a/internals/daemon/api_health.go b/internals/daemon/api_health.go
index 529d2333..28eef5e6 100644
--- a/internals/daemon/api_health.go
+++ b/internals/daemon/api_health.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 package daemon
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
 	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/canonical/x-go/strutil"
@@ -35,7 +34,7 @@ func v1Health(c *Command, r *http.Request, _ *UserState) Response {
 	switch level {
 	case plan.UnsetLevel, plan.AliveLevel, plan.ReadyLevel:
 	default:
-		return healthError(http.StatusBadRequest, `level must be "alive" or "ready"`)
+		return BadRequest(`level must be "alive" or "ready"`)
 	}
 
 	names := strutil.MultiCommaSeparatedList(query["names"])
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@ func v1Health(c *Command, r *http.Request, _ *UserState) Response {
 	checks, err := getChecks(c.d.overlord)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Noticef("Cannot fetch checks: %v", err.Error())
-		return healthError(http.StatusInternalServerError, "internal server error")
+		return InternalError("internal server error")
 	}
 
 	healthy := true
@@ -58,43 +57,9 @@ func v1Health(c *Command, r *http.Request, _ *UserState) Response {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return SyncResponse(&healthResp{
-		Type:       ResponseTypeSync,
-		Status:     status,
-		StatusText: http.StatusText(status),
-		Result:     healthInfo{Healthy: healthy},
+	return SyncResponse(&resp{
+		Type:   ResponseTypeSync,
+		Status: status,
+		Result: healthInfo{Healthy: healthy},
 	})
 }
-
-// Like the resp struct, but without the warning/maintenance fields, so that
-// the health endpoint doesn't have to acquire the state lock (resulting in a
-// slow response on heavily-loaded systems).
-type healthResp struct {
-	Type       ResponseType `json:"type"`
-	Status     int          `json:"status-code"`
-	StatusText string       `json:"status,omitempty"`
-	Result     interface{}  `json:"result,omitempty"`
-}
-
-func (r *healthResp) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
-	status := r.Status
-	bs, err := json.Marshal(r)
-	if err != nil {
-		logger.Noticef("Cannot marshal %#v to JSON: %v", *r, err)
-		bs = nil
-		status = http.StatusInternalServerError
-	}
-
-	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
-	w.WriteHeader(status)
-	w.Write(bs)
-}
-
-func healthError(status int, message string) *healthResp {
-	return &healthResp{
-		Type:       ResponseTypeError,
-		Status:     status,
-		StatusText: http.StatusText(status),
-		Result:     &errorResult{Message: message},
-	}
-}
diff --git a/internals/daemon/daemon.go b/internals/daemon/daemon.go
index 65726522..b39c1797 100644
--- a/internals/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/internals/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -248,10 +248,7 @@ func (c *Command) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			rsp.transmitMaintenance(errorKindDaemonRestart, "daemon is stopping to wait for socket activation")
 		}
 		if rsp.Type != ResponseTypeError {
-			st := c.d.state
-			st.Lock()
-			latest := st.LatestWarningTime()
-			st.Unlock()
+			latest := c.d.state.LatestWarningTime()
 			rsp.addWarningsToMeta(latest)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/internals/overlord/state/notices.go b/internals/overlord/state/notices.go
index 1437bb43..ffeb729b 100644
--- a/internals/overlord/state/notices.go
+++ b/internals/overlord/state/notices.go
@@ -270,6 +270,13 @@ func (s *State) AddNotice(userID *uint32, noticeType NoticeType, key string, opt
 	notice.lastData = options.Data
 	notice.repeatAfter = options.RepeatAfter
 
+	// Update the latest warning time cache if needed. There's no need to
+	// actually update atomically here, because the state lock is held.
+	if notice.noticeType == WarningNotice && notice.lastRepeated.After(s.LatestWarningTime()) {
+		latestWarningTime := notice.lastRepeated
+		s.latestWarningTime.Store(&latestWarningTime)
+	}
+
 	if newOrRepeated {
 		s.noticeCond.Broadcast()
 	}
@@ -371,18 +378,14 @@ func (s *State) Notices(filter *NoticeFilter) []*Notice {
 
 // LatestWarningTime returns the most recent time a warning notice was
 // repeated, or the zero value if there are no warnings.
+//
+// The state lock does not need to be held when calling this method.
 func (s *State) LatestWarningTime() time.Time {
-	s.reading()
-
-	// TODO(benhoyt): optimise with an in-memory atomic cache when warnings are added (or pruned),
-	//                to avoid having to acquire the state lock on every request
-	var latest time.Time
-	for _, notice := range s.notices {
-		if notice.noticeType == WarningNotice && notice.lastRepeated.After(latest) {
-			latest = notice.lastRepeated
-		}
+	t := s.latestWarningTime.Load()
+	if t == nil {
+		return time.Time{}
 	}
-	return latest
+	return *t
 }
 
 // Notice returns a single notice by ID, or nil if not found.
@@ -415,6 +418,7 @@ func (s *State) flattenNotices(filter *NoticeFilter) []*Notice {
 func (s *State) unflattenNotices(flat []*Notice) {
 	now := time.Now()
 	s.notices = make(map[noticeKey]*Notice)
+	var latestWarningTime time.Time
 	for _, n := range flat {
 		if n.expired(now) {
 			continue
@@ -422,7 +426,11 @@ func (s *State) unflattenNotices(flat []*Notice) {
 		userID, hasUserID := n.UserID()
 		uniqueKey := noticeKey{hasUserID, userID, n.noticeType, n.key}
 		s.notices[uniqueKey] = n
+		if n.noticeType == WarningNotice && n.lastRepeated.After(latestWarningTime) {
+			latestWarningTime = n.lastRepeated
+		}
 	}
+	s.latestWarningTime.Store(&latestWarningTime)
 }
 
 // WaitNotices waits for notices that match the filter to exist or occur,
diff --git a/internals/overlord/state/notices_test.go b/internals/overlord/state/notices_test.go
index f70b90bf..a069c7ce 100644
--- a/internals/overlord/state/notices_test.go
+++ b/internals/overlord/state/notices_test.go
@@ -436,6 +436,9 @@ func (s *noticesSuite) TestDeleteExpired(c *C) {
 	st.Lock()
 	defer st.Unlock()
 
+	c.Assert(st.NumNotices(), Equals, 0)
+	c.Assert(st.LatestWarningTime().IsZero(), Equals, true)
+
 	old := time.Now().Add(-8 * 24 * time.Hour)
 	addNotice(c, st, nil, state.CustomNotice, "foo.com/w", &state.AddNoticeOptions{
 		Time: old,
@@ -443,13 +446,18 @@ func (s *noticesSuite) TestDeleteExpired(c *C) {
 	addNotice(c, st, nil, state.CustomNotice, "foo.com/x", &state.AddNoticeOptions{
 		Time: old,
 	})
+	addNotice(c, st, nil, state.WarningNotice, "warning!", &state.AddNoticeOptions{
+		Time: old,
+	})
 	addNotice(c, st, nil, state.CustomNotice, "foo.com/y", nil)
 	time.Sleep(time.Microsecond)
 	addNotice(c, st, nil, state.CustomNotice, "foo.com/z", nil)
 
-	c.Assert(st.NumNotices(), Equals, 4)
+	c.Assert(st.NumNotices(), Equals, 5)
+	c.Assert(st.LatestWarningTime().Equal(old), Equals, true)
 	st.Prune(time.Now(), 0, 0, 0)
 	c.Assert(st.NumNotices(), Equals, 2)
+	c.Assert(st.LatestWarningTime().IsZero(), Equals, true)
 
 	notices := st.Notices(nil)
 	c.Assert(notices, HasLen, 2)
diff --git a/internals/overlord/state/state.go b/internals/overlord/state/state.go
index 49dad55d..5d339aab 100644
--- a/internals/overlord/state/state.go
+++ b/internals/overlord/state/state.go
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ type State struct {
 	notices    map[noticeKey]*Notice
 	identities map[string]*Identity
 
-	noticeCond *sync.Cond
+	noticeCond        *sync.Cond
+	latestWarningTime atomic.Pointer[time.Time]
 
 	modified bool
 
@@ -504,11 +505,16 @@ func (s *State) Prune(startOfOperation time.Time, pruneWait, abortWait time.Dura
 		readyChangesCount++
 	}
 
+	// Prune expired notices, and update the latest warning time cache.
+	var latestWarningTime time.Time
 	for k, n := range s.notices {
 		if n.expired(now) {
 			delete(s.notices, k)
+		} else if n.noticeType == WarningNotice && n.lastRepeated.After(latestWarningTime) {
+			latestWarningTime = n.lastRepeated
 		}
 	}
+	s.latestWarningTime.Store(&latestWarningTime)
 
 NextChange:
 	for _, chg := range changes {
diff --git a/internals/overlord/state/state_test.go b/internals/overlord/state/state_test.go
index a651e876..f1877d89 100644
--- a/internals/overlord/state/state_test.go
+++ b/internals/overlord/state/state_test.go
@@ -795,7 +795,6 @@ func (ss *stateSuite) TestMethodEntrance(c *C) {
 		func() { st.MarshalJSON() },
 		func() { st.Prune(time.Now(), time.Hour, time.Hour, 100) },
 		func() { st.TaskCount() },
-		func() { st.LatestWarningTime() },
 	}
 
 	for i, f := range reads {