diff --git a/store/file/file.go b/store/file/file.go
index 7e2b63e6..d6633295 100644
--- a/store/file/file.go
+++ b/store/file/file.go
@@ -2,11 +2,10 @@
 package file
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"sort"
-	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v3/store"
@@ -111,8 +110,9 @@ func (f *fileStore) getDB(database, table string) (*bolt.DB, error) {
 	return bolt.Open(dbPath, 0700, &bolt.Options{Timeout: 5 * time.Second})
 }
 
-func (m *fileStore) list(db *bolt.DB, limit, offset uint) []string {
-	var allItems []string
+func (m *fileStore) list(db *bolt.DB, limit, offset uint, prefix, suffix string) []string {
+
+	var keys []string
 
 	db.View(func(tx *bolt.Tx) error {
 		b := tx.Bucket([]byte(dataBucket))
@@ -120,54 +120,53 @@ func (m *fileStore) list(db *bolt.DB, limit, offset uint) []string {
 		if b == nil {
 			return nil
 		}
+		c := b.Cursor()
+		var k, v []byte
+		var cont func(k []byte) bool
 
-		// @todo very inefficient
-		if err := b.ForEach(func(k, v []byte) error {
+		if prefix != "" {
+			// for prefix we can speed up the search, not for suffix though :(
+			k, v = c.Seek([]byte(prefix))
+			cont = func(k []byte) bool {
+				return bytes.HasPrefix(k, []byte(prefix))
+			}
+		} else {
+			k, v = c.First()
+			cont = func(k []byte) bool {
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+
+		for ; k != nil && cont(k); k, v = c.Next() {
 			storedRecord := &record{}
 
 			if err := json.Unmarshal(v, storedRecord); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-
 			if !storedRecord.ExpiresAt.IsZero() {
 				if storedRecord.ExpiresAt.Before(time.Now()) {
-					return nil
+					continue
 				}
 			}
+			if suffix != "" && !bytes.HasSuffix(k, []byte(suffix)) {
+				continue
+			}
+			if offset > 0 {
+				offset--
+				continue
+			}
+			keys = append(keys, string(k))
+			// this check still works if no limit was passed to begin with, you'll just end up with large -ve value
+			if limit == 1 {
+				break
+			}
+			limit--
 
-			allItems = append(allItems, string(k))
-
-			return nil
-		}); err != nil {
-			return err
 		}
-
 		return nil
 	})
 
-	allKeys := make([]string, len(allItems))
-
-	for i, k := range allItems {
-		allKeys[i] = k
-	}
-
-	if limit != 0 || offset != 0 {
-		sort.Slice(allKeys, func(i, j int) bool { return allKeys[i] < allKeys[j] })
-		end := len(allKeys)
-		if limit > 0 {
-			calcLimit := int(offset + limit)
-			if calcLimit < end {
-				end = calcLimit
-			}
-		}
-
-		if int(offset) >= end {
-			return nil
-		}
-		return allKeys[offset:end]
-	}
-
-	return allKeys
+	return keys
 }
 
 func (m *fileStore) get(db *bolt.DB, k string) (*store.Record, error) {
@@ -283,21 +282,17 @@ func (m *fileStore) Read(key string, opts ...store.ReadOption) ([]*store.Record,
 	var keys []string
 
 	// Handle Prefix / suffix
-	// TODO: do range scan here rather than listing all keys
 	if readOpts.Prefix || readOpts.Suffix {
-		// list the keys
-		k := m.list(db, readOpts.Limit, readOpts.Offset)
-
-		// check for prefix and suffix
-		for _, v := range k {
-			if readOpts.Prefix && !strings.HasPrefix(v, key) {
-				continue
-			}
-			if readOpts.Suffix && !strings.HasSuffix(v, key) {
-				continue
-			}
-			keys = append(keys, v)
+		prefix := ""
+		if readOpts.Prefix {
+			prefix = key
 		}
+		suffix := ""
+		if readOpts.Suffix {
+			suffix = key
+		}
+		// list the keys
+		keys = m.list(db, readOpts.Limit, readOpts.Offset, prefix, suffix)
 	} else {
 		keys = []string{key}
 	}
@@ -369,28 +364,7 @@ func (m *fileStore) List(opts ...store.ListOption) ([]string, error) {
 	}
 	defer db.Close()
 
-	// TODO apply prefix/suffix in range query
-	allKeys := m.list(db, listOptions.Limit, listOptions.Offset)
-
-	if len(listOptions.Prefix) > 0 {
-		var prefixKeys []string
-		for _, k := range allKeys {
-			if strings.HasPrefix(k, listOptions.Prefix) {
-				prefixKeys = append(prefixKeys, k)
-			}
-		}
-		allKeys = prefixKeys
-	}
-
-	if len(listOptions.Suffix) > 0 {
-		var suffixKeys []string
-		for _, k := range allKeys {
-			if strings.HasSuffix(k, listOptions.Suffix) {
-				suffixKeys = append(suffixKeys, k)
-			}
-		}
-		allKeys = suffixKeys
-	}
+	allKeys := m.list(db, listOptions.Limit, listOptions.Offset, listOptions.Prefix, listOptions.Suffix)
 
 	return allKeys, nil
 }
diff --git a/store/memory/memory.go b/store/memory/memory.go
index 5ef77b60..bc20030b 100644
--- a/store/memory/memory.go
+++ b/store/memory/memory.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v3/store"
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ func NewStore(opts ...store.Option) store.Store {
 			Database: "micro",
 			Table:    "micro",
 		},
-		store: cache.New(cache.NoExpiration, 5*time.Minute),
+		stores: map[string]*cache.Cache{}, // cache.New(cache.NoExpiration, 5*time.Minute),
 	}
 	for _, o := range opts {
 		o(&s.options)
@@ -28,9 +29,10 @@ func NewStore(opts ...store.Option) store.Store {
 }
 
 type memoryStore struct {
+	sync.RWMutex
 	options store.Options
 
-	store *cache.Cache
+	stores map[string]*cache.Cache
 }
 
 type storeRecord struct {
@@ -40,10 +42,6 @@ type storeRecord struct {
 	expiresAt time.Time
 }
 
-func (m *memoryStore) key(prefix, key string) string {
-	return filepath.Join(prefix, key)
-}
-
 func (m *memoryStore) prefix(database, table string) string {
 	if len(database) == 0 {
 		database = m.options.Database
@@ -54,11 +52,24 @@ func (m *memoryStore) prefix(database, table string) string {
 	return filepath.Join(database, table)
 }
 
-func (m *memoryStore) get(prefix, key string) (*store.Record, error) {
-	key = m.key(prefix, key)
+func (m *memoryStore) getStore(prefix string) *cache.Cache {
+	m.RLock()
+	store := m.stores[prefix]
+	m.RUnlock()
+	if store == nil {
+		m.Lock()
+		if m.stores[prefix] == nil {
+			m.stores[prefix] = cache.New(cache.NoExpiration, 5*time.Minute)
+		}
+		store = m.stores[prefix]
+		m.Unlock()
+	}
+	return store
+}
 
+func (m *memoryStore) get(prefix, key string) (*store.Record, error) {
 	var storedRecord *storeRecord
-	r, found := m.store.Get(key)
+	r, found := m.getStore(prefix).Get(key)
 	if !found {
 		return nil, store.ErrNotFound
 	}
@@ -91,8 +102,6 @@ func (m *memoryStore) get(prefix, key string) (*store.Record, error) {
 }
 
 func (m *memoryStore) set(prefix string, r *store.Record) {
-	key := m.key(prefix, r.Key)
-
 	// copy the incoming record and then
 	// convert the expiry in to a hard timestamp
 	i := &storeRecord{}
@@ -113,33 +122,54 @@ func (m *memoryStore) set(prefix string, r *store.Record) {
 		i.metadata[k] = v
 	}
 
-	m.store.Set(key, i, r.Expiry)
+	m.getStore(prefix).Set(r.Key, i, r.Expiry)
 }
 
 func (m *memoryStore) delete(prefix, key string) {
-	key = m.key(prefix, key)
-	m.store.Delete(key)
+	m.getStore(prefix).Delete(key)
 }
 
-func (m *memoryStore) list(prefix string, limit, offset uint) []string {
-	allItems := m.store.Items()
-	keys := make([]string, len(allItems))
-	i := 0
+func (m *memoryStore) list(prefix string, limit, offset uint, prefixFilter, suffixFilter string) []string {
 
+	allItems := m.getStore(prefix).Items()
+
+	allKeys := make([]string, len(allItems))
+
+	// construct list of keys for this prefix
+	i := 0
 	for k := range allItems {
-		if !strings.HasPrefix(k, prefix+"/") {
-			continue
-		}
-		keys[i] = strings.TrimPrefix(k, prefix+"/")
+		allKeys[i] = k
 		i++
 	}
-
-	sort.Slice(keys, func(i, j int) bool { return keys[i] < keys[j] })
-	return applyLimitAndOffset(keys, limit, offset)
+	keys := make([]string, 0, len(allKeys))
+	sort.Slice(allKeys, func(i, j int) bool { return allKeys[i] < allKeys[j] })
+	for _, k := range allKeys {
+		if prefixFilter != "" && !strings.HasPrefix(k, prefixFilter) {
+			continue
+		}
+		if suffixFilter != "" && !strings.HasSuffix(k, suffixFilter) {
+			continue
+		}
+		if offset > 0 {
+			offset--
+			continue
+		}
+		keys = append(keys, k)
+		// this check still works if no limit was passed to begin with, you'll just end up with large -ve value
+		if limit == 1 {
+			break
+		}
+		limit--
+	}
+	return keys
 }
 
 func (m *memoryStore) Close() error {
-	m.store.Flush()
+	m.Lock()
+	defer m.Unlock()
+	for _, s := range m.stores {
+		s.Flush()
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -165,20 +195,15 @@ func (m *memoryStore) Read(key string, opts ...store.ReadOption) ([]*store.Recor
 	var keys []string
 	// Handle Prefix / suffix
 	if readOpts.Prefix || readOpts.Suffix {
-		// apply limit / offset once filtering is complete
-		for _, kk := range m.list(prefix, 0, 0) {
-			if readOpts.Prefix && !strings.HasPrefix(kk, key) {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			if readOpts.Suffix && !strings.HasSuffix(kk, key) {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			keys = append(keys, kk)
+		prefixFilter := ""
+		if readOpts.Prefix {
+			prefixFilter = key
 		}
-
-		keys = applyLimitAndOffset(keys, readOpts.Limit, readOpts.Offset)
+		suffixFilter := ""
+		if readOpts.Suffix {
+			suffixFilter = key
+		}
+		keys = m.list(prefix, readOpts.Limit, readOpts.Offset, prefixFilter, suffixFilter)
 	} else {
 		keys = []string{key}
 	}
@@ -257,47 +282,6 @@ func (m *memoryStore) List(opts ...store.ListOption) ([]string, error) {
 	}
 
 	prefix := m.prefix(listOptions.Database, listOptions.Table)
-	keys := m.list(prefix, listOptions.Limit, listOptions.Offset)
-
-	if len(listOptions.Prefix) > 0 {
-		var prefixKeys []string
-		for _, k := range keys {
-			if strings.HasPrefix(k, listOptions.Prefix) {
-				prefixKeys = append(prefixKeys, k)
-			}
-		}
-		keys = prefixKeys
-	}
-
-	if len(listOptions.Suffix) > 0 {
-		var suffixKeys []string
-		for _, k := range keys {
-			if strings.HasSuffix(k, listOptions.Suffix) {
-				suffixKeys = append(suffixKeys, k)
-			}
-		}
-		keys = suffixKeys
-	}
-
+	keys := m.list(prefix, listOptions.Limit, listOptions.Offset, listOptions.Prefix, listOptions.Suffix)
 	return keys, nil
 }
-
-func applyLimitAndOffset(keys []string, limit, offset uint) []string {
-	if limit == 0 && offset == 0 {
-		return keys
-	}
-
-	end := len(keys)
-	if limit > 0 {
-		calcLimit := int(offset + limit)
-		if calcLimit < end {
-			end = calcLimit
-		}
-	}
-
-	if int(offset) >= end {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	return keys[offset:end]
-}
diff --git a/store/test/store_test.go b/store/test/store_test.go
index b440c978..7cea5084 100644
--- a/store/test/store_test.go
+++ b/store/test/store_test.go
@@ -264,6 +264,15 @@ func listTests(s store.Store, t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected 2 records, received %d %+v", len(recs), recs)
 	}
 
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		s.Write(&store.Record{Key: fmt.Sprintf("ListOffset%d", i), Value: []byte("bar")})
+	}
+
+	recs, err = s.List(store.ListPrefix("ListOffset"), store.ListOffset(6))
+	if len(recs) != 4 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected 4 records, received %d %+v", len(recs), recs)
+	}
+
 }
 
 func expiryTests(s store.Store, t *testing.T) {
@@ -306,7 +315,7 @@ func expiryTests(s store.Store, t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 	if len(results) != 3 {
-		t.Fatal("Results should have returned 3 records")
+		t.Fatalf("Results should have returned 3 records, returned %d", len(results))
 	}
 	time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
 	results, err = s.Read("a", store.ReadPrefix())