diff --git a/src/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore/Evaluators/IncludeEvaluator.cs b/src/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore/Evaluators/IncludeEvaluator.cs
index 87925228..15343cdd 100644
--- a/src/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore/Evaluators/IncludeEvaluator.cs
+++ b/src/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore/Evaluators/IncludeEvaluator.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Query;
-using System.Collections;
 using System.Collections.Concurrent;
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.Reflection;
@@ -41,6 +40,18 @@ private IncludeEvaluator() { }
     /// <inheritdoc/>
     public IQueryable<T> GetQuery<T>(IQueryable<T> query, ISpecification<T> specification) where T : class
     {
+        if (specification is Specification<T> spec)
+        {
+            if (spec.OneOrManyIncludeExpressions.IsEmpty) return query;
+            if (spec.OneOrManyIncludeExpressions.SingleOrDefault is { } includeExpression)
+            {
+                var lambdaExpr = includeExpression.LambdaExpression;
+                var key = new CacheKey(typeof(T), lambdaExpr.ReturnType, null);
+                var include = _cache.GetOrAdd(key, CreateIncludeDelegate);
+                return (IQueryable<T>)include(query, lambdaExpr);
+            }
+        }
+
         foreach (var includeExpression in specification.IncludeExpressions)
         {
             var lambdaExpr = includeExpression.LambdaExpression;
diff --git a/src/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore/Evaluators/IncludeStringEvaluator.cs b/src/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore/Evaluators/IncludeStringEvaluator.cs
index 72c57354..9e5273a6 100644
--- a/src/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore/Evaluators/IncludeStringEvaluator.cs
+++ b/src/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore/Evaluators/IncludeStringEvaluator.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,15 @@ private IncludeStringEvaluator() { }
     /// <inheritdoc/>
     public IQueryable<T> GetQuery<T>(IQueryable<T> query, ISpecification<T> specification) where T : class
     {
+        if (specification is Specification<T> spec)
+        {
+            if (spec.OneOrManyIncludeStrings.IsEmpty) return query;
+            if (spec.OneOrManyIncludeStrings.SingleOrDefault is { } includeString)
+            {
+                return query.Include(includeString);
+            }
+        }
+
         foreach (var includeString in specification.IncludeStrings)
         {
             query = query.Include(includeString);
diff --git a/src/Ardalis.Specification/Specification.cs b/src/Ardalis.Specification/Specification.cs
index abdde5da..a87cbb4e 100644
--- a/src/Ardalis.Specification/Specification.cs
+++ b/src/Ardalis.Specification/Specification.cs
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ public class Specification<T, TResult> : Specification<T>, ISpecification<T, TRe
 public class Specification<T> : ISpecification<T>
 {
     private const int DEFAULT_CAPACITY_SEARCH = 2;
-    private const int DEFAULT_CAPACITY_INCLUDE = 2;
-    private const int DEFAULT_CAPACITY_INCLUDESTRING = 1;
 
     // It is utilized only during the building stage for the sub-chains. Once the state is built, we don't care about it anymore.
     // The initial value is not important since the value is always initialized by the root of the chain.
@@ -43,8 +41,8 @@ public class Specification<T> : ISpecification<T>
     private OneOrMany<WhereExpressionInfo<T>> _whereExpressions = new();
     private List<SearchExpressionInfo<T>>? _searchExpressions;
     private OneOrMany<OrderExpressionInfo<T>> _orderExpressions = new();
-    private List<IncludeExpressionInfo>? _includeExpressions;
-    private List<string>? _includeStrings;
+    private OneOrMany<IncludeExpressionInfo> _includeExpressions = new();
+    private OneOrMany<string> _includeStrings = new();
     private Dictionary<string, object>? _items;
     private OneOrMany<string> _queryTags = new();
 
@@ -94,8 +92,8 @@ public class Specification<T> : ISpecification<T>
     // Specs are not intended to be thread-safe, so we don't need to worry about thread-safety here.
     internal void Add(WhereExpressionInfo<T> whereExpression) => _whereExpressions.Add(whereExpression);
     internal void Add(OrderExpressionInfo<T> orderExpression) => _orderExpressions.Add(orderExpression);
-    internal void Add(IncludeExpressionInfo includeExpression) => (_includeExpressions ??= new(DEFAULT_CAPACITY_INCLUDE)).Add(includeExpression);
-    internal void Add(string includeString) => (_includeStrings ??= new(DEFAULT_CAPACITY_INCLUDESTRING)).Add(includeString);
+    internal void Add(IncludeExpressionInfo includeExpression) => _includeExpressions.Add(includeExpression);
+    internal void Add(string includeString) => _includeStrings.Add(includeString);
     internal void Add(SearchExpressionInfo<T> searchExpression)
     {
         if (_searchExpressions is null)
@@ -132,16 +130,18 @@ internal void Add(SearchExpressionInfo<T> searchExpression)
     public IEnumerable<OrderExpressionInfo<T>> OrderExpressions => _orderExpressions.Values;
 
     /// <inheritdoc/>
-    public IEnumerable<IncludeExpressionInfo> IncludeExpressions => _includeExpressions ?? Enumerable.Empty<IncludeExpressionInfo>();
+    public IEnumerable<IncludeExpressionInfo> IncludeExpressions => _includeExpressions.Values;
 
     /// <inheritdoc/>
-    public IEnumerable<string> IncludeStrings => _includeStrings ?? Enumerable.Empty<string>();
+    public IEnumerable<string> IncludeStrings => _includeStrings.Values;
 
     /// <inheritdoc/>
     public IEnumerable<string> QueryTags => _queryTags.Values;
 
     internal OneOrMany<WhereExpressionInfo<T>> OneOrManyWhereExpressions => _whereExpressions;
     internal OneOrMany<OrderExpressionInfo<T>> OneOrManyOrderExpressions => _orderExpressions;
+    internal OneOrMany<IncludeExpressionInfo> OneOrManyIncludeExpressions => _includeExpressions;
+    internal OneOrMany<string> OneOrManyIncludeStrings => _includeStrings;
     internal OneOrMany<string> OneOrManyQueryTags => _queryTags;
 
     /// <inheritdoc/>
@@ -179,14 +179,14 @@ void ISpecification<T>.CopyTo(Specification<T> otherSpec)
             otherSpec._whereExpressions = _whereExpressions.Clone();
         }
 
-        if (_includeExpressions is not null)
+        if (!_includeExpressions.IsEmpty)
         {
-            otherSpec._includeExpressions = _includeExpressions.ToList();
+            otherSpec._includeExpressions = _includeExpressions.Clone();
         }
 
-        if (_includeStrings is not null)
+        if (!_includeStrings.IsEmpty)
         {
-            otherSpec._includeStrings = _includeStrings.ToList();
+            otherSpec._includeStrings = _includeStrings.Clone();
         }
 
         if (!_orderExpressions.IsEmpty)
diff --git a/tests/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore.Tests/Evaluators/IncludeEvaluatorTests.cs b/tests/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore.Tests/Evaluators/IncludeEvaluatorTests.cs
index 57c5e90b..f82e3d1f 100644
--- a/tests/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore.Tests/Evaluators/IncludeEvaluatorTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore.Tests/Evaluators/IncludeEvaluatorTests.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,39 @@ public class IncludeEvaluatorTests(TestFactory factory) : IntegrationTest(factor
 {
     private static readonly IncludeEvaluator _evaluator = IncludeEvaluator.Instance;
 
+    [Fact]
+    public void QueriesMatch_GivenNoIncludeExpression()
+    {
+        var spec = new Specification<Store>();
+
+        var actual = _evaluator
+            .GetQuery(DbContext.Stores, spec)
+            .ToQueryString();
+
+        var expected = DbContext.Stores
+            .ToQueryString();
+
+        actual.Should().Be(expected);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void QueriesMatch_GivenSingleIncludeExpression()
+    {
+        var spec = new Specification<Store>();
+        spec.Query
+            .Include(x => x.Products.Where(x => x.Id > 10));
+
+        var actual = _evaluator
+            .GetQuery(DbContext.Stores, spec)
+            .ToQueryString();
+
+        var expected = DbContext.Stores
+            .Include(x => x.Products.Where(x => x.Id > 10))
+            .ToQueryString();
+
+        actual.Should().Be(expected);
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public void QueriesMatch_GivenIncludeExpressions()
     {
diff --git a/tests/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore.Tests/Evaluators/IncludeStringEvaluatorTests.cs b/tests/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore.Tests/Evaluators/IncludeStringEvaluatorTests.cs
index b8b4592a..13fc8c12 100644
--- a/tests/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore.Tests/Evaluators/IncludeStringEvaluatorTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Ardalis.Specification.EntityFrameworkCore.Tests/Evaluators/IncludeStringEvaluatorTests.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,21 @@ public class IncludeStringEvaluatorTests(TestFactory factory) : IntegrationTest(
 {
     private static readonly IncludeStringEvaluator _evaluator = IncludeStringEvaluator.Instance;
 
+    [Fact]
+    public void QueriesMatch_GivenNoIncludeString()
+    {
+        var spec = new Specification<Store>();
+
+        var actual = _evaluator
+            .GetQuery(DbContext.Stores, spec)
+            .ToQueryString();
+
+        var expected = DbContext.Stores
+            .ToQueryString();
+
+        actual.Should().Be(expected);
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public void QueriesMatch_GivenIncludeString()
     {