diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6f056e26..0d9df98a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+- Optimize data_loader.py script [#395](https://github.com/stac-utils/stac-fastapi-elasticsearch-opensearch/pull/395)
+
+### Removed
+
+- Removed `requests` dev dependency [#395](https://github.com/stac-utils/stac-fastapi-elasticsearch-opensearch/pull/395)
+
 ## [v5.0.0a1] - 2025-05-30
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/data_loader.py b/data_loader.py
index 7d157e40..dea02dce 100644
--- a/data_loader.py
+++ b/data_loader.py
@@ -1,106 +1,105 @@
 """Data Loader CLI STAC_API Ingestion Tool."""
-import json
+
 import os
+from typing import Any
 
 import click
-import requests
+import orjson
+from httpx import Client
 
 
-def load_data(data_dir, filename):
+def load_data(filepath: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
     """Load json data from a file within the specified data directory."""
-    filepath = os.path.join(data_dir, filename)
-    if not os.path.exists(filepath):
+    try:
+        with open(filepath, "rb") as file:
+            return orjson.loads(file.read())
+    except FileNotFoundError as e:
         click.secho(f"File not found: {filepath}", fg="red", err=True)
-        raise click.Abort()
-    with open(filepath) as file:
-        return json.load(file)
+        raise click.Abort() from e
 
 
-def load_collection(base_url, collection_id, data_dir):
+def load_collection(client: Client, collection_id: str, data_dir: str) -> None:
     """Load a STAC collection into the database."""
-    collection = load_data(data_dir, "collection.json")
+    collection = load_data(os.path.join(data_dir, "collection.json"))
     collection["id"] = collection_id
-    try:
-        resp = requests.post(f"{base_url}/collections", json=collection)
-        if resp.status_code == 200 or resp.status_code == 201:
-            click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
-            click.echo(f"Added collection: {collection['id']}")
-        elif resp.status_code == 409:
-            click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
-            click.echo(f"Collection: {collection['id']} already exists")
-        else:
-            click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
-            click.echo(
-                f"Error writing {collection['id']} collection. Message: {resp.text}"
-            )
-    except requests.ConnectionError:
-        click.secho("Failed to connect", fg="red", err=True)
+    resp = client.post("/collections", json=collection)
+    if resp.status_code == 200 or resp.status_code == 201:
+        click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
+        click.echo(f"Added collection: {collection['id']}")
+    elif resp.status_code == 409:
+        click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
+        click.echo(f"Collection: {collection['id']} already exists")
+    else:
+        click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
+        click.echo(f"Error writing {collection['id']} collection. Message: {resp.text}")
 
 
-def load_items(base_url, collection_id, use_bulk, data_dir):
+def load_items(
+    client: Client, collection_id: str, use_bulk: bool, data_dir: str
+) -> None:
     """Load STAC items into the database based on the method selected."""
-    # Attempt to dynamically find a suitable feature collection file
-    feature_files = [
-        file
-        for file in os.listdir(data_dir)
-        if file.endswith(".json") and file != "collection.json"
-    ]
-    if not feature_files:
+    with os.scandir(data_dir) as entries:
+        # Attempt to dynamically find a suitable feature collection file
+        # Use the first found feature collection file
+        feature_file = next(
+            (
+                entry.path
+                for entry in entries
+                if entry.is_file()
+                and entry.name.endswith(".json")
+                and entry.name != "collection.json"
+            ),
+            None,
+        )
+
+    if feature_file is None:
         click.secho(
             "No feature collection files found in the specified directory.",
             fg="red",
             err=True,
         )
         raise click.Abort()
-    feature_collection_file = feature_files[
-        0
-    ]  # Use the first found feature collection file
-    feature_collection = load_data(data_dir, feature_collection_file)
 
-    load_collection(base_url, collection_id, data_dir)
+    feature_collection = load_data(feature_file)
+
+    load_collection(client, collection_id, data_dir)
     if use_bulk:
-        load_items_bulk_insert(base_url, collection_id, feature_collection, data_dir)
+        load_items_bulk_insert(client, collection_id, feature_collection)
     else:
-        load_items_one_by_one(base_url, collection_id, feature_collection, data_dir)
+        load_items_one_by_one(client, collection_id, feature_collection)
 
 
-def load_items_one_by_one(base_url, collection_id, feature_collection, data_dir):
+def load_items_one_by_one(
+    client: Client, collection_id: str, feature_collection: dict[str, Any]
+) -> None:
     """Load STAC items into the database one by one."""
     for feature in feature_collection["features"]:
-        try:
-            feature["collection"] = collection_id
-            resp = requests.post(
-                f"{base_url}/collections/{collection_id}/items", json=feature
-            )
-            if resp.status_code == 200:
-                click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
-                click.echo(f"Added item: {feature['id']}")
-            elif resp.status_code == 409:
-                click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
-                click.echo(f"Item: {feature['id']} already exists")
-        except requests.ConnectionError:
-            click.secho("Failed to connect", fg="red", err=True)
-
-
-def load_items_bulk_insert(base_url, collection_id, feature_collection, data_dir):
-    """Load STAC items into the database via bulk insert."""
-    try:
-        for i, _ in enumerate(feature_collection["features"]):
-            feature_collection["features"][i]["collection"] = collection_id
-        resp = requests.post(
-            f"{base_url}/collections/{collection_id}/items", json=feature_collection
-        )
+        feature["collection"] = collection_id
+        resp = client.post(f"/collections/{collection_id}/items", json=feature)
         if resp.status_code == 200:
             click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
-            click.echo("Bulk inserted items successfully.")
-        elif resp.status_code == 204:
-            click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
-            click.echo("Bulk update successful, no content returned.")
+            click.echo(f"Added item: {feature['id']}")
         elif resp.status_code == 409:
             click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
-            click.echo("Conflict detected, some items might already exist.")
-    except requests.ConnectionError:
-        click.secho("Failed to connect", fg="red", err=True)
+            click.echo(f"Item: {feature['id']} already exists")
+
+
+def load_items_bulk_insert(
+    client: Client, collection_id: str, feature_collection: dict[str, Any]
+) -> None:
+    """Load STAC items into the database via bulk insert."""
+    for feature in feature_collection["features"]:
+        feature["collection"] = collection_id
+    resp = client.post(f"/collections/{collection_id}/items", json=feature_collection)
+    if resp.status_code == 200:
+        click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
+        click.echo("Bulk inserted items successfully.")
+    elif resp.status_code == 204:
+        click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
+        click.echo("Bulk update successful, no content returned.")
+    elif resp.status_code == 409:
+        click.echo(f"Status code: {resp.status_code}")
+        click.echo("Conflict detected, some items might already exist.")
 
 
 @click.command()
@@ -117,9 +116,10 @@ def load_items_bulk_insert(base_url, collection_id, feature_collection, data_dir
     default="sample_data/",
     help="Directory containing collection.json and feature collection file",
 )
-def main(base_url, collection_id, use_bulk, data_dir):
+def main(base_url: str, collection_id: str, use_bulk: bool, data_dir: str) -> None:
     """Load STAC items into the database."""
-    load_items(base_url, collection_id, use_bulk, data_dir)
+    with Client(base_url=base_url) as client:
+        load_items(client, collection_id, use_bulk, data_dir)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/stac_fastapi/elasticsearch/setup.py b/stac_fastapi/elasticsearch/setup.py
index eb6b401f..4c0646a0 100644
--- a/stac_fastapi/elasticsearch/setup.py
+++ b/stac_fastapi/elasticsearch/setup.py
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
         "pytest-cov~=4.0.0",
         "pytest-asyncio~=0.21.0",
         "pre-commit~=3.0.0",
-        "requests>=2.32.0,<3.0.0",
         "ciso8601~=2.3.0",
         "httpx>=0.24.0,<0.28.0",
     ],
diff --git a/stac_fastapi/opensearch/setup.py b/stac_fastapi/opensearch/setup.py
index d52dd96c..aad06e58 100644
--- a/stac_fastapi/opensearch/setup.py
+++ b/stac_fastapi/opensearch/setup.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
         "pytest-cov~=4.0.0",
         "pytest-asyncio~=0.21.0",
         "pre-commit~=3.0.0",
-        "requests>=2.32.0,<3.0.0",
         "ciso8601~=2.3.0",
         "httpx>=0.24.0,<0.28.0",
     ],