diff --git a/wp-includes/default-filters.php b/wp-includes/default-filters.php
index 6897c2ed53..e3e2ad0c12 100644
--- a/wp-includes/default-filters.php
+++ b/wp-includes/default-filters.php
@@ -201,7 +201,6 @@ add_filter( 'pingback_ping_source_uri', 'pingback_ping_source_uri'            );
 add_filter( 'xmlrpc_pingback_error',    'xmlrpc_pingback_error'               );
 add_filter( 'title_save_pre',           'trim'                                );
 add_filter( 'get_comment_metadata',     'wp_lazyload_comment_meta',     10, 2 );
-add_filter( 'get_term_metadata',        'wp_lazyload_term_meta',        10, 2 );
 
 add_filter( 'http_request_host_is_external', 'allowed_http_request_hosts', 10, 2 );
 
diff --git a/wp-includes/query.php b/wp-includes/query.php
index 23c5d7637f..3ec605b513 100644
--- a/wp-includes/query.php
+++ b/wp-includes/query.php
@@ -1302,6 +1302,15 @@ class WP_Query {
 	 */
 	 public $thumbnails_cached = false;
 
+	/**
+	 * Whether the term meta cache for matched posts has been primed.
+	 *
+	 * @since 4.4.0
+	 * @access protected
+	 * @var bool
+	 */
+	public $updated_term_meta_cache = false;
+
 	/**
 	 * Cached list of search stopwords.
 	 *
@@ -3541,6 +3550,11 @@ class WP_Query {
 		if ( $this->posts )
 			$this->posts = array_map( 'get_post', $this->posts );
 
+
+		if ( $q['update_post_term_cache'] ) {
+			add_action( 'get_term_metadata', array( $this, 'lazyload_term_meta' ), 10, 2 );
+		}
+
 		if ( ! $q['suppress_filters'] ) {
 			/**
 			 * Filter the raw post results array, prior to status checks.
@@ -4722,6 +4736,86 @@ class WP_Query {
 			$this->setup_postdata( $this->post );
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Lazy-loads termmeta for located posts.
+	 *
+	 * As a rule, term queries (`get_terms()` and `wp_get_object_terms()`) prime the metadata cache for matched
+	 * terms by default. However, this can cause a slight performance penalty, especially when that metadata is
+	 * not actually used. In the context of a `WP_Query` instance, we're able to avoid this potential penalty.
+	 * `update_object_term_cache()`, called from `update_post_caches()`, does not 'update_term_meta_cache'.
+	 * Instead, the first time `get_term_meta()` is called from within a `WP_Query` loop, the current method
+	 * detects the fact, and then primes the metadata cache for all terms attached to all posts in the loop,
+	 * with a single database query.
+	 *
+	 * This method is public so that it can be used as a filter callback. As a rule, there is no need to invoke it
+	 * directly, from either inside or outside the `WP_Query` object.
+	 *
+	 * @since 4.4.0
+	 * @access public
+	 *
+	 * @param null $check   The `$check` param passed from the 'pre_term_metadata' hook.
+	 * @param int  $term_id ID of the term whose metadata is being cached.
+	 * @return mixed In order not to short-circuit `get_metadata()`. Generally, this is `null`, but it could be
+	 *               another value if filtered by a plugin.
+	 */
+	public function lazyload_term_meta( $check, $term_id ) {
+		/*
+		 * We only do this once per `WP_Query` instance.
+		 * Can't use `remove_action()` because of non-unique object hashes.
+		 */
+		if ( $this->updated_term_meta_cache ) {
+			return $check;
+		}
+
+		// We can only lazyload if the entire post object is present.
+		$posts = array();
+		foreach ( $this->posts as $post ) {
+			if ( $post instanceof WP_Post ) {
+				$posts[] = $post;
+			}
+		}
+		$_p = array();
+		foreach ( $posts as $post ) {
+			$_p[] = $post->ID;
+		}
+
+		if ( ! empty( $posts ) ) {
+			// Fetch cached term_ids for each post. Keyed by term_id for faster lookup.
+			$term_ids = array();
+			foreach ( $posts as $post ) {
+				$taxonomies = get_object_taxonomies( $post->post_type );
+				foreach ( $taxonomies as $taxonomy ) {
+					// Term cache should already be primed by 'update_post_term_cache'.
+					$terms = get_object_term_cache( $post->ID, $taxonomy );
+					if ( false !== $terms ) {
+						foreach ( $terms as $term ) {
+							if ( ! isset( $term_ids[ $term->term_id ] ) ) {
+								$term_ids[ $term->term_id ] = 1;
+							}
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
+			/*
+			 * Only update the metadata cache for terms belonging to these posts if the term_id passed
+			 * to `get_term_meta()` matches one of those terms. This prevents a single call to
+			 * `get_term_meta()` from priming metadata for all `WP_Query` objects.
+			 */
+			if ( isset( $term_ids[ $term_id ] ) ) {
+				update_termmeta_cache( array_keys( $term_ids ) );
+				$this->updated_term_meta_cache = true;
+			}
+		}
+
+		// If no terms were found, there's no need to run this again.
+		if ( empty( $term_ids ) ) {
+			$this->updated_term_meta_cache = true;
+		}
+
+		return $check;
+	}
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php b/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php
index e35b453556..8b54693087 100644
--- a/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php
+++ b/wp-includes/taxonomy-functions.php
@@ -1588,63 +1588,6 @@ function update_termmeta_cache( $term_ids ) {
 	return update_meta_cache( 'term', $term_ids );
 }
 
-/**
- * Lazy-loads termmeta when inside of a `WP_Query` loop.
- *
- * As a rule, term queries (`get_terms()` and `wp_get_object_terms()`) prime the metadata cache for matched terms by
- * default. However, this can cause a slight performance penalty, especially when that metadata is not actually used.
- * In the context of a `WP_Query` loop, we're able to avoid this potential penalty. `update_object_term_cache()`,
- * called from `update_post_caches()`, does not 'update_term_meta_cache'. Instead, the first time `get_term_meta()` is
- * called from within a `WP_Query` loop, the current function detects the fact, and then primes the metadata cache for
- * all terms attached to all posts in the loop, with a single database query.
- *
- * @since 4.4.0
- *
- * @param null $check   The `$check` param passed from the 'pre_term_metadata' hook.
- * @param int  $term_id ID of the term whose metadata is being cached.
- * @return null In order not to short-circuit `get_metadata()`.
- */
-function wp_lazyload_term_meta( $check, $term_id ) {
-	global $wp_query;
-
-	if ( $wp_query instanceof WP_Query && ! empty( $wp_query->posts ) && $wp_query->get( 'update_post_term_cache' ) ) {
-		// We can only lazyload if the entire post object is present.
-		$posts = array();
-		foreach ( $wp_query->posts as $post ) {
-			if ( $post instanceof WP_Post ) {
-				$posts[] = $post;
-			}
-		}
-
-		if ( empty( $posts ) ) {
-			return;
-		}
-
-		// Fetch cached term_ids for each post. Keyed by term_id for faster lookup.
-		$term_ids = array();
-		foreach ( $posts as $post ) {
-			$taxonomies = get_object_taxonomies( $post->post_type );
-			foreach ( $taxonomies as $taxonomy ) {
-				// No extra queries. Term cache should already be primed by 'update_post_term_cache'.
-				$terms = get_object_term_cache( $post->ID, $taxonomy );
-				if ( false !== $terms ) {
-					foreach ( $terms as $term ) {
-						if ( ! isset( $term_ids[ $term->term_id ] ) ) {
-							$term_ids[ $term->term_id ] = 1;
-						}
-					}
-				}
-			}
-		}
-
-		if ( $term_ids ) {
-			update_termmeta_cache( array_keys( $term_ids ) );
-		}
-	}
-
-	return $check;
-}
-
 /**
  * Check if Term exists.
  *
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 766e1d04b3..19cd111655 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '4.4-alpha-34703';
+$wp_version = '4.4-alpha-34704';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.