A method and system for adaptively prefetching objects from a network has been disclosed. The invention includes adaptively tuning a prefetch engine to prefetch a plurality of objects from within the network. Because the prefetch engine is adaptively tuned, the prefetch process is optimized, thereby reducing the number of idle cycles that would otherwise be required to retrieve objects from the network. The method and system includes monitoring at least one proxy server within the network, the at least one proxy server comprising a prefetch engine and adaptively tuning the prefetch engine to prefetch a plurality of objects from within the network.