diff --git a/include/hueplusplus/BaseDevice.h b/include/hueplusplus/BaseDevice.h
index 5a8e108..e791bd1 100644
--- a/include/hueplusplus/BaseDevice.h
+++ b/include/hueplusplus/BaseDevice.h
@@ -111,11 +111,13 @@ public:
     virtual bool setName(const std::string& name);
 
     //! \brief Refreshes internal cached state.
+    //! \param force \c true forces a refresh, regardless of how long the last refresh was ago.
+    //! \c false to only refresh when enough time has passed (needed e.g. when calling only const methods).
     //! \throws std::system_error when system or socket operations fail
     //! \throws HueException when response contained no body
     //! \throws HueAPIResponseException when response contains an error
     //! \throws nlohmann::json::parse_error when response could not be parsed
-    virtual void refresh();
+    virtual void refresh(bool force = false);
 
 protected:
     //! \brief Protected ctor that is used by subclasses.
diff --git a/include/hueplusplus/BridgeConfig.h b/include/hueplusplus/BridgeConfig.h
index b252346..0d70049 100644
--- a/include/hueplusplus/BridgeConfig.h
+++ b/include/hueplusplus/BridgeConfig.h
@@ -59,11 +59,13 @@ public:
     BridgeConfig(std::shared_ptr<APICache> baseCache, std::chrono::steady_clock::duration refreshDuration);
 
     //! \brief Refreshes internal cached state.
+    //! \param force \c true forces a refresh, regardless of how long the last refresh was ago.
+    //! \c false to only refresh when enough time has passed (needed e.g. when calling only const methods).
     //! \throws std::system_error when system or socket operations fail
     //! \throws HueException when response contained no body
     //! \throws HueAPIResponseException when response contains an error
     //! \throws nlohmann::json::parse_error when response could not be parsed
-    void refresh();
+    void refresh(bool force = false);
 
     //! \brief Get the list of whitelisted users
     //! \returns All users authorized for API access
diff --git a/include/hueplusplus/Group.h b/include/hueplusplus/Group.h
index c7911b4..7e60ec3 100644
--- a/include/hueplusplus/Group.h
+++ b/include/hueplusplus/Group.h
@@ -47,11 +47,13 @@ public:
     Group(int id, const HueCommandAPI& commands, std::chrono::steady_clock::duration refreshDuration);
 
     //! \brief Refreshes internal cached state.
+    //! \param force \c true forces a refresh, regardless of how long the last refresh was ago.
+    //! \c false to only refresh when enough time has passed (needed e.g. when calling only const methods).
     //! \throws std::system_error when system or socket operations fail
     //! \throws HueException when response contained no body
     //! \throws HueAPIResponseException when response contains an error
     //! \throws nlohmann::json::parse_error when response could not be parsed
-    void refresh();
+    void refresh(bool force = false);
 
     //! \name General information
     ///@{
diff --git a/include/hueplusplus/ResourceList.h b/include/hueplusplus/ResourceList.h
index f7f913d..f1df811 100644
--- a/include/hueplusplus/ResourceList.h
+++ b/include/hueplusplus/ResourceList.h
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public:
         auto pos = resources.find(id);
         if (pos != resources.end())
         {
-            pos->second.refresh();
+            pos->second.refresh(true);
             return pos->second;
         }
         const nlohmann::json& state = stateCache.getValue();
diff --git a/include/hueplusplus/Scene.h b/include/hueplusplus/Scene.h
index b8a68e6..5df95de 100644
--- a/include/hueplusplus/Scene.h
+++ b/include/hueplusplus/Scene.h
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@
 #include <json/json.hpp>
 
 #include "APICache.h"
-#include "TimePattern.h"
 #include "ColorUnits.h"
+#include "TimePattern.h"
 
 namespace hueplusplus
 {
@@ -130,11 +130,13 @@ public:
     Scene(const std::string& id, const HueCommandAPI& commands, std::chrono::steady_clock::duration refreshDuration);
 
     //! \brief Refreshes internal cached state
+    //! \param force \c true forces a refresh, regardless of how long the last refresh was ago.
+    //! \c false to only refresh when enough time has passed (needed e.g. when calling only const methods).
     //! \throws std::system_error when system or socket operations fail
     //! \throws HueException when response contained no body
     //! \throws HueAPIResponseException when response contains an error
     //! \throws nlohmann::json::parse_error when response could not be parsed
-    void refresh();
+    void refresh(bool force = false);
 
     //! \brief Get scene identifier
     std::string getId() const;
diff --git a/src/BaseDevice.cpp b/src/BaseDevice.cpp
index 70ab841..8290f95 100644
--- a/src/BaseDevice.cpp
+++ b/src/BaseDevice.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ std::string BaseDevice::getSwVersion() const
 
 bool BaseDevice::setName(const std::string& name)
 {
-    nlohmann::json request = { {"name", name} };
+    nlohmann::json request = {{"name", name}};
     nlohmann::json reply = sendPutRequest("/name", request, CURRENT_FILE_INFO);
 
     // Check whether request was successful (returned name is not necessarily the actually set name)
@@ -103,9 +103,16 @@ nlohmann::json BaseDevice::sendPutRequest(const std::string& subPath, const nloh
     return state.getCommandAPI().PUTRequest(path + std::to_string(id) + subPath, request, std::move(fileInfo));
 }
 
-void BaseDevice::refresh()
+void BaseDevice::refresh(bool force)
 {
-    state.refresh();
+    if (force)
+    {
+        state.refresh();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        state.getValue();
+    }
 }
 
 } // namespace hueplusplus
diff --git a/src/BridgeConfig.cpp b/src/BridgeConfig.cpp
index 4f0296e..0953e6d 100644
--- a/src/BridgeConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/BridgeConfig.cpp
@@ -27,9 +27,17 @@ namespace hueplusplus
 BridgeConfig::BridgeConfig(std::shared_ptr<APICache> baseCache, std::chrono::steady_clock::duration refreshDuration)
     : cache(std::move(baseCache), "config", refreshDuration)
 { }
-void BridgeConfig::refresh()
+
+void BridgeConfig::refresh(bool force)
 {
-    cache.refresh();
+    if (force)
+    {
+        cache.refresh();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        cache.getValue();
+    }
 }
 std::vector<WhitelistedUser> BridgeConfig::getWhitelistedUsers() const
 {
diff --git a/src/Group.cpp b/src/Group.cpp
index 70d260e..dad2142 100644
--- a/src/Group.cpp
+++ b/src/Group.cpp
@@ -10,9 +10,16 @@ Group::Group(int id, const HueCommandAPI& commands, std::chrono::steady_clock::d
     state.refresh();
 }
 
-void Group::refresh()
+void Group::refresh(bool force)
 {
-    state.refresh();
+    if (force)
+    {
+        state.refresh();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        state.getValue();
+    }
 }
 
 int Group::getId() const
@@ -50,7 +57,7 @@ void Group::setName(const std::string& name)
 {
     nlohmann::json request = {{"name", name}};
     sendPutRequest("", request, CURRENT_FILE_INFO);
-    refresh();
+    refresh(true);
 }
 
 void Group::setLights(const std::vector<int>& ids)
@@ -61,7 +68,7 @@ void Group::setLights(const std::vector<int>& ids)
         lights.push_back(std::to_string(id));
     }
     sendPutRequest("", {{"lights", lights}}, CURRENT_FILE_INFO);
-    refresh();
+    refresh(true);
 }
 
 bool Group::getAllOn()
@@ -204,7 +211,7 @@ std::string Group::getRoomType() const
 void Group::setRoomType(const std::string& type)
 {
     sendPutRequest("", {{"class", type}}, CURRENT_FILE_INFO);
-    refresh();
+    refresh(true);
 }
 
 std::string Group::getModelId() const
diff --git a/src/Scene.cpp b/src/Scene.cpp
index 8ed70a6..1328f1c 100644
--- a/src/Scene.cpp
+++ b/src/Scene.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 namespace hueplusplus
 {
-LightState::LightState(const nlohmann::json& state) : state(state) {}
+LightState::LightState(const nlohmann::json& state) : state(state) { }
 
 bool LightState::isOn() const
 {
@@ -156,9 +156,16 @@ Scene::Scene(const std::string& id, const HueCommandAPI& commands, std::chrono::
     refresh();
 }
 
-void Scene::refresh()
+void Scene::refresh(bool force)
 {
-    state.refresh();
+    if (force)
+    {
+        state.refresh();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        state.getValue();
+    }
 }
 
 std::string Scene::getId() const
diff --git a/test/test_BridgeConfig.cpp b/test/test_BridgeConfig.cpp
index 5b3a391..dd4568b 100644
--- a/test/test_BridgeConfig.cpp
+++ b/test/test_BridgeConfig.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ TEST(BridgeConfig, refresh)
     EXPECT_CALL(*handler,
         GETJson("/api/" + getBridgeUsername() + "/config", nlohmann::json::object(), getBridgeIp(), getBridgePort()))
         .WillOnce(Return(nlohmann::json::object()));
-    config.refresh();
+    config.refresh(true);
 }
 
 TEST(BridgeConfig, getWhitelistedUsers)
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ TEST(BridgeConfig, getLinkButton)
     EXPECT_CALL(*handler,
         GETJson("/api/" + getBridgeUsername() + "/config", nlohmann::json::object(), getBridgeIp(), getBridgePort()))
         .WillOnce(Return(nlohmann::json {{"linkbutton", false}}));
-    config.refresh();
+    config.refresh(true);
     EXPECT_FALSE(config.getLinkButton());
 }
 
diff --git a/test/test_ResourceList.cpp b/test/test_ResourceList.cpp
index 8fbcd30..a3d529c 100644
--- a/test/test_ResourceList.cpp
+++ b/test/test_ResourceList.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class TestResource
 public:
     TestResource(int id, HueCommandAPI api, std::chrono::steady_clock::duration refreshDuration) : id(id) {}
 
-    void refresh() {}
+    void refresh(bool force = false) {}
 
 public:
     int id;
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public:
 class TestResourceFactory
 {
 public:
-    void refresh() {}
+    void refresh(bool force = false) {}
 };
 class TestStringResource
 {
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public:
     TestStringResource(const std::string& id, HueCommandAPI api, std::chrono::steady_clock::duration refreshDuration)
         : id(id)
     {}
-    void refresh() {}
+    void refresh(bool force = false) {}
 
 public:
     std::string id;
diff --git a/test/test_Scene.cpp b/test/test_Scene.cpp
index 96d06de..46ac93f 100644
--- a/test/test_Scene.cpp
+++ b/test/test_Scene.cpp
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ TEST_F(SceneTest, refresh)
     expectGetState(id);
     Scene scene(id, commands, std::chrono::seconds(0));
     expectGetState(id);
-    scene.refresh();
+    scene.refresh(true);
 }
 
 TEST_F(SceneTest, setName)