A method and load and store buffer for issuing a load instruction to a data cache. The method includes determining whether there are any unresolved store instructions in the store buffer that are older than the load instruction. If there is at least one unresolved store instruction in the store buffer older than the load instruction, it is determined whether the oldest unresolved store instruction in the store buffer is within a speculation window for the load instruction. If the oldest unresolved store instruction is within the speculation window for the load instruction, the load instruction is speculatively issued to the data cache. Otherwise, the load instruction is stalled until any unresolved store instructions outside the speculation window are resolved. The speculation window is a short window that defines a number of instructions or store instructions that immediately precede the load instruction.