commit - 123481a5f49c26d4316bfac1b8f5599384e17d11
commit + 72e4a018d51ae1a3a7c2870aa8dc33cbad2c3143
blob - 6184577200859fe1405bbb080a18331a64692ec7
blob + 48f13cb8937b1ceada2e72b1df9a5bab9abf059d
--- lib/diff_patience.c
+++ lib/diff_patience.c
@@ -280,6 +280,8 @@ diff_atoms_mark_unique_in_both(struct diff_data *left,
 	 * each side, but exist once in both sources. */
 	for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
 		bool same;
+		unsigned int next_differing_i;
+		unsigned int last_identical_i;
 		unsigned int j;
 		unsigned int count_first_side = 1;
 		unsigned int count_other_side = 0;
@@ -287,13 +289,29 @@ diff_atoms_mark_unique_in_both(struct diff_data *left,
 		debug("a: ");
 		debug_dump_atom(a->root, NULL, a);
 
-		for (j = i+1; j < len; j++) {
-			b = all_atoms[j];
+		/* Do as few diff_atom_cmp() as possible: first walk forward
+		 * only using the cheap hash as indicator for differing atoms;
+		 * then walk backwards until hitting an identical atom. */
+		for (next_differing_i = i + 1; next_differing_i < len;
+		     next_differing_i++) {
+			b = all_atoms[next_differing_i];
+			if (a->hash != b->hash)
+				break;
+		}
+		for (last_identical_i = next_differing_i - 1;
+		     last_identical_i > i;
+		     last_identical_i--) {
+			b = all_atoms[last_identical_i];
 			rc = diff_atom_same(&same, a, b);
 			if (rc)
 				goto free_and_exit;
-			if (!same)
+			if (same)
 				break;
+		}
+		next_differing_i = last_identical_i + 1;
+
+		for (j = i+1; j < next_differing_i; j++) {
+			b = all_atoms[j];
 			/* A following atom is the same. See on which side the
 			 * repetition counts. */
 			if (a->root == b->root)