diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ee99028ba..4651ee7d6 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 	* Source/Additions/Unicode.m: Optimise somewhat for converting
 	from unicode (UTF-2) to UTF-8
+	* Source/GSString.m: Optimise 8 bit string equality tests a little.
 
 2009-06-06 Richard Frith-Macdonald <rfm@gnu.org>
 
diff --git a/Source/GSString.m b/Source/GSString.m
index 0f0040d45..74d692626 100644
--- a/Source/GSString.m
+++ b/Source/GSString.m
@@ -2094,13 +2094,13 @@ isEqual_c(GSStr self, id anObject)
   if (c == NSConstantStringClass)
     {
       GSStr	other = (GSStr)anObject;
-      NSRange	r = {0, self->_count};
 
-      if (strCompCsCs((id)self, (id)other, 0, r) == NSOrderedSame)
+      if (other->_count == self->_count
+	&& memcmp(other->_contents.c, self->_contents.c, self->_count) == 0)
 	return YES;
       return NO;
     }
-  else if (GSObjCIsKindOf(c, GSStringClass) == YES || c == GSMutableStringClass)
+  else if (c == GSMutableStringClass)
     {
       GSStr	other = (GSStr)anObject;
       NSRange	r = {0, self->_count};
@@ -2125,11 +2125,32 @@ isEqual_c(GSStr self, id anObject)
 	}
       else
 	{
-	  if (strCompCsCs((id)self, (id)other, 0, r) == NSOrderedSame)
+	  if (other->_count == self->_count
+	    && memcmp(other->_contents.c, self->_contents.c, self->_count) == 0)
 	    return YES;
 	}
       return NO;
     }
+  else if (GSObjCIsKindOf(c, GSStringClass) == YES)
+    {
+      GSStr	other = (GSStr)anObject;
+
+      /*
+       * First see if the hash is the same - if not, we can't be equal.
+       */
+      if (self->_flags.hash == 0)
+        self->_flags.hash = (*hashImp)((id)self, hashSel);
+      if (other->_flags.hash == 0)
+        other->_flags.hash = (*hashImp)((id)other, hashSel);
+      if (self->_flags.hash != other->_flags.hash)
+	return NO;
+
+      if (other->_count == self->_count
+	&& memcmp(other->_contents.c, self->_contents.c, self->_count) == 0)
+	return YES;
+
+      return NO;
+    }
   else if (GSObjCIsKindOf(c, NSStringClass))
     {
       return (*equalImp)((id)self, equalSel, anObject);
diff --git a/Source/GSeq.h b/Source/GSeq.h
index 848203e07..f660ff416 100644
--- a/Source/GSeq.h
+++ b/Source/GSeq.h
@@ -379,13 +379,12 @@ GSEQ_STRCOMP(NSString *ss, NSString *os, unsigned mask, NSRange aRange)
   GSEQ_ST	s = (GSEQ_ST)ss;
   GSEQ_OT	o = (GSEQ_OT)os;
   unsigned	oLength;			/* Length of other.	*/
-  unsigned	sLength = GSEQ_SLEN;
 
 #if	0
   /* Range should be checked in calling code */
-  if (aRange.location > sLength)
+  if (aRange.location > GSEQ_SLEN)
     [NSException raise: NSRangeException format: @"Invalid location."];
-  if (aRange.length > (sLength - aRange.location))
+  if (aRange.length > (GSEQ_SLEN - aRange.location))
     [NSException raise: NSRangeException format: @"Invalid location+length."];
 #endif
 
@@ -462,8 +461,13 @@ GSEQ_STRCOMP(NSString *ss, NSString *os, unsigned mask, NSRange aRange)
 	{
 	  for (i = 0; i < end; i++)
 	    {
+#if	GSEQ_O == GSEQ_CS && GSEQ_S == GSEQ_CS
+	      char	c1 = tolower(sBuf[i]);
+	      char	c2 = tolower(oBuf[i]);
+#else
 	      unichar	c1 = uni_tolower((unichar)sBuf[i]);
 	      unichar	c2 = uni_tolower((unichar)oBuf[i]);
+#endif
 
 	      if (c1 < c2)
 		return NSOrderedAscending;
@@ -475,10 +479,17 @@ GSEQ_STRCOMP(NSString *ss, NSString *os, unsigned mask, NSRange aRange)
 	{
 	  for (i = 0; i < end; i++)
 	    {
+#if	GSEQ_O == GSEQ_CS && GSEQ_S == GSEQ_CS
+	      if (sBuf[i] < oBuf[i])
+		return NSOrderedAscending;
+	      if (sBuf[i] > oBuf[i])
+		return NSOrderedDescending;
+#else
 	      if ((unichar)sBuf[i] < (unichar)oBuf[i])
 		return NSOrderedAscending;
 	      if ((unichar)sBuf[i] > (unichar)oBuf[i])
 		return NSOrderedDescending;
+#endif
 	    }
 	}
       if (sLen > oLen)
@@ -492,6 +503,7 @@ GSEQ_STRCOMP(NSString *ss, NSString *os, unsigned mask, NSRange aRange)
     {
       unsigned		start = aRange.location;
       unsigned		end = start + aRange.length;
+      unsigned		sLength = GSEQ_SLEN;
       unsigned		sCount = start;
       unsigned		oCount = 0;
       NSComparisonResult result;