diff --git a/static_core/irtoc/scripts/string_helpers.irt b/static_core/irtoc/scripts/string_helpers.irt
index c3663a76637db848a462797cbaff5d440865ef73..0dcddf83042fbe72019cf2e42c66e49682455110 100644
--- a/static_core/irtoc/scripts/string_helpers.irt
+++ b/static_core/irtoc/scripts/string_helpers.irt
@@ -173,6 +173,16 @@ def GenerateStringEquals(lang, dynamic, compression, cgmode = :FastPath)
         Return(res).b
 
     Label(:Long)
+        hashcode1 := LoadI(str1).Imm(Constants::STRING_HASHCODE_OFFSET).u32
+        If(hashcode1, 0).NE.b {
+            hashcode2 := LoadI(str2).Imm(Constants::STRING_HASHCODE_OFFSET).u32
+            If(hashcode2, 0).NE.b {
+                If(hashcode1, hashcode2).NE.b {
+                    Goto(:NotEqual)
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         unroll := Compare(length, 64).GE.b
         IfImm(unroll).Imm(0).SrcType("DataType::BOOL").NE.b {
           if cgmode == :NativePlus
diff --git a/static_core/plugins/ets/stdlib/std/core/Runtime.ets b/static_core/plugins/ets/stdlib/std/core/Runtime.ets
index 63bcf5fcdba12731beb1b48932feee873cd09048..0cac6ec14858dbf5244ea9997cc689260f4f1355 100644
--- a/static_core/plugins/ets/stdlib/std/core/Runtime.ets
+++ b/static_core/plugins/ets/stdlib/std/core/Runtime.ets
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ export final class Runtime {
 
         if (o1 instanceof Number && o2 instanceof Number) {
             return Runtime.sameNumberValue(o1 as Number, o2 as Number)
+        } else if (o1 instanceof String && o2 instanceof String) {
+            return (o1 as String).equals(o2) // same semantics as ==, but faster
         } else if (o1 instanceof Float && o2 instanceof Float) {
             return Runtime.sameFloatValue(o1 as Float, o2 as Float)
         }