diff --git a/auparse/interpret.c b/auparse/interpret.c
index 1c732360b..c5d81f723 100644
--- a/auparse/interpret.c
+++ b/auparse/interpret.c
@@ -59,6 +59,13 @@
 #define FAN_ALLOW 1
 #define FAN_DENY 2
 #endif
+
+// This code is at the center of many performance issues. The following
+// ensure that it is optimized the most without making all of the audit
+// subsystem bigger.
+#pragma GCC optimize("O3")
+#pragma GCC optimize("-funroll-loops")
+
 #include "auparse-defs.h"
 #include "gen_tables.h"
 #include "common.h"
diff --git a/lib/lookup_table.c b/lib/lookup_table.c
index 1267486bd..ea9984377 100644
--- a/lib/lookup_table.c
+++ b/lib/lookup_table.c
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 
+// This code is at the center of many performance issues. The following
+// ensure that it is optimized the most without making all of the audit
+// subsystem bigger.
+#pragma GCC optimize("O3")
+#pragma GCC optimize("-funroll-loops")
+
 #include "libaudit.h"
 #include "gen_tables.h"
 #include "private.h"