diff --git a/Objects/tupleobject.c b/Objects/tupleobject.c
--- a/Objects/tupleobject.c
+++ b/Objects/tupleobject.c
@@ -578,31 +578,30 @@
     vt = (PyTupleObject *)v;
     wt = (PyTupleObject *)w;
 
+    /* Note that because tuples are immutable, it's safe to
+     * reuse vlen and wlen across the comparison calls.
+     */
+
     vlen = Py_SIZE(vt);
     wlen = Py_SIZE(wt);
 
-    /* Note:  the corresponding code for lists has an "early out" test
-     * here when op is EQ or NE and the lengths differ.  That pays there,
-     * but Tim was unable to find any real code where EQ/NE tuple
-     * compares don't have the same length, so testing for it here would
-     * have cost without benefit.
-     */
-
-    /* Search for the first index where items are different.
-     * Note that because tuples are immutable, it's safe to reuse
-     * vlen and wlen across the comparison calls.
-     */
-    for (i = 0; i < vlen && i < wlen; i++) {
-        int k = PyObject_RichCompareBool(vt->ob_item[i],
-                                         wt->ob_item[i], Py_EQ);
-        if (k < 0)
-            return NULL;
-        if (!k)
-            break;
+    i = vlen;
+    if (vlen == wlen) {
+        /* Search for the first index where items are different. */
+        for (i = 0; i < vlen ; i++) {
+            int k = PyObject_RichCompareBool(vt->ob_item[i],
+                                             wt->ob_item[i], Py_EQ);
+            if (k < 0)
+                return NULL;
+            if (!k)
+                break;
+        }
     }
 
-    if (i >= vlen || i >= wlen) {
-        /* No more items to compare -- compare sizes */
+    if (i >= vlen) {
+        /* If all items are equal or if the lengths differ,
+         * then compare sizes
+         */
         int cmp;
         PyObject *res;
         switch (op) {