diff --git a/Objects/setobject.c b/Objects/setobject.c
--- a/Objects/setobject.c
+++ b/Objects/setobject.c
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@
         return entry;
 
     while (1) {
-        if (entry->key == key)
-            return entry;
         if (entry->hash == hash && entry->key != dummy) {         /* dummy match unlikely */
             PyObject *startkey = entry->key;
+            if (startkey == key)
+                return entry;
             Py_INCREF(startkey);
             cmp = PyObject_RichCompareBool(startkey, key, Py_EQ);
             Py_DECREF(startkey);
@@ -86,10 +86,10 @@
             entry = &table[(i + j) & mask];
             if (entry->key == NULL)
                 goto found_null;
-            if (entry->key == key)
-                return entry;
             if (entry->hash == hash && entry->key != dummy) {
                 PyObject *startkey = entry->key;
+                if (startkey == key)
+                    return entry;
                 Py_INCREF(startkey);
                 cmp = PyObject_RichCompareBool(startkey, key, Py_EQ);
                 Py_DECREF(startkey);
@@ -145,10 +145,10 @@
         return entry;
 
     while (1) {
-        if (entry->key == key
-            || (entry->hash == hash
-                && entry->key != dummy                            /* unlikely */
-                && unicode_eq(entry->key, key)))                  /* likely */
+        if (entry->hash == hash
+            && (entry->key == key
+                || (entry->key != dummy                           /* unlikely */
+                    && unicode_eq(entry->key, key))))             /* likely */
             return entry;
         if (entry->key == dummy && freeslot == NULL)
             freeslot = entry;
@@ -157,10 +157,10 @@
             entry = &table[(i + j) & mask];
             if (entry->key == NULL)
                 goto found_null;
-            if (entry->key == key
-                || (entry->hash == hash
-                    && entry->key != dummy
-                    && unicode_eq(entry->key, key)))
+            if (entry->hash == hash
+                && (entry->key == key
+                    || (entry->key != dummy                       /* unlikely */
+                        && unicode_eq(entry->key, key))))         /* likely */
                 return entry;
             if (entry->key == dummy && freeslot == NULL)
                 freeslot = entry;
@@ -196,10 +196,7 @@
     size_t j;
 
     while (1) {
-        entry = &table[i & mask];
-        if (entry->key == NULL)
-            goto found_null;
-        for (j = 1 ; j <= LINEAR_PROBES ; j++) {
+        for (j = 0 ; j <= LINEAR_PROBES ; j++) {
             entry = &table[(i + j) & mask];
             if (entry->key == NULL)
                 goto found_null;