diff -r 5524e3b7aa88 Python/ceval.c
--- a/Python/ceval.c	Wed Jun 11 19:27:50 2008 +0200
+++ b/Python/ceval.c	Wed Jun 11 20:37:00 2008 +0200
@@ -2762,14 +2762,22 @@ PyEval_EvalCodeEx(PyCodeObject *co, PyOb
 				    PyString_AsString(co->co_name));
 				goto fail;
 			}
-			/* XXX slow -- speed up using dictionary? */
+			/* Speed hack: do raw pointer compares. As names are
+			   normally interned this should almost always hit. */
+			for (j = 0; j < co->co_argcount; j++) {
+				PyObject *nm = PyTuple_GET_ITEM(
+					co->co_varnames, j);
+				if (nm == keyword)
+					goto kw_found;
+			}
+			/* Slow fallback, just in case */
 			for (j = 0; j < co->co_argcount; j++) {
 				PyObject *nm = PyTuple_GET_ITEM(
 					co->co_varnames, j);
 				int cmp = PyObject_RichCompareBool(
 					keyword, nm, Py_EQ);
 				if (cmp > 0)
-					break;
+					goto kw_found;
 				else if (cmp < 0)
 					goto fail;
 			}
@@ -2786,20 +2794,20 @@ PyEval_EvalCodeEx(PyCodeObject *co, PyOb
 					goto fail;
 				}
 				PyDict_SetItem(kwdict, keyword, value);
-			}
-			else {
-				if (GETLOCAL(j) != NULL) {
-					PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
-					     "%.200s() got multiple "
-					     "values for keyword "
-					     "argument '%.400s'",
-					     PyString_AsString(co->co_name),
-					     PyString_AsString(keyword));
-					goto fail;
-				}
-				Py_INCREF(value);
-				SETLOCAL(j, value);
-			}
+				continue;
+			}
+		kw_found:
+			if (GETLOCAL(j) != NULL) {
+				PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
+						"%.200s() got multiple "
+						"values for keyword "
+						"argument '%.400s'",
+						PyString_AsString(co->co_name),
+						PyString_AsString(keyword));
+				goto fail;
+			}
+			Py_INCREF(value);
+			SETLOCAL(j, value);
 		}
 		if (argcount < co->co_argcount) {
 			int m = co->co_argcount - defcount;
diff -r 5524e3b7aa88 Tools/pybench/Calls.py
--- a/Tools/pybench/Calls.py	Wed Jun 11 19:27:50 2008 +0200
+++ b/Tools/pybench/Calls.py	Wed Jun 11 20:37:00 2008 +0200
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ class PythonFunctionCalls(Test):
 class PythonFunctionCalls(Test):
 
     version = 2.0
-    operations = 5*(1+4+4+2)
+    operations = 5*(1+4+4+3)
     rounds = 60000
 
     def test(self):
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class PythonFunctionCalls(Test):
             g(i,i,i)
             h(i,i,3,i,i)
             h(i,i,i,2,i,3)
+            h(i,i,f=i,e=2,d=i,c=3)
 
             f()
             f1(i)
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ class PythonFunctionCalls(Test):
             g(i,i,i)
             h(i,i,3,i,i)
             h(i,i,i,2,i,3)
+            h(i,i,f=i,e=2,d=i,c=3)
 
             f()
             f1(i)
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ class PythonFunctionCalls(Test):
             g(i,i,i)
             h(i,i,3,i,i)
             h(i,i,i,2,i,3)
+            h(i,i,f=i,e=2,d=i,c=3)
 
             f()
             f1(i)
@@ -73,6 +76,7 @@ class PythonFunctionCalls(Test):
             g(i,i,i)
             h(i,i,3,i,i)
             h(i,i,i,2,i,3)
+            h(i,i,f=i,e=2,d=i,c=3)
 
             f()
             f1(i)
@@ -85,6 +89,7 @@ class PythonFunctionCalls(Test):
             g(i,i,i)
             h(i,i,3,i,i)
             h(i,i,i,2,i,3)
+            h(i,i,f=i,e=2,d=i,c=3)
 
     def calibrate(self):