diff -r 147197678bfc -r 392833053364 Lib/uuid.py
--- a/Lib/uuid.py	Fri Jan 21 10:18:19 2011 +0100
+++ b/Lib/uuid.py	Sat Jan 22 09:56:44 2011 +0200
@@ -415,6 +415,15 @@
 # If ctypes is available, use it to find system routines for UUID generation.
 # XXX This makes the module non-thread-safe!
 _uuid_generate_random = _uuid_generate_time = _UuidCreate = None
+
+_uuid_generate_random_fast = _uuid_generate_time_fast = None
+try:
+    import _uuid
+    _uuid_generate_time_fast = _uuid.uuid1
+    _uuid_generate_random_fast = _uuid.uuid4
+except ImportError:
+    pass
+
 try:
     import ctypes, ctypes.util
 
@@ -462,6 +471,8 @@
 
 def _unixdll_getnode():
     """Get the hardware address on Unix using ctypes."""
+    if _uuid_generate_random_fast:
+        return UUID(int=_uuid_generate_time_fast()).node
     _buffer = ctypes.create_string_buffer(16)
     _uuid_generate_time(_buffer)
     return UUID(bytes=bytes_(_buffer.raw)).node
@@ -516,10 +527,13 @@
 
     # When the system provides a version-1 UUID generator, use it (but don't
     # use UuidCreate here because its UUIDs don't conform to RFC 4122).
-    if _uuid_generate_time and node is clock_seq is None:
-        _buffer = ctypes.create_string_buffer(16)
-        _uuid_generate_time(_buffer)
-        return UUID(bytes=bytes_(_buffer.raw))
+    if node is clock_seq is None:
+        if _uuid_generate_time_fast:
+            return UUID(int=_uuid_generate_time_fast())
+        if _uuid_generate_time:
+            _buffer = ctypes.create_string_buffer(16)
+            _uuid_generate_time(_buffer)
+            return UUID(bytes=bytes_(_buffer.raw))
 
     global _last_timestamp
     import time
@@ -553,6 +567,8 @@
     """Generate a random UUID."""
 
     # When the system provides a version-4 UUID generator, use it.
+    if _uuid_generate_random_fast:
+        return UUID(int=_uuid_generate_random_fast())
     if _uuid_generate_random:
         _buffer = ctypes.create_string_buffer(16)
         _uuid_generate_random(_buffer)
diff -r 147197678bfc -r 392833053364 Modules/_uuid.c
--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/Modules/_uuid.c	Sat Jan 22 09:56:44 2011 +0200
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/* UUID (universally unique identifiers) generator
+
+   This a faster version than the pure python implementation uuid.py.
+   It was suggested in issue 5885 by Wang Chun and implemented by Daniel Black
+   and Ross Lagerwall.
+
+   This module should not be used directly. Usage should be through the
+   uuid.py which will load this module if available.
+*/
+
+#include "Python.h"
+#include <uuid/uuid.h>
+
+static PyObject *
+_long_from_uuid_t(uuid_t out)
+{
+    int i, j;
+    unsigned char hex[33];
+    j = 0;
+    for (i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
+        hex[j] = 48 + (out[i] >> 4);
+        if (hex[j] > 57)
+            hex[j] += 7;
+        j++;
+        hex[j] = 48 + (out[i] & 0xF);
+        if (hex[j] > 57)
+            hex[j] += 7;
+        j++;
+    }
+    hex[32] = '\0';
+    return PyLong_FromString((char *)hex, NULL, 16);
+}
+
+static PyObject *
+uuid_uuid1(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
+{
+    uuid_t out;
+    uuid_generate_time(out);
+    return _long_from_uuid_t(out);
+}
+
+static PyObject *
+uuid_uuid4(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
+{
+    uuid_t out;
+    uuid_generate_random(out);
+    return _long_from_uuid_t(out);
+}
+
+static PyMethodDef uuid_methods[] = {
+    {"uuid1", uuid_uuid1, METH_VARARGS | METH_KEYWORDS},
+    {"uuid4", uuid_uuid4, METH_VARARGS | METH_KEYWORDS},
+    {NULL, NULL, 0, NULL}
+};
+
+static struct PyModuleDef uuidmodule = {
+    PyModuleDef_HEAD_INIT,
+    "_uuid",
+     NULL, /* doc */
+     -1,
+    uuid_methods
+};
+
+PyMODINIT_FUNC
+PyInit__uuid(void)
+{
+    return PyModule_Create(&uuidmodule);
+}
diff -r 147197678bfc -r 392833053364 setup.py
--- a/setup.py	Fri Jan 21 10:18:19 2011 +0100
+++ b/setup.py	Sat Jan 22 09:56:44 2011 +0200
@@ -509,6 +509,11 @@
         # static Unicode character database
         exts.append( Extension('unicodedata', ['unicodedata.c']) )
 
+        if find_file('uuid/uuid.h', inc_dirs, []) is not None:
+            exts.append( Extension('_uuid', ['_uuid.c'], libraries=['uuid']) )
+        else:
+            missing.append('_uuid')
+
         # Modules with some UNIX dependencies -- on by default:
         # (If you have a really backward UNIX, select and socket may not be
         # supported...)