diff --git a/Lib/test/test_deque.py b/Lib/test/test_deque.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_deque.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_deque.py
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@
         for match in (True, False):
             d = deque(['ab'])
             d.extend([MutateCmp(d, match), 'c'])
-            self.assertRaises(IndexError, d.remove, 'c')
+            self.assertRaises((IndexError, RuntimeError), d.remove, 'c')
             self.assertEqual(d, deque())
 
     def test_repr(self):
diff --git a/Modules/_collectionsmodule.c b/Modules/_collectionsmodule.c
--- a/Modules/_collectionsmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/_collectionsmodule.c
@@ -1039,19 +1039,17 @@
     return Py_SIZE(deque);
 }
 
-static PyObject *
-deque_index(dequeobject *deque, PyObject *args)
+Py_ssize_t
+deque_index_internal(dequeobject *deque, PyObject *value,
+                     Py_ssize_t start, Py_ssize_t stop)
 {
-    Py_ssize_t i, start=0, stop=Py_SIZE(deque);
-    PyObject *v, *item;
+    Py_ssize_t i;
+    PyObject *item;
     block *b = deque->leftblock;
     Py_ssize_t index = deque->leftindex;
     size_t start_state = deque->state;
+    int cmp;
 
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O|O&O&:index", &v,
-                                _PyEval_SliceIndex, &start,
-                                _PyEval_SliceIndex, &stop))
-        return NULL;
     if (start < 0) {
         start += Py_SIZE(deque);
         if (start < 0)
@@ -1067,18 +1065,17 @@
 
     for (i=0 ; i<stop ; i++) {
         if (i >= start) {
-            int cmp;
             CHECK_NOT_END(b);
             item = b->data[index];
-            cmp = PyObject_RichCompareBool(item, v, Py_EQ);
+            cmp = PyObject_RichCompareBool(item, value, Py_EQ);
             if (cmp > 0)
-                return PyLong_FromSsize_t(i);
+                return i;
             else if (cmp < 0)
-                return NULL;
+                return -1;
             if (start_state != deque->state) {
                 PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError,
                                 "deque mutated during iteration");
-                return NULL;
+                return -1;
             }
         }
         index++;
@@ -1087,8 +1084,24 @@
             index = 0;
         }
     }
-    PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError, "%R is not in deque", v);
-    return NULL;
+    PyErr_Format(PyExc_ValueError, "%R is not in deque", value);
+    return -1;
+}
+
+static PyObject *
+deque_index(dequeobject *deque, PyObject *args)
+{
+    Py_ssize_t i, start=0, stop=Py_SIZE(deque);
+    PyObject *value;
+
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O|O&O&:index", &value,
+                                _PyEval_SliceIndex, &start,
+                                _PyEval_SliceIndex, &stop))
+        return NULL;
+    i = deque_index_internal(deque, value, start, stop);
+    if (i < 0)
+        return NULL;
+    return PyLong_FromSsize_t(i);
 }
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(index_doc,
@@ -1134,36 +1147,26 @@
 PyDoc_STRVAR(insert_doc,
 "D.insert(index, object) -- insert object before index");
 
+static int deque_del_item(dequeobject *, Py_ssize_t);
+
 static PyObject *
 deque_remove(dequeobject *deque, PyObject *value)
 {
-    Py_ssize_t i, n=Py_SIZE(deque);
+    Py_ssize_t i;
+    size_t start_state = deque->state;
+    int rv;
 
-    for (i=0 ; i<n ; i++) {
-        PyObject *item = deque->leftblock->data[deque->leftindex];
-        int cmp = PyObject_RichCompareBool(item, value, Py_EQ);
-
-        if (Py_SIZE(deque) != n) {
-            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_IndexError,
-                "deque mutated during remove().");
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        if (cmp > 0) {
-            PyObject *tgt = deque_popleft(deque, NULL);
-            assert (tgt != NULL);
-            if (_deque_rotate(deque, i))
-                return NULL;
-            Py_DECREF(tgt);
-            Py_RETURN_NONE;
-        }
-        else if (cmp < 0) {
-            _deque_rotate(deque, i);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        _deque_rotate(deque, -1);
+    i = deque_index_internal(deque, value, 0, Py_SIZE(deque));
+    if (i < 0)
+        return NULL;
+    if (start_state != deque->state) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, "deque mutated during remove");
+        return NULL;
     }
-    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "deque.remove(x): x not in deque");
-    return NULL;
+    rv = deque_del_item(deque, i);
+    if (rv < 0)
+        return NULL;
+    Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
 PyDoc_STRVAR(remove_doc,