diff --git a/src/longsequences/chunk_iterator.jl b/src/longsequences/chunk_iterator.jl
index 773b5f63..a51962a6 100644
--- a/src/longsequences/chunk_iterator.jl
+++ b/src/longsequences/chunk_iterator.jl
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ end
 
 Base.length(it::PairedChunkIterator) = length(it.a)
 Base.eltype(::Type{<:PairedChunkIterator}) = NTuple{2, UInt64}
+first_state(x::PairedChunkIterator) = (first_state(x.a), first_state(x.b))
+
 
 @inline function Base.iterate(
     it::PairedChunkIterator,
@@ -131,6 +133,13 @@ Base.eltype(::Type{<:PairedChunkIterator}) = NTuple{2, UInt64}
     ((first(a), first(b)), (last(a), last(b)))
 end
 
+@inline function iter_inbounds(it::PairedChunkIterator, state)
+    (sa, sb) = state
+    a = iter_inbounds(it.a, sa)
+    b = iter_inbounds(it.b, sb)
+    ((first(a), first(b)), (last(a), last(b)))
+end
+
 # This returns (head, body, tail), where:
 # - head and tail are Tuple{UInt64, UInt8}, with a coding element and the number
 #   of coding bits in that element. Head is the partial coding element before any
diff --git a/src/longsequences/operators.jl b/src/longsequences/operators.jl
index 4d0e0afe..24782bb2 100644
--- a/src/longsequences/operators.jl
+++ b/src/longsequences/operators.jl
@@ -207,37 +207,65 @@ function Base.:(==)(seq1::SeqOrView{A}, seq2::SeqOrView{A}) where {A <: Alphabet
     end
 
     # Check all filled UInts
-    (it, (ch1, ch2, rem)) = iter_chunks(seq1, seq2)
-    for (i, j) in it
+    (it, (ch1, ch2, rm)) = iter_chunks(seq1, seq2)
+    chunks = length(it)
+    state = first_state(it)
+    unroll = 8
+    while chunks ≥ unroll
+        same = true
+        for _ in 1:unroll
+            ((i, j), state) = iter_inbounds(it, state)
+            same &= i == j 
+        end
+        same || return false
+        chunks -= unroll
+    end
+    itval = iterate(it, state)
+    while itval !== nothing
+        ((i, j), state) = itval
         i == j || return false
+        itval = iterate(it, state)
     end
 
     # Check last coding UInt (or compare two zeros, if none)
-    mask = UInt64(1) << (rem & 63) - 1
+    mask = UInt64(1) << (rm & 63) - 1
     return (ch1 & mask) == (ch2 & mask)
 end
 
 function Base.:(==)(seq1::LongSequence{A}, seq2::LongSequence{A}) where {A <: Alphabet}
     length(seq1) == length(seq2) || return false
     isempty(seq1) && return true
+    (data1, data2) = (seq1.data, seq2.data)
 
     # Check all filled UInts
     nextind = nextposition(lastbitindex(seq1))
-    @inbounds for i in 1:index(nextind) - 1
-        seq1.data[i] == seq2.data[i] || return false
+    last_chunk_index = index(nextind) % Int - 1
+    i = 1
+    unroll = 8
+    while i + unroll - 2 < last_chunk_index
+        same = true
+        @inbounds for j in 0:unroll-1
+            same &= data1[i + j] == data2[i + j]
+        end
+        same || return false
+        i += unroll
+    end
+    @inbounds for i in i:last_chunk_index
+        data1[i] == data2[i] || return false
     end
-
     # Check last coding UInt, if any
     @inbounds if !iszero(offset(nextind))
-        mask = bitmask(offset(nextind))
+        mask = UInt64(1) << (offset(nextind) & 63) - 1
         i = index(nextind)
-        (seq1.data[i] & mask) == (seq2.data[i] & mask) || return false
+        (data1[i] & mask) == (data2[i] & mask) || return false
     end
-
     return true
 end
 
 ## Search
+function Base.findnext(::typeof(isgap), seq::SeqOrView{<:KNOWN_ALPHABETS}, i::Integer)
+    findnext(==(gap(eltype(seq))), seq, i)
+end
 
 # We only dispatch on known alphabets, because new alphabets may implement == in surprising ways
 function Base.findnext(
@@ -267,9 +295,18 @@ function _findfirst(seq::SeqOrView{<:KNOWN_ALPHABETS}, enc::UInt64)
         tu < symbols_in_head && return tu + 1
     end
     i = symbols_in_head + 1
+    unroll = 8
+    while body_i + unroll - 2 < body_stop
+        u = zero(UInt64)
+        for j in 0:unroll - 1
+            u |= set_zero_encoding(BitsPerSymbol(seq), @inbounds(data[body_i + j]) ⊻ enc)
+        end
+        iszero(u) || break
+        i += symbols_per_data_element(seq) * unroll
+        body_i += unroll
+    end
     while body_i ≤ body_stop
-        chunk = @inbounds data[body_i] ⊻ enc
-        ze = set_zero_encoding(BitsPerSymbol(seq), chunk)
+        ze = set_zero_encoding(BitsPerSymbol(seq), @inbounds(data[body_i]) ⊻ enc)
         if !iszero(ze)
             return i + div(trailing_zeros(ze) % UInt, bits_per_symbol(Alphabet(seq))) % Int
         end 
@@ -283,6 +320,10 @@ function _findfirst(seq::SeqOrView{<:KNOWN_ALPHABETS}, enc::UInt64)
     nothing
 end
 
+function Base.findprev(::typeof(isgap), seq::SeqOrView{<:KNOWN_ALPHABETS}, i::Integer)
+    findprev(==(gap(eltype(seq))), seq, i)
+end
+
 function Base.findprev(
     cmp::Base.Fix2{<:Union{typeof(==), typeof(isequal)}},
     seq::SeqOrView{<:KNOWN_ALPHABETS},
@@ -316,9 +357,19 @@ function _findlast(seq::SeqOrView{<:KNOWN_ALPHABETS}, enc::UInt64)
         lu < symbols_in_tail && return (i - lu) % Int
         i -= lu
     end
+    unroll = 8
+    (body_i, body_stop) = (body_i % Int, body_stop % Int)  
+    while body_i - unroll + 2 > body_stop
+        u = zero(UInt64)
+        for j in 0:unroll - 1
+            u |= set_zero_encoding(BitsPerSymbol(seq), @inbounds(data[body_i + j]) ⊻ enc)
+        end
+        iszero(u) || break
+        i -= symbols_per_data_element(seq) * unroll
+        body_i -= unroll
+    end
     while body_i ≥ body_stop
-        chunk = @inbounds data[body_i] ⊻ enc
-        ze = set_zero_encoding(BitsPerSymbol(seq), chunk)
+        ze = set_zero_encoding(BitsPerSymbol(seq), @inbounds(data[body_i]) ⊻ enc)
         if !iszero(ze)
             return i - div(leading_zeros(ze) % UInt, bits_per_symbol(Alphabet(seq))) % Int
         end