diff --git a/src/postings/docset.rs b/src/postings/docset.rs
index e28319f42..ea4211a5f 100644
--- a/src/postings/docset.rs
+++ b/src/postings/docset.rs
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ pub trait DocSet {
             None
         }
     }
+
+    /// Returns a best-effort hint of the
+    /// length of the docset.
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> usize;
 }
 
 
@@ -83,6 +87,11 @@ impl<TDocSet: DocSet + ?Sized> DocSet for Box<TDocSet> {
         let unboxed: &TDocSet = self.borrow();
         unboxed.doc()
     }
+
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> usize {
+        let unboxed: &TDocSet = self.borrow();
+        unboxed.size_hint()
+    }
 }
 
 impl<'a, TDocSet: DocSet> DocSet for &'a mut TDocSet {
@@ -100,4 +109,9 @@ impl<'a, TDocSet: DocSet> DocSet for &'a mut TDocSet {
         let unref: &TDocSet = *self;
         unref.doc()
     }
+
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> usize {
+        let unref: &TDocSet = *self;
+        unref.size_hint()
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/postings/intersection.rs b/src/postings/intersection.rs
index e4e4c2308..3f30a54c7 100644
--- a/src/postings/intersection.rs
+++ b/src/postings/intersection.rs
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ pub struct IntersectionDocSet<TDocSet: DocSet> {
 }
 
 impl<TDocSet: DocSet> From<Vec<TDocSet>> for IntersectionDocSet<TDocSet> {
-    fn from(docsets: Vec<TDocSet>) -> IntersectionDocSet<TDocSet> {
+    fn from(mut docsets: Vec<TDocSet>) -> IntersectionDocSet<TDocSet> {
         assert!(docsets.len() >= 2);
+        docsets.sort_by_key(|docset| docset.size_hint());
         IntersectionDocSet {
             docsets: docsets,
             finished: false,
@@ -31,37 +32,55 @@ impl<TDocSet: DocSet> IntersectionDocSet<TDocSet> {
 
 
 impl<TDocSet: DocSet> DocSet for IntersectionDocSet<TDocSet> {
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> usize {
+        self.docsets
+            .iter()
+            .map(|docset| docset.size_hint())
+            .min()
+            .unwrap() // safe as docsets cannot be empty.
+    }
+
+    #[allow(never_loop)]
     fn advance(&mut self) -> bool {
         if self.finished {
             return false;
         }
-        let num_docsets = self.docsets.len();
-        let mut count_matching = 0;
-        let mut doc_candidate = 0;
-        let mut ord = 0;
-        loop {
-            let mut doc_set = &mut self.docsets[ord];
-            match doc_set.skip_next(doc_candidate) {
-                SkipResult::Reached => {
-                    count_matching += 1;
-                    if count_matching == num_docsets {
-                        self.doc = doc_candidate;
-                        return true;
+        let (head_arr, tail) = self.docsets.split_at_mut(1);
+        let head: &mut TDocSet = &mut head_arr[0];
+        if !head.advance() {
+            self.finished = true;
+            return false;
+        }
+        let mut doc_candidate = head.doc();
+
+        'outer: loop {
+
+            for docset in tail.iter_mut() {
+                match docset.skip_next(doc_candidate) {
+                    SkipResult::Reached => {}
+                    SkipResult::OverStep => {
+                        doc_candidate = docset.doc();
+                        match head.skip_next(doc_candidate) {
+                            SkipResult::Reached => {}
+                            SkipResult::End => {
+                                self.finished = true;
+                                return false;
+                            }
+                            SkipResult::OverStep => {
+                                doc_candidate = head.doc();
+                                continue 'outer;
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                    SkipResult::End => {
+                        self.finished = true;
+                        return false;
                     }
                 }
-                SkipResult::End => {
-                    self.finished = true;
-                    return false;
-                }
-                SkipResult::OverStep => {
-                    count_matching = 1;
-                    doc_candidate = doc_set.doc();
-                }
-            }
-            ord += 1;
-            if ord == num_docsets {
-                ord = 0;
             }
+
+            self.doc = doc_candidate;
+            return true;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/postings/segment_postings.rs b/src/postings/segment_postings.rs
index d6386d138..f42922629 100644
--- a/src/postings/segment_postings.rs
+++ b/src/postings/segment_postings.rs
@@ -152,6 +152,10 @@ impl<'a> DocSet for SegmentPostings<'a> {
         }
     }
 
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> usize {
+        self.len()
+    }
+
     #[inline]
     fn doc(&self) -> DocId {
         let docs = self.block_cursor.docs();
diff --git a/src/postings/vec_postings.rs b/src/postings/vec_postings.rs
index 399307cff..8c9512fb1 100644
--- a/src/postings/vec_postings.rs
+++ b/src/postings/vec_postings.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ impl DocSet for VecPostings {
     fn doc(&self) -> DocId {
         self.doc_ids[self.cursor.0]
     }
+
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> usize {
+        self.len()
+    }
 }
 
 impl HasLen for VecPostings {
diff --git a/src/query/boolean_query/boolean_scorer.rs b/src/query/boolean_query/boolean_scorer.rs
index 8e1bf5950..595f54219 100644
--- a/src/query/boolean_query/boolean_scorer.rs
+++ b/src/query/boolean_query/boolean_scorer.rs
@@ -93,6 +93,18 @@ impl<TScorer: Scorer> BooleanScorer<TScorer> {
 }
 
 impl<TScorer: Scorer> DocSet for BooleanScorer<TScorer> {
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> usize {
+        // TODO fix this. it should be the min
+        // of the MUST scorer
+        // and the max of the SHOULD scorers.
+        self.scorers
+            .iter()
+            .map(|scorer| scorer.size_hint())
+            .max()
+            .unwrap()
+    }
+
+
     fn advance(&mut self) -> bool {
         loop {
             self.score_combiner.clear();
diff --git a/src/query/phrase_query/phrase_scorer.rs b/src/query/phrase_query/phrase_scorer.rs
index 23721037b..1726340d1 100644
--- a/src/query/phrase_query/phrase_scorer.rs
+++ b/src/query/phrase_query/phrase_scorer.rs
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ impl<'a> DocSet for PhraseScorer<'a> {
     fn doc(&self) -> DocId {
         self.intersection_docset.doc()
     }
+
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> usize {
+        self.intersection_docset.size_hint()
+    }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/query/scorer.rs b/src/query/scorer.rs
index 027af82de..e3f677edf 100644
--- a/src/query/scorer.rs
+++ b/src/query/scorer.rs
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ impl DocSet for EmptyScorer {
     fn doc(&self) -> DocId {
         DocId::max_value()
     }
+
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> usize {
+        0
+    }
 }
 
 impl Scorer for EmptyScorer {
diff --git a/src/query/term_query/term_scorer.rs b/src/query/term_query/term_scorer.rs
index 0819aeb58..73ea46b4b 100644
--- a/src/query/term_query/term_scorer.rs
+++ b/src/query/term_query/term_scorer.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ impl<TPostings> DocSet for TermScorer<TPostings>
     fn doc(&self) -> DocId {
         self.postings.doc()
     }
+
+
+    fn size_hint(&self) -> usize {
+        self.postings.size_hint()
+    }
 }
 
 impl<TPostings> Scorer for TermScorer<TPostings>