diff --git a/rxjava-core/src/main/java/rx/observers/SerializedObserverViaQueueAndCounter.java b/rxjava-core/src/main/java/rx/observers/SerializedObserverViaQueueAndCounter.java
index 8322151b3e..f187a3c8ed 100644
--- a/rxjava-core/src/main/java/rx/observers/SerializedObserverViaQueueAndCounter.java
+++ b/rxjava-core/src/main/java/rx/observers/SerializedObserverViaQueueAndCounter.java
@@ -46,20 +46,27 @@ public void onNext(T t) {
     }
 
     public void doIt(Object t) {
-        int c = count.getAndIncrement();
-        if (c == 0) {
-            // if c == 0 then queue is empty and we can emit immediately
+        // --- queue ---
+        // optimistically try to acquire draining responsibilities without enqueueing
+        if (count.compareAndSet(0, 1)) {
             emitNotification(t);
-            // try draining if anything else has been added concurrently
-            do {
-                emitNotification(queue.poll());
-            } while (count.decrementAndGet() > 0);
         } else {
+            // enqueue then try to acquire draining responsibilities
             if (t == null) {
                 queue.add(NULL_SENTINEL);
             } else {
                 queue.add(t);
             }
+            if (count.getAndIncrement() > 0)
+                return;
+
+            // reduce to same case as other branch, needing to decrement count
+            emitNotification(queue.poll());
+        }
+
+        // --- drain ---
+        while (count.decrementAndGet() > 0) {
+            emitNotification(queue.poll());
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/rxjava-core/src/perf/java/rx/operators/OperatorSerializePerformance.java b/rxjava-core/src/perf/java/rx/operators/OperatorSerializePerformance.java
index d0f7950ebb..ad8b1693ee 100644
--- a/rxjava-core/src/perf/java/rx/operators/OperatorSerializePerformance.java
+++ b/rxjava-core/src/perf/java/rx/operators/OperatorSerializePerformance.java
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@
 import rx.schedulers.Schedulers;
 
 public class OperatorSerializePerformance extends AbstractPerformanceTester {
-    //    static int reps = Integer.MAX_VALUE / 16384; // timeTwoStreams
+    static int reps = Integer.MAX_VALUE / 16384; // timeTwoStreams
 
-    static int reps = Integer.MAX_VALUE / 1024; // timeSingleStream
+    //    static int reps = Integer.MAX_VALUE / 1024; // timeSingleStream
 
     //    static int reps = 1000; // interval streams
 
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ public static void main(String args[]) {
 
                 @Override
                 public void call() {
-                    //                    spt.timeTwoStreams();
-                    spt.timeSingleStream();
+                    spt.timeTwoStreams();
+                    //                    spt.timeSingleStream();
                     //                    spt.timeTwoStreamsIntervals();
                 }
             });
@@ -144,11 +144,11 @@ public void call(Integer t1) {
      * 
      * -> using queue and counter technique (SerializedObserverViaQueueAndCounter)
      * 
-     * Run: 10 - 2,857,008 ops/sec
-     * Run: 11 - 3,093,778 ops/sec
-     * Run: 12 - 4,009,758 ops/sec
-     * Run: 13 - 3,094,435 ops/sec
-     * Run: 14 - 3,166,119 ops/sec
+     * Run: 10 - 2,153,329 ops/sec
+     * Run: 11 - 5,139,837 ops/sec
+     * Run: 12 - 2,295,464 ops/sec
+     * Run: 13 - 2,327,337 ops/sec
+     * Run: 14 - 2,220,375 ops/sec
      * 
      * -> using queue and lock technique (SerializedObserverViaQueueAndLock)
      *