diff --git a/src/Data/Text.hs b/src/Data/Text.hs
index b9aa0b27..532c4156 100644
--- a/src/Data/Text.hs
+++ b/src/Data/Text.hs
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ import Data.Binary (Binary(get, put))
 import Data.Monoid (Monoid(..))
 import Data.Semigroup (Semigroup(..))
 import Data.String (IsString(..))
-import Data.Text.Internal.Encoding.Utf8 (utf8Length, utf8LengthByLeader, chr2, chr3, chr4)
+import Data.Text.Internal.Encoding.Utf8 (utf8Length, utf8LengthByLeader, chr2, chr3, chr4, ord2, ord3, ord4)
 import qualified Data.Text.Internal.Fusion as S
 import qualified Data.Text.Internal.Fusion.Common as S
 import Data.Text.Encoding (decodeUtf8', encodeUtf8)
@@ -669,8 +669,61 @@ intercalate t = concat . L.intersperse t
 -- "S.H.I.E.L.D"
 --
 -- Performs replacement on invalid scalar values.
-intersperse     :: Char -> Text -> Text
-intersperse c t = unstream (S.intersperse (safe c) (stream t))
+intersperse :: Char -> Text -> Text
+intersperse c t@(Text src o l) = if l == 0 then mempty else runST $ do
+    let !cLen = utf8Length c
+        dstLen = l + length t P.* cLen
+
+    dst <- A.new dstLen
+
+    let writeSep = case cLen of
+          1 -> \dstOff ->
+            A.unsafeWrite dst dstOff (ord8 c)
+          2 -> let (c0, c1) = ord2 c in \dstOff -> do
+            A.unsafeWrite dst dstOff c0
+            A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 1) c1
+          3 -> let (c0, c1, c2) = ord3 c in \dstOff -> do
+            A.unsafeWrite dst dstOff c0
+            A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 1) c1
+            A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 2) c2
+          _ -> let (c0, c1, c2, c3) = ord4 c in \dstOff -> do
+            A.unsafeWrite dst dstOff c0
+            A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 1) c1
+            A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 2) c2
+            A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 3) c3
+    let go !srcOff !dstOff = if srcOff >= o + l then return () else do
+          let m0 = A.unsafeIndex src srcOff
+              m1 = A.unsafeIndex src (srcOff + 1)
+              m2 = A.unsafeIndex src (srcOff + 2)
+              m3 = A.unsafeIndex src (srcOff + 3)
+              !d = utf8LengthByLeader m0
+          case d of
+            1 -> do
+              A.unsafeWrite dst dstOff m0
+              writeSep (dstOff + 1)
+              go (srcOff + 1) (dstOff + 1 + cLen)
+            2 -> do
+              A.unsafeWrite dst dstOff m0
+              A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 1) m1
+              writeSep (dstOff + 2)
+              go (srcOff + 2) (dstOff + 2 + cLen)
+            3 -> do
+              A.unsafeWrite dst dstOff m0
+              A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 1) m1
+              A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 2) m2
+              writeSep (dstOff + 3)
+              go (srcOff + 3) (dstOff + 3 + cLen)
+            _ -> do
+              A.unsafeWrite dst dstOff m0
+              A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 1) m1
+              A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 2) m2
+              A.unsafeWrite dst (dstOff + 3) m3
+              writeSep (dstOff + 4)
+              go (srcOff + 4) (dstOff + 4 + cLen)
+
+    go o 0
+    arr <- A.unsafeFreeze dst
+    return (Text arr 0 (dstLen - cLen))
 {-# INLINE [1] intersperse #-}
 
 -- | /O(n)/ Reverse the characters of a string.
@@ -1956,6 +2009,9 @@ copy (Text arr off len) = Text (A.run go) 0 len
       A.copyI len marr 0 arr off
       return marr
 
+ord8 :: Char -> Word8
+ord8 = P.fromIntegral . ord
+
 intToCSize :: Int -> CSize
 intToCSize = P.fromIntegral