diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/dict.rs b/vm/src/builtins/dict.rs
index d716a2fd0..210907064 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/dict.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/dict.rs
@@ -468,16 +468,13 @@ impl PyDictRef {
         // if we lookup local names (which happens all of the time).
         if self.class().is(&vm.ctx.types.dict_type) {
             // We can take the short path here!
-            match self.inner_getitem_option(key, vm) {
-                Err(exc) => {
-                    if exc.isinstance(&vm.ctx.exceptions.key_error) {
-                        Ok(None)
-                    } else {
-                        Err(exc)
-                    }
+            self.inner_getitem_option(key, vm).or_else(|exc| {
+                if exc.isinstance(&vm.ctx.exceptions.key_error) {
+                    Ok(None)
+                } else {
+                    Err(exc)
                 }
-                Ok(x) => Ok(x),
-            }
+            })
         } else {
             // Fall back to full get_item with KeyError checking
 
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/function.rs b/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
index 595fe63e0..3c699ea1b 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/function.rs
@@ -324,8 +324,8 @@ pub struct PyBoundMethod {
 }
 
 impl Callable for PyBoundMethod {
-    fn call(zelf: &PyRef<Self>, args: FuncArgs, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult {
-        let args = args.insert(zelf.object.clone());
+    fn call(zelf: &PyRef<Self>, mut args: FuncArgs, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult {
+        args.prepend_arg(zelf.object.clone());
         vm.invoke(&zelf.function, args)
     }
 }
diff --git a/vm/src/builtins/pytype.rs b/vm/src/builtins/pytype.rs
index cdbe2aec5..8c72b81d9 100644
--- a/vm/src/builtins/pytype.rs
+++ b/vm/src/builtins/pytype.rs
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ impl PyType {
         )
     }
     #[pyslot]
-    fn tp_new(metatype: PyTypeRef, args: FuncArgs, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult {
+    fn tp_new(metatype: PyTypeRef, mut args: FuncArgs, vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult {
         vm_trace!("type.__new__ {:?}", args);
 
         let is_type_type = metatype.is(&vm.ctx.types.type_type);
@@ -439,8 +439,8 @@ impl PyType {
                 #[allow(clippy::redundant_clone)] // false positive
                 if let Some(ref tp_new) = winner.clone().slots.new {
                     // Pass it to the winner
-
-                    return tp_new(vm, args.insert(winner.into_object()));
+                    args.prepend_arg(winner.into_object());
+                    return tp_new(vm, args);
                 }
                 winner
             } else {
@@ -694,18 +694,20 @@ impl<T: DerefToPyType> DerefToPyType for &'_ T {
 fn call_tp_new(
     typ: PyTypeRef,
     subtype: PyTypeRef,
-    args: FuncArgs,
+    mut args: FuncArgs,
     vm: &VirtualMachine,
 ) -> PyResult {
     for cls in typ.deref().iter_mro() {
         if let Some(new_meth) = cls.get_attr("__new__") {
             if !vm.ctx.is_tp_new_wrapper(&new_meth) {
                 let new_meth = vm.call_if_get_descriptor(new_meth, typ.clone().into_object())?;
-                return vm.invoke(&new_meth, args.insert(typ.clone().into_object()));
+                args.prepend_arg(typ.clone().into_object());
+                return vm.invoke(&new_meth, args);
             }
         }
         if let Some(tp_new) = cls.slots.new.as_ref() {
-            return tp_new(vm, args.insert(subtype.into_object()));
+            args.prepend_arg(subtype.into_object());
+            return tp_new(vm, args);
         }
     }
     unreachable!("Should be able to find a new slot somewhere in the mro")
diff --git a/vm/src/function/mod.rs b/vm/src/function/mod.rs
index ab4d35fc7..a505ad477 100644
--- a/vm/src/function/mod.rs
+++ b/vm/src/function/mod.rs
@@ -108,13 +108,9 @@ impl FuncArgs {
         FuncArgs { args, kwargs }
     }
 
-    pub fn insert(&self, item: PyObjectRef) -> FuncArgs {
-        let mut args = FuncArgs {
-            args: self.args.clone(),
-            kwargs: self.kwargs.clone(),
-        };
-        args.args.insert(0, item);
-        args
+    pub fn prepend_arg(&mut self, item: PyObjectRef) {
+        self.args.reserve_exact(1);
+        self.args.insert(0, item)
     }
 
     pub fn shift(&mut self) -> PyObjectRef {
diff --git a/vm/src/stdlib/signal.rs b/vm/src/stdlib/signal.rs
index f1341abf6..c4f8aafa1 100644
--- a/vm/src/stdlib/signal.rs
+++ b/vm/src/stdlib/signal.rs
@@ -98,15 +98,22 @@ fn _signal_alarm(time: u32) -> u32 {
 }
 
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "flame-it", flame)]
+#[inline(always)]
 pub fn check_signals(vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<()> {
-    let signal_handlers = match vm.signal_handlers {
-        Some(ref h) => h.borrow(),
+    let signal_handlers = match &vm.signal_handlers {
+        Some(h) => h,
         None => return Ok(()),
     };
 
     if !ANY_TRIGGERED.swap(false, Ordering::Relaxed) {
         return Ok(());
     }
+
+    trigger_signals(&signal_handlers.borrow(), vm)
+}
+#[inline(never)]
+#[cold]
+fn trigger_signals(signal_handlers: &[PyObjectRef; NSIG], vm: &VirtualMachine) -> PyResult<()> {
     for (signum, trigger) in TRIGGERS.iter().enumerate().skip(1) {
         let triggerd = trigger.swap(false, Ordering::Relaxed);
         if triggerd {