diff --git a/LEGAL b/LEGAL
index 24c8dc670..116a218f6 100644
--- a/LEGAL
+++ b/LEGAL
@@ -4,10 +4,41 @@ LEGAL NOTICE INFORMATION
 All the files in this distribution are covered under the MIT license
 (see the file LICENSE) except some files mentioned below:
 
+- src/string.c: mrb_memsearch_ss() is based on 2 clause BSD license code by Wojciech Muła (@WojciechMula)
 - src/readfloat.c: public domain by Yasuhiro Matsumoto (@mattn)
 - src/fmt_fp.c: public domain by Dave Hylands (@dhylands)
 - mrbgems/mruby-dir/src/Win/dirent.c: MIT-like license by Kevlin Henney
 
+[src/string.c]
+The implementation of mrb_memsearch_ss() is taken from
+https://github.com/WojciechMula/sse4-strstr.git
+
+Copyright (c) 2008-2016, Wojciech Muła
+All rights reserved.
+
+Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
+met:
+
+1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+
+2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+   documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS
+IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
+TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
+PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
+TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR
+PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING
+NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
+SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+
 [src/readfloat.c]
 
 strtod implementation.
diff --git a/src/string.c b/src/string.c
index bbb6c2e15..56a48f3c1 100644
--- a/src/string.c
+++ b/src/string.c
@@ -263,6 +263,15 @@ mrb_gc_free_str(mrb_state *mrb, struct RString *str)
     mrb_free(mrb, str->as.heap.ptr);
 }
 
+#if defined(__i386) || defined(__i386__) || defined(_M_IX86) || \
+     defined(__x86_64) || defined(__x86_64__) || defined(_M_AMD64) || \
+     defined(__powerpc64__) || defined(__POWERPC__) || defined(__aarch64__) || \
+     defined(__mc68020__)
+# define ALIGNED_WORD_ACCESS 0
+#else
+# define ALIGNED_WORD_ACCESS 1
+#endif
+
 #ifdef MRB_UTF8_STRING
 
 #define NOASCII(c) ((c) & 0x80)
@@ -327,15 +336,6 @@ search_nonascii(const char *p, const char *e)
 # define NONASCII_MASK 0x80808080UL
 #endif
 
-#if defined(__i386) || defined(__i386__) || defined(_M_IX86) || \
-     defined(__x86_64) || defined(__x86_64__) || defined(_M_AMD64) || \
-     defined(__powerpc64__) || defined(__POWERPC__) || defined(__aarch64__) || \
-     defined(__mc68020__)
-#   define ALIGNED_WORD_ACCESS 0
-#else
-# define ALIGNED_WORD_ACCESS 1
-#endif
-
 static const char*
 search_nonascii(const char *p, const char *e)
 {
@@ -564,6 +564,70 @@ str_index_str_by_char(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value str, mrb_value sub, mrb_int pos)
 #define str_index_str_by_char(mrb, str, sub, pos) str_index_str((mrb), (str), (sub), (pos))
 #endif
 
+/* The function is taken from https://github.com/WojciechMula/sse4-strstr.git */
+/* The original source code is under 2 clause BSD license; see LEGAL file.    */
+/* The modifications:
+
+   * port from C++ to C
+   * takes unsigned char*
+   * returns mrb_int
+   * alignment adjustment added
+*/
+static inline mrb_int
+mrb_memsearch_ss(const unsigned char *xs, long m, const unsigned char *ys, long n)
+{
+/* maximum pattern length */
+#define MAX_PATLEN 100
+
+#ifdef MRB_64BIT
+#define bitint uint64_t
+#define MASK1 0x0101010101010101llu
+#define MASK2 0x7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7fllu
+#define MASK3 0x8080808080808080llu
+#else
+#define bitint uint32_t
+#define MASK1 0x01010101lu
+#define MASK2 0x7f7f7f7flu
+#define MASK3 0x80808080lu
+#endif
+
+#if ALIGNED_WORD_ACCESS
+  if ((uintptr_t)ys % sizeof(bitint)) {
+    int l = sizeof(bitint) - (bitint)ys % sizeof(bitint);
+    const unsigned char *p = (unsigned char*)memchr(ys, *xs, l);
+    if (p && (p - ys) < m) {
+      if (memcmp(p, xs, m) == 0) return (mrb_int)(p - ys);
+      ys = p;
+    }
+  }
+#endif
+
+  const bitint first = MASK1 * (uint8_t)xs[0];
+  const bitint last  = MASK1 * (uint8_t)xs[m-1];
+
+  bitint *s0 = (bitint*)(ys);
+  bitint *s1 = (bitint*)(ys+m-1);
+
+  for (mrb_int i=0; i < n; i+=sizeof(bitint), s0++, s1++) {
+    const bitint eq = (*s0 ^ first) | (*s1 ^ last);
+    bitint zeros = ((~eq & MASK2) + MASK1) & (~eq & MASK3);
+    size_t j = 0;
+
+    while (zeros) {
+      if (zeros & 0x80) {
+        const char* substr = (char*)s0 + j + 1;
+        if (memcmp(substr, xs + 1, m - 2) == 0) {
+          return i + j;
+        }
+      }
+
+      zeros >>= 8;
+      j += 1;
+    }
+  }
+  return -1;
+}
+
 static inline mrb_int
 mrb_memsearch_qs(const unsigned char *xs, mrb_int m, const unsigned char *ys, mrb_int n)
 {
@@ -625,6 +689,9 @@ mrb_memsearch(const char *x0, mrb_int m, const char *y0, mrb_int n)
     }
     return -1;
   }
+  if (m <= MAX_PATLEN) {
+    return mrb_memsearch_ss((const unsigned char*)x0, m, (const unsigned char*)y0, n);
+  }
   return mrb_memsearch_qs((const unsigned char*)x0, m, (const unsigned char*)y0, n);
 }