diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/auto_eq_methods.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/auto_eq_methods.v
index 50374d8352ee53..6e10e8733b6955 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/auto_eq_methods.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/auto_eq_methods.v
@@ -220,11 +220,11 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_struct_equality_fn(left_type ast.Type) string {
 				if field.typ.has_flag(.option) {
 					left_arg_opt := g.read_opt_field(left_type, field_name, 'a', field.typ)
 					right_arg_opt := g.read_opt_field(left_type, field_name, 'b', field.typ)
-					fn_builder.write_string('(((${left_arg_opt}).len == (${right_arg_opt}).len && (${left_arg_opt}).len == 0) || string__eq(${left_arg_opt}, ${right_arg_opt}))')
+					fn_builder.write_string('(((${left_arg_opt}).len == (${right_arg_opt}).len && (${left_arg_opt}).len == 0) || fast_string_eq(${left_arg_opt}, ${right_arg_opt}))')
 				} else if field.typ.is_ptr() {
-					fn_builder.write_string('((${left_arg}->len == ${right_arg}->len && ${left_arg}->len == 0) || string__eq(*(${left_arg}), *(${right_arg})))')
+					fn_builder.write_string('((${left_arg}->len == ${right_arg}->len && ${left_arg}->len == 0) || fast_string_eq(*(${left_arg}), *(${right_arg})))')
 				} else {
-					fn_builder.write_string('((${left_arg}.len == ${right_arg}.len && ${left_arg}.len == 0) || string__eq(${left_arg}, ${right_arg}))')
+					fn_builder.write_string('((${left_arg}.len == ${right_arg}.len && ${left_arg}.len == 0) || fast_string_eq(${left_arg}, ${right_arg}))')
 				}
 			} else if field_type.sym.kind == .sum_type && !field.typ.is_ptr() {
 				eq_fn := g.gen_sumtype_equality_fn(field.typ)
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) gen_alias_equality_fn(left_type ast.Type) string {
 		if info.parent_type.has_flag(.option) {
 			left_var = '*' + g.read_opt(info.parent_type, 'a')
 			right_var = '*' + g.read_opt(info.parent_type, 'b')
-			fn_builder.writeln('\treturn ((${left_var}).len == (${right_var}).len && (${left_var}).len == 0) || string__eq(${left_var}, ${right_var});')
+			fn_builder.writeln('\treturn ((${left_var}).len == (${right_var}).len && (${left_var}).len == 0) || fast_string_eq(${left_var}, ${right_var});')
 		} else {
 			fn_builder.writeln('\treturn string__eq(a, b);')
 		}
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/infix.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/infix.v
index 2058af57340c4f..f215776cc7b82c 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/infix.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/infix.v
@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ fn (mut g Gen) infix_expr_eq_op(node ast.InfixExpr) {
 		g.gen_plain_infix_expr(node)
 	} else if (left.typ.idx() == ast.string_type_idx || (!has_defined_eq_operator
 		&& left.unaliased.idx() == ast.string_type_idx)) && node.right is ast.StringLiteral
-		&& (node.right.val == '' || (node.left is ast.Ident && node.left.or_expr.kind == .absent)) {
+		&& (node.right.val == '' || (node.left is ast.SelectorExpr
+		|| (node.left is ast.Ident && node.left.or_expr.kind == .absent))) {
 		if node.right.val == '' {
 			// `str == ''` -> `str.len == 0` optimization
 			g.write('(')
@@ -137,7 +138,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) infix_expr_eq_op(node ast.InfixExpr) {
 			g.write(')')
 			arrow := if left.typ.is_ptr() { '->' } else { '.' }
 			g.write('${arrow}len ${node.op} 0')
-		} else {
+		} else if node.left is ast.Ident {
 			// vmemcmp(left, "str", sizeof("str")) optimization
 			slit := cescape_nonascii(util.smart_quote(node.right.val, node.right.is_raw))
 			var := g.expr_string(node.left)
@@ -147,6 +148,17 @@ fn (mut g Gen) infix_expr_eq_op(node ast.InfixExpr) {
 			} else {
 				g.write('_SLIT_NE(${var}${arrow}str, ${var}${arrow}len, "${slit}")')
 			}
+		} else {
+			// fast_string_eq optimization for string selector comparison to literals
+			if node.op == .ne {
+				g.write('!fast_string_eq(')
+			} else {
+				g.write('fast_string_eq(')
+			}
+			g.expr(node.left)
+			g.write(', ')
+			g.expr(node.right)
+			g.write(')')
 		}
 	} else if has_defined_eq_operator {
 		if node.op == .ne {
@@ -636,8 +648,26 @@ fn (mut g Gen) infix_expr_in_optimization(left ast.Expr, right ast.ArrayInit) {
 		match elem_sym.kind {
 			.string, .alias, .sum_type, .map, .interface, .array, .struct {
 				if elem_sym.kind == .string {
-					g.write('string__eq(')
-					if left.is_auto_deref_var() || (left is ast.Ident && left.info is ast.IdentVar
+					is_auto_deref_var := left.is_auto_deref_var()
+					if left is ast.Ident && left.or_expr.kind == .absent
+						&& array_expr is ast.StringLiteral {
+						var := g.expr_string(left)
+						slit := cescape_nonascii(util.smart_quote(array_expr.val, array_expr.is_raw))
+						if is_auto_deref_var || (left.info is ast.IdentVar
+							&& g.table.sym(left.obj.typ).kind in [.interface, .sum_type]) {
+							g.write('_SLIT_EQ(${var}->str, ${var}->len, "${slit}")')
+						} else {
+							g.write('_SLIT_EQ(${var}.str, ${var}.len, "${slit}")')
+						}
+						unsafe {
+							goto end
+						}
+					} else if array_expr is ast.StringLiteral {
+						g.write('fast_string_eq(')
+					} else {
+						g.write('string__eq(')
+					}
+					if is_auto_deref_var || (left is ast.Ident && left.info is ast.IdentVar
 						&& g.table.sym(left.obj.typ).kind in [.interface, .sum_type]) {
 						g.write('*')
 					}
@@ -668,6 +698,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) infix_expr_in_optimization(left ast.Expr, right ast.ArrayInit) {
 				g.expr(array_expr)
 			}
 		}
+		end:
 		if i < right.exprs.len - 1 {
 			g.write(' || ')
 		}
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/match.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/match.v
index 97b68385fc20ac..050cfd3d8b31e3 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/match.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/match.v
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 module c
 
 import v.ast
+import v.util
 
 fn (mut g Gen) need_tmp_var_in_match(node ast.MatchExpr) bool {
 	if node.is_expr && node.return_type != ast.void_type && node.return_type != 0 {
@@ -491,10 +492,19 @@ fn (mut g Gen) match_expr_classic(node ast.MatchExpr, is_expr bool, cond_var str
 						g.write(')')
 					}
 					.string {
-						ptr_str := if node.cond_type.is_ptr() { '*' } else { '' }
-						g.write('string__eq(${ptr_str}${cond_var}, ')
-						g.expr(expr)
-						g.write(')')
+						if expr is ast.StringLiteral {
+							slit := cescape_nonascii(util.smart_quote(expr.val, expr.is_raw))
+							if node.cond_type.is_ptr() {
+								g.write('_SLIT_EQ(${cond_var}->str, ${cond_var}->len, "${slit}")')
+							} else {
+								g.write('_SLIT_EQ(${cond_var}.str, ${cond_var}.len, "${slit}")')
+							}
+						} else {
+							ptr_str := if node.cond_type.is_ptr() { '*' } else { '' }
+							g.write('fast_string_eq(${ptr_str}${cond_var}, ')
+							g.expr(expr)
+							g.write(')')
+						}
 					}
 					.struct {
 						derefs_expr := '*'.repeat(g.get_expr_type(expr).nr_muls())