diff --git a/lmem.h b/lmem.h
index 8c75a44b..c5dada9c 100644
--- a/lmem.h
+++ b/lmem.h
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@
 
 #define luaM_newobject(L,tag,s)	luaM_malloc_(L, (s), tag)
 
+#define luaM_newblock(L, size)	luaM_newvector(L, size, char)
+
 #define luaM_growvector(L,v,nelems,size,t,limit,e) \
 	((v)=cast(t *, luaM_growaux_(L,v,nelems,&(size),sizeof(t), \
                          luaM_limitN(limit,t),e)))
diff --git a/lobject.h b/lobject.h
index e7f58cbd..74a6fd1e 100644
--- a/lobject.h
+++ b/lobject.h
@@ -744,7 +744,6 @@ typedef struct Table {
   unsigned int alimit;  /* "limit" of 'array' array */
   TValue *array;  /* array part */
   Node *node;
-  Node *lastfree;  /* any free position is before this position */
   struct Table *metatable;
   GCObject *gclist;
 } Table;
diff --git a/ltable.c b/ltable.c
index cc7993e0..485563f3 100644
--- a/ltable.c
+++ b/ltable.c
@@ -39,6 +39,27 @@
 #include "lvm.h"
 
 
+/*
+** Only tables with hash parts larget than LIMFORLAST has a 'lastfree'
+** field that optimizes finding a free slot. Smaller tables do a
+** complete search when looking for a free slot.
+*/
+#define LLIMFORLAST    2  /* log2 of LIMTFORLAST */
+#define LIMFORLAST     twoto(LLIMFORLAST)
+
+/*
+** Union to store an int field ensuring that what follows it in
+** memory is properly aligned to store a TValue.
+*/
+typedef union {
+  int lastfree;
+  char padding[offsetof(struct { int i; TValue v; }, v)];
+} Limbox;
+
+#define haslastfree(t)     ((t)->lsizenode > LLIMFORLAST)
+#define getlastfree(t)     (&((cast(Limbox *, (t)->node) - 1)->lastfree))
+
+
 /*
 ** MAXABITS is the largest integer such that MAXASIZE fits in an
 ** unsigned int.
@@ -367,8 +388,15 @@ int luaH_next (lua_State *L, Table *t, StkId key) {
 
 
 static void freehash (lua_State *L, Table *t) {
-  if (!isdummy(t))
-    luaM_freearray(L, t->node, cast_sizet(sizenode(t)));
+  if (!isdummy(t)) {
+    size_t bsize = sizenode(t) * sizeof(Node);  /* 'node' size in bytes */
+    char *arr = cast_charp(t->node);
+    if (haslastfree(t)) {
+      bsize += sizeof(Limbox);
+      arr -= sizeof(Limbox);
+    }
+    luaM_freearray(L, arr, bsize);
+  }
 }
 
 
@@ -479,7 +507,7 @@ static void setnodevector (lua_State *L, Table *t, unsigned int size) {
   if (size == 0) {  /* no elements to hash part? */
     t->node = cast(Node *, dummynode);  /* use common 'dummynode' */
     t->lsizenode = 0;
-    t->lastfree = NULL;  /* signal that it is using dummy node */
+    setdummy(t);  /* signal that it is using dummy node */
   }
   else {
     int i;
@@ -487,15 +515,22 @@ static void setnodevector (lua_State *L, Table *t, unsigned int size) {
     if (lsize > MAXHBITS || (1u << lsize) > MAXHSIZE)
       luaG_runerror(L, "table overflow");
     size = twoto(lsize);
-    t->node = luaM_newvector(L, size, Node);
+    if (lsize <= LLIMFORLAST)  /* no 'lastfree' field? */
+      t->node = luaM_newvector(L, size, Node);
+    else {
+      size_t bsize = size * sizeof(Node) + sizeof(Limbox);
+      char *node = luaM_newblock(L, bsize);
+      t->node = cast(Node *, node + sizeof(Limbox));
+      *getlastfree(t) = size;  /* all positions are free */
+    }
+    t->lsizenode = cast_byte(lsize);
+    setnodummy(t);
     for (i = 0; i < cast_int(size); i++) {
       Node *n = gnode(t, i);
       gnext(n) = 0;
       setnilkey(n);
       setempty(gval(n));
     }
-    t->lsizenode = cast_byte(lsize);
-    t->lastfree = gnode(t, size);  /* all positions are free */
   }
 }
 
@@ -520,18 +555,21 @@ static void reinsert (lua_State *L, Table *ot, Table *t) {
 
 
 /*
-** Exchange the hash part of 't1' and 't2'.
+** Exchange the hash part of 't1' and 't2'. (In 'flags', only the
+** dummy bit must be exchanged: The 'isrealasize' is not related
+** to the hash part, and the metamethod bits do not change during
+** a resize, so the "real" table can keep their values.)
 */
 static void exchangehashpart (Table *t1, Table *t2) {
   lu_byte lsizenode = t1->lsizenode;
   Node *node = t1->node;
-  Node *lastfree = t1->lastfree;
+  int bitdummy1 = t1->flags & BITDUMMY;
   t1->lsizenode = t2->lsizenode;
   t1->node = t2->node;
-  t1->lastfree = t2->lastfree;
+  t1->flags = (t1->flags & NOTBITDUMMY) | (t2->flags & BITDUMMY);
   t2->lsizenode = lsizenode;
   t2->node = node;
-  t2->lastfree = lastfree;
+  t2->flags = (t2->flags & NOTBITDUMMY) | bitdummy1;
 }
 
 
@@ -555,6 +593,7 @@ void luaH_resize (lua_State *L, Table *t, unsigned int newasize,
   unsigned int oldasize = setlimittosize(t);
   TValue *newarray;
   /* create new hash part with appropriate size into 'newt' */
+  newt.flags = 0;
   setnodevector(L, &newt, nhsize);
   if (newasize < oldasize) {  /* will array shrink? */
     t->alimit = newasize;  /* pretend array has new size... */
@@ -641,11 +680,22 @@ void luaH_free (lua_State *L, Table *t) {
 
 
 static Node *getfreepos (Table *t) {
-  if (!isdummy(t)) {
-    while (t->lastfree > t->node) {
-      t->lastfree--;
-      if (keyisnil(t->lastfree))
-        return t->lastfree;
+  if (haslastfree(t)) {  /* does it have 'lastfree' information? */
+    /* look for a spot before 'lastfree', updating 'lastfree' */
+    while (*getlastfree(t) > 0) {
+      Node *free = gnode(t, --(*getlastfree(t)));
+      if (keyisnil(free))
+        return free;
+    }
+  }
+  else {  /* no 'lastfree' information */
+    if (!isdummy(t)) {
+      int i = sizenode(t);
+      while (i--) {  /* do a linear search */
+        Node *free = gnode(t, i);
+        if (keyisnil(free))
+          return free;
+      }
     }
   }
   return NULL;  /* could not find a free place */
diff --git a/ltable.h b/ltable.h
index 75dd9e26..dce8c2f7 100644
--- a/ltable.h
+++ b/ltable.h
@@ -23,8 +23,18 @@
 #define invalidateTMcache(t)	((t)->flags &= ~maskflags)
 
 
-/* true when 't' is using 'dummynode' as its hash part */
-#define isdummy(t)		((t)->lastfree == NULL)
+/*
+** Bit BITDUMMY set in 'flags' means the table is using the dummy node
+** for its hash part.
+*/
+
+#define BITDUMMY		(1 << 6)
+#define NOTBITDUMMY		cast_byte(~BITDUMMY)
+#define isdummy(t)		((t)->flags & BITDUMMY)
+
+#define setnodummy(t)		((t)->flags &= NOTBITDUMMY)
+#define setdummy(t)		((t)->flags |= BITDUMMY)
+
 
 
 /* allocated size for hash nodes */
diff --git a/ltests.c b/ltests.c
index 4a0a6af1..1caed04c 100644
--- a/ltests.c
+++ b/ltests.c
@@ -999,9 +999,8 @@ static int table_query (lua_State *L) {
   if (i == -1) {
     lua_pushinteger(L, asize);
     lua_pushinteger(L, allocsizenode(t));
-    lua_pushinteger(L, isdummy(t) ? 0 : t->lastfree - t->node);
     lua_pushinteger(L, t->alimit);
-    return 4;
+    return 3;
   }
   else if ((unsigned int)i < asize) {
     lua_pushinteger(L, i);
diff --git a/ltm.h b/ltm.h
index 73b833c6..f3872655 100644
--- a/ltm.h
+++ b/ltm.h
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ typedef enum {
 /*
 ** Mask with 1 in all fast-access methods. A 1 in any of these bits
 ** in the flag of a (meta)table means the metatable does not have the
-** corresponding metamethod field. (Bit 7 of the flag is used for
-** 'isrealasize'.)
+** corresponding metamethod field. (Bit 6 of the flag indicates that
+** the table is using the dummy node; bit 7 is used for 'isrealasize'.)
 */
 #define maskflags	(~(~0u << (TM_EQ + 1)))
 
diff --git a/testes/nextvar.lua b/testes/nextvar.lua
index 0874e5bb..80b3d05c 100644
--- a/testes/nextvar.lua
+++ b/testes/nextvar.lua
@@ -210,9 +210,9 @@ assert(T.querytab(a) == 64)    -- array part has 64 elements
 a[32] = true; a[48] = true;    -- binary search will find these ones
 a[51] = true                   -- binary search will miss this one
 assert(#a == 48)               -- this will set the limit
-assert(select(4, T.querytab(a)) == 48)  -- this is the limit now
+assert(select(3, T.querytab(a)) == 48)  -- this is the limit now
 a[50] = true                   -- this will set a new limit
-assert(select(4, T.querytab(a)) == 50)  -- this is the limit now
+assert(select(3, T.querytab(a)) == 50)  -- this is the limit now
 -- but the size is larger (and still inside the array part)
 assert(#a == 51)