diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 3afd89e..570f323 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ pub struct Scope<'s> {
     context: Arc<Context>,
     worker_index: usize,
     job_queue: ThreadJobQueue<'s>,
+    join_count: u8,
 }
 
 impl<'s> Scope<'s> {
@@ -194,6 +195,7 @@ impl<'s> Scope<'s> {
             context: thread_pool.context.clone(),
             worker_index,
             job_queue: ThreadJobQueue::Current(JobQueue::default()),
+            join_count: 0,
         }
     }
 
@@ -206,6 +208,7 @@ impl<'s> Scope<'s> {
             context,
             worker_index,
             job_queue: ThreadJobQueue::Worker(job_queue),
+            join_count: 0,
         }
     }
 
@@ -273,38 +276,13 @@ impl<'s> Scope<'s> {
         self.context.heartbeats[self.worker_index].store(false, Ordering::Relaxed);
     }
 
-    /// Runs `a` and `b` potentially in parallel on separate threads and
-    /// returns the results.
-    ///
-    /// # Examples
-    ///
-    /// ```
-    /// # use spice::ThreadPool;
-    /// let mut tp = ThreadPool::new().unwrap();
-    /// let mut s = tp.scope();
-    ///
-    /// let mut vals = [0; 2];
-    /// let (left, right) = vals.split_at_mut(1);
-    ///
-    /// s.join(|_|left[0] = 1, |_| right[0] = 1);
-    ///
-    /// assert_eq!(vals, [1; 2]);
-    /// ```
-    pub fn join<A, B, RA, RB>(&mut self, a: A, b: B) -> (RA, RB)
+    fn join_inner<A, B, RA, RB>(&mut self, a: A, b: B) -> (RA, RB)
     where
         A: FnOnce(&mut Scope<'_>) -> RA + Send,
         B: FnOnce(&mut Scope<'_>) -> RB + Send,
         RA: Send,
         RB: Send,
     {
-        let a = move |scope: &mut Scope<'_>| {
-            if scope.context.heartbeats[scope.worker_index].load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
-                scope.heartbeat();
-            }
-
-            a(scope)
-        };
-
         let stack = JobStack::new(a);
         let job = Job::new(&stack);
 
@@ -340,6 +318,85 @@ impl<'s> Scope<'s> {
             (ra, rb)
         }
     }
+
+    /// Runs `a` and `b` potentially in parallel on separate threads and
+    /// returns the results.
+    ///
+    /// This variant skips checking for a heartbeat every 16 calls for improved
+    /// performance.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// # use spice::ThreadPool;
+    /// let mut tp = ThreadPool::new().unwrap();
+    /// let mut s = tp.scope();
+    ///
+    /// let mut vals = [0; 2];
+    /// let (left, right) = vals.split_at_mut(1);
+    ///
+    /// s.join(|_|left[0] = 1, |_| right[0] = 1);
+    ///
+    /// assert_eq!(vals, [1; 2]);
+    /// ```
+    pub fn join<A, B, RA, RB>(&mut self, a: A, b: B) -> (RA, RB)
+    where
+        A: FnOnce(&mut Scope<'_>) -> RA + Send,
+        B: FnOnce(&mut Scope<'_>) -> RB + Send,
+        RA: Send,
+        RB: Send,
+    {
+        self.join_with_heartbeat_every::<16, _, _, _, _>(a, b)
+    }
+
+    /// Runs `a` and `b` potentially in parallel on separate threads and
+    /// returns the results.
+    ///
+    /// This variant skips checking for a heartbeat every `TIMES - 1` calls for
+    /// improved performance.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// # use spice::ThreadPool;
+    /// let mut tp = ThreadPool::new().unwrap();
+    /// let mut s = tp.scope();
+    ///
+    /// let mut vals = [0; 2];
+    /// let (left, right) = vals.split_at_mut(1);
+    ///
+    /// // Skip checking 7/8 calls to join_with_heartbeat_every.
+    /// s.join_with_heartbeat_every::<8, _, _, _, _>(|_|left[0] = 1, |_| right[0] = 1);
+    ///
+    /// assert_eq!(vals, [1; 2]);
+    /// ```
+    pub fn join_with_heartbeat_every<const TIMES: u8, A, B, RA, RB>(
+        &mut self,
+        a: A,
+        b: B,
+    ) -> (RA, RB)
+    where
+        A: FnOnce(&mut Scope<'_>) -> RA + Send,
+        B: FnOnce(&mut Scope<'_>) -> RB + Send,
+        RA: Send,
+        RB: Send,
+    {
+        self.join_count = self.join_count.wrapping_add(1) % TIMES;
+
+        if self.join_count == 0 {
+            let a = move |scope: &mut Scope<'_>| {
+                if scope.context.heartbeats[scope.worker_index].load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+                    scope.heartbeat();
+                }
+
+                a(scope)
+            };
+
+            self.join_inner(a, b)
+        } else {
+            self.join_inner(a, b)
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// `ThreadPool` configuration.
@@ -597,9 +654,9 @@ mod tests {
                 0 => (),
                 1 => slice[0] += 1,
                 _ => {
-                    let (_, tail) = slice.split_at_mut(1);
+                    let (head, tail) = slice.split_at_mut(1);
 
-                    s.join(
+                    s.join_with_heartbeat_every::<1, _, _, _, _>(
                         |_| {
                             thread::sleep(Duration::from_micros(100));
 
@@ -607,6 +664,8 @@ mod tests {
                                 threads_crossed.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
                                 panic!("panicked across threads");
                             }
+
+                            head[0] += 1;
                         },
                         |s| increment(s, tail, id),
                     );