diff --git a/kdecore/text/kstringhandler.cpp b/kdecore/text/kstringhandler.cpp
index 0df6ec4..99d3448 100644
--- a/kdecore/text/kstringhandler.cpp
+++ b/kdecore/text/kstringhandler.cpp
@@ -330,6 +330,40 @@ int KStringHandler::naturalCompare(const QString &_a, const QString &_b, Qt::Cas
         return 0;
     }
 
+    //BEGIN: try to avoid unneeded operations if we haven't got digits
+    {
+        bool digit = false;
+        QString::ConstIterator it = a.constBegin();
+        while (it != a.constEnd()) {
+            const QChar &c = *it;
+            if (c.isDigit()) {
+                digit = true;
+                break;
+            }
+            ++it;
+        }
+
+        if (!digit) {
+            return QString::localeAwareCompare(a, b);
+        }
+
+        digit = false;
+        it = b.constBegin();
+        while (it != b.constEnd()) {
+            const QChar &c = *it;
+            if (c.isDigit()) {
+                digit = true;
+                break;
+            }
+            ++it;
+        }
+
+        if (!digit) {
+            return QString::localeAwareCompare(a, b);
+        }
+    }
+    //END: try to avoid unneeded operations if we haven't got digits
+
     const QChar* begSeqA = currA; // beginning of a new character sequence of a
     const QChar* begSeqB = currB;