diff --git a/src/js/hntrie.js b/src/js/hntrie.js
index 366451af3..01c9c430d 100644
--- a/src/js/hntrie.js
+++ b/src/js/hntrie.js
@@ -181,12 +181,14 @@ const HNTrieContainer = class {
             if ( ineedle === 0 ) { return -1; }
             ineedle -= 1;
             let c = this.buf[ineedle];
-            let v, i0;
+            let v, i0, diff;
             // find first segment with a first-character match
             for (;;) {
                 v = this.buf32[icell+2];
                 i0 = char0 + (v & 0x00FFFFFF);
-                if ( this.buf[i0] === c ) { break; }
+                diff = this.buf[i0] - c;
+                if ( diff === 0 ) { break; }
+                if ( diff > 0 ) { return -1; }
                 icell = this.buf32[icell+0];
                 if ( icell === 0 ) { return -1; }
             }
@@ -254,7 +256,7 @@ const HNTrieContainer = class {
         }
         //
         const char0 = this.buf32[HNTRIE_CHAR0_SLOT];
-        let inext;
+        let iprevious = iroot, diff, inext;
         // find a matching cell: move down
         for (;;) {
             const vseg = this.buf32[icell+2];
@@ -263,21 +265,38 @@ const HNTrieContainer = class {
                 // remainder is at label boundary? if yes, no need to add
                 // the rest since the shortest match is always reported
                 if ( this.buf[lhnchar-1] === 0x2E /* '.' */ ) { return -1; }
+                iprevious = icell;
                 icell = this.buf32[icell+1];
                 continue;
             }
             let isegchar0 = char0 + (vseg & 0x00FFFFFF);
             // if first character is no match, move to next descendant
-            if ( this.buf[isegchar0] !== this.buf[lhnchar-1] ) {
+            diff = this.buf[isegchar0] - this.buf[lhnchar-1];
+            // current cell character greater than target character: insert
+            // a new node before current cell
+            if ( diff > 0 ) {
+                const inew = this.addCell(icell, 0, this.addSegment(lhnchar));
+                if ( icell === this.buf32[iprevious+0] ) {
+                    this.buf32[iprevious+0] = inew;
+                } else /* if ( icell === this.buf32[iprevious+1] ) */ {
+                    this.buf32[iprevious+1] = inew;
+                }
+                return 1;
+            }
+            // current cell character lesser than target character: keep
+            // looking
+            if ( diff !== 0 ) {
                 inext = this.buf32[icell+0];
+                // no match found: insert a new leaf descendant
                 if ( inext === 0 ) {
                     this.buf32[icell+0] = this.addCell(0, 0, this.addSegment(lhnchar));
                     return 1;
                 }
+                iprevious = icell;
                 icell = inext;
                 continue;
             }
-            // 1st character was tested
+            // current cell character matches: 1st character was tested
             let isegchar = 1;
             lhnchar -= 1;
             // find 1st mismatch in rest of segment
@@ -286,7 +305,8 @@ const HNTrieContainer = class {
                 for (;;) {
                     if ( isegchar === lsegchar ) { break; }
                     if ( lhnchar === 0 ) { break; }
-                    if ( this.buf[isegchar0+isegchar] !== this.buf[lhnchar-1] ) { break; }
+                    diff = this.buf[isegchar0+isegchar] - this.buf[lhnchar-1];
+                    if ( diff !== 0 ) { break; }
                     isegchar += 1;
                     lhnchar -= 1;
                 }
@@ -304,6 +324,7 @@ const HNTrieContainer = class {
                 // needle remainder: yes
                 else {
                     if ( inext !== 0 ) {
+                        iprevious = icell;
                         icell = inext;
                         continue;
                     }
@@ -326,14 +347,19 @@ const HNTrieContainer = class {
                     this.buf32[icell+1],
                     lsegchar - isegchar << 24 | isegchar0 + isegchar
                 );
-                this.buf32[icell+1] = inext;
                 // needle remainder: no = need boundary cell
                 if ( lhnchar === 0 ) {
                     this.buf32[icell+1] = this.addCell(0, inext, 0);
                 }
                 // needle remainder: yes = need new cell for remaining characters
                 else {
-                    this.buf32[inext+0] = this.addCell(0, 0, this.addSegment(lhnchar));
+                    const isegment = this.addSegment(lhnchar);
+                    if ( diff > 0 ) {
+                        this.buf32[icell+1] = this.addCell(inext, 0, isegment);
+                    } else {
+                        this.buf32[icell+1] = inext;
+                        this.buf32[inext+0] = this.addCell(0, 0, isegment);
+                    }
                 }
             }
             return 1;