diff --git a/layout/tables/nsCellMap.cpp b/layout/tables/nsCellMap.cpp
index d2fdd6d7155e..da374d19c0c0 100644
--- a/layout/tables/nsCellMap.cpp
+++ b/layout/tables/nsCellMap.cpp
@@ -261,17 +261,40 @@ void nsTableCellMap::RemoveGroupCellMap(nsTableRowGroupFrame* aGroup)
   }
 }
 
-nsCellMap* 
-nsTableCellMap::GetMapFor(nsTableRowGroupFrame& aRowGroup)
+static nsCellMap*
+FindMapFor(const nsTableRowGroupFrame* aRowGroup,
+           nsCellMap* aStart,
+           const nsCellMap* aEnd)
 {
-  NS_ASSERTION(!aRowGroup.GetPrevInFlow(), "GetMapFor called with continuation");
-  for (nsCellMap* map = mFirstMap; map; map = map->GetNextSibling()) {
-    if (&aRowGroup == map->GetRowGroup()) {
+  for (nsCellMap* map = aStart; map != aEnd; map = map->GetNextSibling()) {
+    if (aRowGroup == map->GetRowGroup()) {
       return map;
     }
   }
+
+  return nsnull;
+}
+
+nsCellMap* 
+nsTableCellMap::GetMapFor(const nsTableRowGroupFrame* aRowGroup,
+                          nsCellMap* aStartHint) const
+{
+  NS_PRECONDITION(aRowGroup, "Must have a rowgroup");
+  NS_ASSERTION(!aRowGroup->GetPrevInFlow(), "GetMapFor called with continuation");
+  if (aStartHint) {
+    nsCellMap* map = FindMapFor(aRowGroup, aStartHint, nsnull);
+    if (map) {
+      return map;
+    }
+  }
+
+  nsCellMap* map = FindMapFor(aRowGroup, mFirstMap, aStartHint);
+  if (map) {
+    return map;
+  }
+  
   // if aRowGroup is a repeated header or footer find the header or footer it was repeated from
-  if (aRowGroup.IsRepeatable()) {
+  if (aRowGroup->IsRepeatable()) {
     nsTableFrame* fifTable = NS_STATIC_CAST(nsTableFrame*, mTableFrame.GetFirstInFlow());
 
     nsAutoVoidArray rowGroups;
@@ -280,16 +303,12 @@ nsTableCellMap::GetMapFor(nsTableRowGroupFrame& aRowGroup)
     // find the original header/footer 
     fifTable->OrderRowGroups(rowGroups, numRowGroups, &thead, &tfoot);
 
-    const nsStyleDisplay* display = aRowGroup.GetStyleDisplay();
+    const nsStyleDisplay* display = aRowGroup->GetStyleDisplay();
     nsTableRowGroupFrame* rgOrig = 
       (NS_STYLE_DISPLAY_TABLE_HEADER_GROUP == display->mDisplay) ? thead : tfoot; 
     // find the row group cell map using the original header/footer
-    if (rgOrig) {
-      for (nsCellMap* map = mFirstMap; map; map = map->GetNextSibling()) {
-        if (rgOrig == map->GetRowGroup()) {
-          return map;
-        }
-      }
+    if (rgOrig && rgOrig != aRowGroup) {
+      return GetMapFor(rgOrig, aStartHint);
     }
   }
 
@@ -310,11 +329,13 @@ nsTableCellMap::Synchronize(nsTableFrame* aTableFrame)
     return;
   }
 
+  // Scope |map| outside the loop so we can use it as a hint.
+  nsCellMap* map = nsnull;
   for (PRUint32 rgX = 0; rgX < numRowGroups; rgX++) {
     nsTableRowGroupFrame* rgFrame =
       nsTableFrame::GetRowGroupFrame((nsIFrame*)orderedRowGroups.ElementAt(rgX));
     if (rgFrame) {
-      nsCellMap* map = GetMapFor(*rgFrame);
+      map = GetMapFor(rgFrame, map);
       if (map) {
         if (!maps.AppendElement(map)) {
           delete map;
diff --git a/layout/tables/nsCellMap.h b/layout/tables/nsCellMap.h
index 19de700dbcd0..443ed6a05414 100644
--- a/layout/tables/nsCellMap.h
+++ b/layout/tables/nsCellMap.h
@@ -94,7 +94,16 @@ public:
   void InsertGroupCellMap(nsTableRowGroupFrame&  aNewRowGroup,
                           nsTableRowGroupFrame*& aPrevRowGroup);
 
-  nsCellMap* GetMapFor(nsTableRowGroupFrame& aRowGroup);
+  /**
+   * Get the nsCellMap for the given row group.  If aStartHint is non-null,
+   * will start looking with that cellmap and only fall back to starting at the
+   * beginning of the list if that doesn't find us the right nsCellMap.
+   * Otherwise, just start at the beginning.
+   *
+   * aRowGroup must not be null.
+   */
+  nsCellMap* GetMapFor(const nsTableRowGroupFrame* aRowGroup,
+                       nsCellMap* aStartHint) const;
 
   /** synchronize the cellmaps with the rowgroups again **/
   void Synchronize(nsTableFrame* aTableFrame);
diff --git a/layout/tables/nsTableFrame.cpp b/layout/tables/nsTableFrame.cpp
index f71efb3bf714..074cc8399833 100644
--- a/layout/tables/nsTableFrame.cpp
+++ b/layout/tables/nsTableFrame.cpp
@@ -4172,14 +4172,16 @@ BCMapCellIterator::SetNewRowGroup(PRBool aFindFirstDamagedRow)
   mAtEnd = PR_TRUE;
   mRowGroupIndex++;
   PRInt32 numRowGroups = mRowGroups.Count();
+  mCellMap = nsnull;
   for (PRInt32 rgX = mRowGroupIndex; rgX < numRowGroups; rgX++) {
-    nsIFrame* frame = (nsTableRowGroupFrame*)mRowGroups.ElementAt(mRowGroupIndex); if (!frame) ABORT1(PR_FALSE);
+    nsIFrame* frame = (nsIFrame*)mRowGroups.ElementAt(mRowGroupIndex); if (!frame) ABORT1(PR_FALSE);
     mRowGroup = mTableFrame.GetRowGroupFrame(frame); if (!mRowGroup) ABORT1(PR_FALSE);
     PRInt32 rowCount = mRowGroup->GetRowCount();
     mRowGroupStart = mRowGroup->GetStartRowIndex();
     mRowGroupEnd   = mRowGroupStart + rowCount - 1;
     if (rowCount > 0) {
-      mCellMap = mTableCellMap->GetMapFor(*mRowGroup); if (!mCellMap) ABORT1(PR_FALSE);
+      mCellMap = mTableCellMap->GetMapFor(mRowGroup, mCellMap);
+      if (!mCellMap) ABORT1(PR_FALSE);
       nsTableRowFrame* firstRow = mRowGroup->GetFirstRow();
       if (aFindFirstDamagedRow) {
         if ((mAreaStart.y >= mRowGroupStart) && (mAreaStart.y <= mRowGroupEnd)) {
@@ -4306,7 +4308,7 @@ BCMapCellIterator::PeekBottom(BCMapCellInfo&   aRefInfo,
       nsIFrame* frame = (nsTableRowGroupFrame*)mRowGroups.ElementAt(nextRgIndex); if (!frame) ABORT0();
       rg = mTableFrame.GetRowGroupFrame(frame);
       if (rg) {
-        cellMap = mTableCellMap->GetMapFor(*rg); if (!cellMap) ABORT0();
+        cellMap = mTableCellMap->GetMapFor(rg, cellMap); if (!cellMap) ABORT0();
         rgRowIndex = 0;
         nextRow = rg->GetFirstRow();
       }
@@ -4917,6 +4919,9 @@ nsTableFrame::ExpandBCDamageArea(nsRect& aRect) const
     PRUint32 numRowGroups;
     nsVoidArray rowGroups;
     OrderRowGroups(rowGroups, numRowGroups);
+
+    // Scope outside loop to be used as hint.
+    nsCellMap* cellMap = nsnull;
     for (PRUint32 rgX = 0; rgX < numRowGroups; rgX++) {
       nsIFrame* kidFrame = (nsIFrame*)rowGroups.ElementAt(rgX);
       nsTableRowGroupFrame* rgFrame = GetRowGroupFrame(kidFrame); if (!rgFrame) ABORT0();
@@ -4924,7 +4929,8 @@ nsTableFrame::ExpandBCDamageArea(nsRect& aRect) const
       PRInt32 rgEndY   = rgStartY + rgFrame->GetRowCount() - 1;
       if (dEndY < rgStartY) 
         break;
-      nsCellMap* cellMap = tableCellMap->GetMapFor(*rgFrame); if (!cellMap) ABORT0();
+      cellMap = tableCellMap->GetMapFor(rgFrame, cellMap);
+      if (!cellMap) ABORT0();
       // check for spanners from above and below
       if ((dStartY > 0) && (dStartY >= rgStartY) && (dStartY <= rgEndY)) {
         if (PRUint32(dStartY - rgStartY) >= cellMap->mRows.Length()) 
@@ -5815,7 +5821,10 @@ BCMapBorderIterator::SetNewRowGroup()
     rowGroupEnd      = rowGroupStart + rg->GetRowCount() - 1;
 
     if (SetNewRow(rg->GetFirstRow())) {
-      cellMap = tableCellMap->GetMapFor(*(nsTableRowGroupFrame*)rg->GetFirstInFlow()); if (!cellMap) ABORT1(PR_FALSE);
+      cellMap =
+        tableCellMap->GetMapFor((nsTableRowGroupFrame*)rg->GetFirstInFlow(),
+                                nsnull);
+      if (!cellMap) ABORT1(PR_FALSE);
     }
     if (rg && table->GetPrevInFlow() && !rg->GetPrevInFlow()) {
       // if rg doesn't have a prev in flow, then it may be a repeated header or footer