diff --git a/src/jltypes.c b/src/jltypes.c
index bf15611de4587..d8cbb9acb63c2 100644
--- a/src/jltypes.c
+++ b/src/jltypes.c
@@ -719,20 +719,6 @@ jl_value_t *simple_union(jl_value_t *a, jl_value_t *b)
 
 int obviously_disjoint(jl_value_t *a, jl_value_t *b, int specificity);
 
-static int simple_disjoint(jl_value_t *a, jl_value_t *b, int hasfree)
-{
-    if (jl_is_uniontype(b)) {
-        jl_value_t *b1 = ((jl_uniontype_t *)b)->a, *b2 = ((jl_uniontype_t *)b)->b;
-        JL_GC_PUSH2(&b1, &b2);
-        int res = simple_disjoint(a, b1, hasfree) && simple_disjoint(a, b2, hasfree);
-        JL_GC_POP();
-        return res;
-    }
-    if (!hasfree && !jl_has_free_typevars(b))
-        return jl_has_empty_intersection(a, b);
-    return obviously_disjoint(a, b, 0);
-}
-
 jl_value_t *simple_intersect(jl_value_t *a, jl_value_t *b, int overesi)
 {
     // Unlike `Union`, we don't unwrap `UnionAll` here to avoid possible widening.
@@ -746,19 +732,31 @@ jl_value_t *simple_intersect(jl_value_t *a, jl_value_t *b, int overesi)
     flatten_type_union(&b, 1, temp, &count, 0);
     assert(count == nt);
     size_t i, j;
+    int8_t *stemp = (int8_t *)alloca(count);
     // first remove disjoint elements.
+    memset(stemp, 0, count);
+    for (i = 0; i < nta; i++) {
+        int hasfree = jl_has_free_typevars(temp[i]);
+        for (j = nta; j < nt; j++) {
+            if (!stemp[i] || !stemp[j]) {
+                int intersect = !hasfree && !jl_has_free_typevars(temp[j]);
+                if (!(intersect ? jl_has_empty_intersection(temp[i], temp[j]) : obviously_disjoint(temp[i], temp[j], 0)))
+                    stemp[i] = stemp[j] = 1;
+            }
+        }
+    }
     for (i = 0; i < nt; i++) {
-        if (simple_disjoint(temp[i], (i < nta ? b : a), jl_has_free_typevars(temp[i])))
-            temp[i] = NULL;
+        temp[i] = stemp[i] ? temp[i] : NULL;
     }
     // then check subtyping.
     // stemp[k] == -1 : ∃i temp[k] >:ₛ temp[i]
     // stemp[k] == 1 : ∃i temp[k] == temp[i]
     // stemp[k] == 2 : ∃i temp[k] <:ₛ temp[i]
-    int8_t *stemp = (int8_t *)alloca(count);
     memset(stemp, 0, count);
+    int all_disjoint = 1, subs[2] = {1, 1}, rs[2] = {1, 1};
     for (i = 0; i < nta; i++) {
         if (temp[i] == NULL) continue;
+        all_disjoint = 0;
         int hasfree = jl_has_free_typevars(temp[i]);
         for (j = nta; j < nt; j++) {
             if (temp[j] == NULL) continue;
@@ -778,22 +776,23 @@ jl_value_t *simple_intersect(jl_value_t *a, jl_value_t *b, int overesi)
             }
         }
     }
-    int subs[2] = {1, 1}, rs[2] = {1, 1};
-    for (i = 0; i < nt; i++) {
-        subs[i >= nta] &= (temp[i] == NULL || stemp[i] > 0);
-        rs[i >= nta] &= (temp[i] != NULL && stemp[i] > 0);
-    }
-    // return a(b) if a(b) <: b(a)
-    if (rs[0]) {
-        JL_GC_POP();
-        return a;
-    }
-    if (rs[1]) {
-        JL_GC_POP();
-        return b;
+    if (!all_disjoint) {
+        for (i = 0; i < nt; i++) {
+            subs[i >= nta] &= (temp[i] == NULL || stemp[i] > 0);
+            rs[i >= nta] &= (temp[i] != NULL && stemp[i] > 0);
+        }
+        // return a(b) if a(b) <: b(a)
+        if (rs[0]) {
+            JL_GC_POP();
+            return a;
+        }
+        if (rs[1]) {
+            JL_GC_POP();
+            return b;
+        }
     }
     // return `Union{}` for `merge_env` if we can't prove `<:` or `>:`
-    if (!overesi && !subs[0] && !subs[1]) {
+    if (all_disjoint || (!overesi && !subs[0] && !subs[1])) {
         JL_GC_POP();
         return jl_bottom_type;
     }