diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Base/Utilities/ValueSingleOrList.cs b/src/Avalonia.Base/Utilities/ValueSingleOrList.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dc32cedb76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Base/Utilities/ValueSingleOrList.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+
+namespace Avalonia.Utilities
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A list like struct optimized for holding zero or one items.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <typeparam name="T">The type of items held in the list.</typeparam>
+    /// <remarks>
+    /// Once more than value has been added to this storage it will switch to using <see cref="List"/> internally.
+    /// </remarks>
+    public ref struct ValueSingleOrList<T>
+    {
+        private bool _isSingleSet;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Single contained value. Only valid if <see cref="IsSingle"/> is set.
+        /// </summary>
+        public T Single { get; private set; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// List of values.
+        /// </summary>
+        public List<T> List { get; private set; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// If this struct is backed by a list.
+        /// </summary>
+        public bool HasList => List != null;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// If this struct contains only single value and storage was not promoted to a list.
+        /// </summary>
+        public bool IsSingle => List == null && _isSingleSet;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Adds a value.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="value">Value to add.</param>
+        public void Add(T value)
+        {
+            if (List != null)
+            {
+                List.Add(value);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                if (!_isSingleSet)
+                {
+                    Single = value;
+
+                    _isSingleSet = true;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    List = new List<T>();
+
+                    List.Add(Single);
+                    List.Add(value);
+
+                    Single = default;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Removes a value.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="value">Value to remove.</param>
+        public bool Remove(T value)
+        {
+            if (List != null)
+            {
+                return List.Remove(value);
+            }
+
+            if (!_isSingleSet)
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            if (EqualityComparer<T>.Default.Equals(Single, value))
+            {
+                Single = default;
+
+                _isSingleSet = false;
+
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Styling/Styling/Selector.cs b/src/Avalonia.Styling/Styling/Selector.cs
index af209ea970..7d4e92baeb 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Styling/Styling/Selector.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Styling/Styling/Selector.cs
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Diagnostics;
+using Avalonia.Utilities;
 
 namespace Avalonia.Styling
 {
@@ -41,7 +43,8 @@ namespace Avalonia.Styling
         /// <returns>A <see cref="SelectorMatch"/>.</returns>
         public SelectorMatch Match(IStyleable control, bool subscribe = true)
         {
-            var inputs = new List<IObservable<bool>>();
+            ValueSingleOrList<IObservable<bool>> inputs = default;
+
             var selector = this;
             var alwaysThisType = true;
             var hitCombinator = false;
@@ -66,19 +69,25 @@ namespace Avalonia.Styling
                 }
                 else if (match.Result == SelectorMatchResult.Sometimes)
                 {
+                    Debug.Assert(match.Activator != null);
+
                     inputs.Add(match.Activator);
                 }
 
                 selector = selector.MovePrevious();
             }
 
-            if (inputs.Count > 0)
+            if (inputs.HasList)
+            {
+                return new SelectorMatch(StyleActivator.And(inputs.List));
+            }
+            else if (inputs.IsSingle)
             {
-                return new SelectorMatch(StyleActivator.And(inputs));
+                return new SelectorMatch(inputs.Single);
             }
             else
             {
-                return alwaysThisType && !hitCombinator ? 
+                return alwaysThisType && !hitCombinator ?
                     SelectorMatch.AlwaysThisType :
                     SelectorMatch.AlwaysThisInstance;
             }
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Benchmarks/Styling/SelectorBenchmark.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Benchmarks/Styling/SelectorBenchmark.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0ac96c1103
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Benchmarks/Styling/SelectorBenchmark.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+using Avalonia.Controls;
+using Avalonia.Styling;
+using BenchmarkDotNet.Attributes;
+
+namespace Avalonia.Benchmarks.Styling
+{
+    [MemoryDiagnoser]
+    public class SelectorBenchmark
+    {
+        private readonly Control _notMatchingControl;
+        private readonly Calendar _matchingControl;
+        private readonly Selector _isCalendarSelector;
+        private readonly Selector _classSelector;
+
+        public SelectorBenchmark()
+        {
+            _notMatchingControl = new Control();
+            _matchingControl = new Calendar();
+
+            const string className = "selector-class";
+
+            _matchingControl.Classes.Add(className);
+
+            _isCalendarSelector = Selectors.Is<Calendar>(null);
+            _classSelector = Selectors.Class(null, className);
+        }
+
+        [Benchmark]
+        public SelectorMatch IsSelector_NoMatch()
+        {
+            return _isCalendarSelector.Match(_notMatchingControl);
+        }
+
+        [Benchmark]
+        public SelectorMatch IsSelector_Match()
+        {
+            return _isCalendarSelector.Match(_matchingControl);
+        }
+
+        [Benchmark]
+        public SelectorMatch ClassSelector_NoMatch()
+        {
+            return _classSelector.Match(_notMatchingControl);
+        }
+
+        [Benchmark]
+        public SelectorMatch ClassSelector_Match()
+        {
+            return _classSelector.Match(_matchingControl);
+        }
+    }
+}