diff --git a/bin/ed b/bin/ed
index 91c7a01c..392b852b 100755
--- a/bin/ed
+++ b/bin/ed
@@ -1111,29 +1111,13 @@ sub edSearchForward {
 
 sub edSearchBackward {
     my($pattern) = @_;
-    my($line,$start);
 
-    # brute force search...
-
-    $start = $CurrentLineNum > 1 ? $CurrentLineNum - 1 : maxline();
-
-    $line = $start;
-
-    while ($line > 0) {
+    my @idx = ($CurrentLineNum .. maxline(), 1 .. ($CurrentLineNum - 1));
+    foreach my $line (reverse @idx) {
         if ($lines[$line] =~ /$pattern/) {
             return $line;
         }
-        $line--;
     }
-
-    $line = maxline();
-    while ($line >= $CurrentLineNum) {
-        if ($lines[$line] =~ /$pattern/) {
-            return $line;
-        }
-        $line--;
-    }
-
     return 0;
 }