diff --git a/server/sublist.go b/server/sublist.go
index 4b98affd4a..ae5b48e1de 100644
--- a/server/sublist.go
+++ b/server/sublist.go
@@ -615,42 +615,60 @@ func matchLiteral(literal, subject string) bool {
 		if li >= ll {
 			return false
 		}
-		b := subject[i]
-		switch b {
+		// This function has been optimized for speed.
+		// For instance, do not set b:=subject[i] here since
+		// we may bump `i` in this loop to avoid `continue` or
+		// skiping common test in a particular test.
+		// Run Benchmark_SublistMatchLiteral before making any change.
+		switch subject[i] {
 		case pwc:
 			// NOTE: This is not testing validity of a subject, instead ensures
-			// that wildcards are treated as such if they follow some basic rules.
-			// For `*` it means:
-			// only character in the string
-			// or first character and followed by a `.`
-			// or last character and preceded by a `.`
-			// or preceded and followed by a `.`
-			if (i == 0 || subject[i-1] == btsep) && (i == ls-1 || subject[i+1] == btsep) {
-				// Skip token in literal
-				for {
-					if li >= ll || literal[li] == btsep {
-						li--
-						break
+			// that wildcards are treated as such if they follow some basic rules,
+			// namely that they are a token on their own.
+			if i == 0 || subject[i-1] == btsep {
+				if i == ls-1 {
+					// There is no more token in the subject after this wildcard.
+					// Skip token in literal and expect to not find a separator.
+					for {
+						// End of literal, this is a match.
+						if li >= ll {
+							return true
+						}
+						// Presence of separator, this can't be a match.
+						if literal[li] == btsep {
+							return false
+						}
+						li++
 					}
-					li++
+				} else if subject[i+1] == btsep {
+					// There is another token in the subject after this wildcard.
+					// Skip token in literal and expect to get a separator.
+					for {
+						// We found the end of the literal before finding a separator,
+						// this can't be a match.
+						if li >= ll {
+							return false
+						}
+						if literal[li] == btsep {
+							break
+						}
+						li++
+					}
+					// Bump `i` since we know there is a `.` following, we are
+					// safe. The common test below is going to check `.` with `.`
+					// which is good. A `continue` here is too costly.
+					i++
 				}
-			} else if b != literal[li] {
-				return false
 			}
 		case fwc:
-			// For `>` to be a wildcard, it means:
-			// only character in the string
-			// or last character preceded by `.`
+			// For `>` to be a wildcard, it means being the only or last character
+			// in the string preceded by a `.`
 			if (i == 0 || subject[i-1] == btsep) && i == ls-1 {
 				return true
 			}
-			if b != literal[li] {
-				return false
-			}
-		default:
-			if b != literal[li] {
-				return false
-			}
+		}
+		if subject[i] != literal[li] {
+			return false
 		}
 		li++
 	}
diff --git a/server/sublist_test.go b/server/sublist_test.go
index 4d004172d5..a5229133f5 100644
--- a/server/sublist_test.go
+++ b/server/sublist_test.go
@@ -428,18 +428,20 @@ func TestSublistMatchLiterals(t *testing.T) {
 	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo.bar", "foo"), false, t)
 	checkBool(matchLiteral("stats.test.foos", "stats.test.foos"), true, t)
 	checkBool(matchLiteral("stats.test.foos", "stats.test.foo"), false, t)
+	checkBool(matchLiteral("stats.test", "stats.test.*"), false, t)
+	checkBool(matchLiteral("stats.test.foos", "stats.*"), false, t)
+	checkBool(matchLiteral("stats.test.foos", "stats.*.*.foos"), false, t)
 
 	// These are cases where wildcards characters should not be considered
 	// wildcards since they do not follow the rules of wildcards.
-	checkBool(matchLiteral("*bar", "*.*"), false, t)
-	checkBool(matchLiteral("*bar", "*.>"), false, t)
-	checkBool(matchLiteral("*bar", "*bar"), true, t) // match literally
-	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo*", "foo.*"), false, t)
-	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo*", "foo.>"), false, t)
-	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo*", "foo*"), true, t) // match literally
-	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo*bar", "foo.*.bar"), false, t)
-	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo*bar", "foo.>"), false, t)
-	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo*bar", "foo*bar"), true, t) // match literally
+	checkBool(matchLiteral("*bar", "*bar"), true, t)
+	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo*", "foo*"), true, t)
+	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo*bar", "foo*bar"), true, t)
+	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo.***.bar", "foo.***.bar"), true, t)
+	checkBool(matchLiteral(">bar", ">bar"), true, t)
+	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo>", "foo>"), true, t)
+	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo>bar", "foo>bar"), true, t)
+	checkBool(matchLiteral("foo.>>>.bar", "foo.>>>.bar"), true, t)
 }
 
 func TestSublistBadSubjectOnRemove(t *testing.T) {