diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2019-10-10-19-20-24.bpo-38436.LfVbc-.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2019-10-10-19-20-24.bpo-38436.LfVbc-.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..de7aa3fa4443ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core and Builtins/2019-10-10-19-20-24.bpo-38436.LfVbc-.rst	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Improved the performance of repeated/literal :class:`list` addition.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Python/ceval.c b/Python/ceval.c
index a7d2ea80069a06..453c5367279774 100644
--- a/Python/ceval.c
+++ b/Python/ceval.c
@@ -1551,6 +1551,11 @@ _PyEval_EvalFrameDefault(PyFrameObject *f, int throwflag)
                 sum = unicode_concatenate(tstate, left, right, f, next_instr);
                 /* unicode_concatenate consumed the ref to left */
             }
+            else if (PyList_CheckExact(left) && PyList_CheckExact(right)
+                     && Py_REFCNT(left) == 1) {
+                sum = PySequence_InPlaceConcat(left, right);
+                Py_DECREF(left);
+            }
             else {
                 sum = PyNumber_Add(left, right);
                 Py_DECREF(left);