diff --git a/gtk/gtktextbuffer.c b/gtk/gtktextbuffer.c
index 33d9b4a8c4..4be7731d52 100644
--- a/gtk/gtktextbuffer.c
+++ b/gtk/gtktextbuffer.c
@@ -1837,7 +1837,7 @@ gtk_text_buffer_insert_with_tags (GtkTextBuffer *buffer,
   g_return_if_fail (iter != NULL);
   g_return_if_fail (text != NULL);
   g_return_if_fail (gtk_text_iter_get_buffer (iter) == buffer);
-  
+
   start_offset = gtk_text_iter_get_offset (iter);
 
   gtk_text_buffer_insert (buffer, iter, text, len);
@@ -1859,6 +1859,28 @@ gtk_text_buffer_insert_with_tags (GtkTextBuffer *buffer,
   va_end (args);
 }
 
+static void
+gtk_text_buffer_insert_with_tagsv (GtkTextBuffer  *buffer,
+                                   GtkTextIter    *iter,
+                                   const char     *text,
+                                   int             len,
+                                   GtkTextTag    **tags,
+                                   int             n_tags)
+{
+  int start_offset;
+  GtkTextIter start;
+  int i;
+
+  start_offset = gtk_text_iter_get_offset (iter);
+
+  gtk_text_buffer_insert (buffer, iter, text, len);
+
+  gtk_text_buffer_get_iter_at_offset (buffer, &start, start_offset);
+
+  for (i = 0; i < n_tags; i++)
+    gtk_text_buffer_apply_tag (buffer, tags[i], &start, iter);
+}
+
 /**
  * gtk_text_buffer_insert_with_tags_by_name:
  * @buffer: a #GtkTextBuffer
@@ -4379,161 +4401,150 @@ _gtk_text_buffer_spew (GtkTextBuffer *buffer)
   _gtk_text_btree_spew (get_btree (buffer));
 }
 
-static GtkTextTag *
-get_tag_for_attributes (PangoAttrIterator *iter)
+static void
+get_tags_for_attributes (PangoAttrIterator *iter,
+                         GtkTextTagTable   *table,
+                         GPtrArray         *tags)
 {
   PangoAttribute *attr;
   GtkTextTag *tag;
+  char name[256];
 
-  tag = gtk_text_tag_new (NULL);
 
+#define STRING_ATTR(pango_attr_name, attr_name) \
+  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, pango_attr_name); \
+  if (attr) \
+    { \
+      const char *string = ((PangoAttrString*)attr)->value; \
+      g_snprintf (name, 256, "%s=%s", #attr_name, string); \
+      tag = gtk_text_tag_table_lookup (table, name); \
+      if (!tag) \
+        { \
+          tag = gtk_text_tag_new (name); \
+          g_object_set (tag, #attr_name, string, NULL); \
+          gtk_text_tag_table_add (table, tag); \
+          g_object_unref (tag); \
+        } \
+      g_ptr_array_add (tags, tag); \
+    }
+
+#define INT_ATTR(pango_attr_name, attr_name) \
+  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, pango_attr_name); \
+  if (attr) \
+    { \
+      int value = ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value; \
+      g_snprintf (name, 256, "%s=%d", #attr_name, value); \
+      tag = gtk_text_tag_table_lookup (table, name); \
+      if (!tag) \
+        { \
+          tag = gtk_text_tag_new (name); \
+          g_object_set (tag, #attr_name, value, NULL); \
+          gtk_text_tag_table_add (table, tag); \
+          g_object_unref (tag); \
+        } \
+      g_ptr_array_add (tags, tag); \
+    }
+
+#define FLOAT_ATTR(pango_attr_name, attr_name) \
+  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, pango_attr_name); \
+  if (attr) \
+    { \
+      float value = ((PangoAttrFloat*)attr)->value; \
+      g_snprintf (name, 256, "%s=%g", #attr_name, value); \
+      tag = gtk_text_tag_table_lookup (table, name); \
+      if (!tag) \
+        { \
+          tag = gtk_text_tag_new (name); \
+          g_object_set (tag, #attr_name, value, NULL); \
+          gtk_text_tag_table_add (table, tag); \
+          g_object_unref (tag); \
+        } \
+      g_ptr_array_add (tags, tag); \
+    }
+
+#define RGBA_ATTR(pango_attr_name, attr_name) \
+  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, pango_attr_name); \
+  if (attr) \
+    { \
+      PangoColor *color; \
+      GdkRGBA rgba; \
+      color = &((PangoAttrColor*)attr)->color; \
+      rgba.red = color->red / 65535.; \
+      rgba.green = color->green / 65535.; \
+      rgba.blue = color->blue / 65535.; \
+      rgba.alpha = 1.; \
+      char *str = gdk_rgba_to_string (&rgba); \
+      g_snprintf (name, 256, "%s=%s", #attr_name, str); \
+      g_free (str); \
+      tag = gtk_text_tag_table_lookup (table, name); \
+      if (!tag) \
+        { \
+          tag = gtk_text_tag_new (name); \
+          g_object_set (tag, #attr_name, &rgba, NULL); \
+          gtk_text_tag_table_add (table, tag); \
+          g_object_unref (tag); \
+        } \
+      g_ptr_array_add (tags, tag); \
+    }
+
+  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_BACKGROUND);
   attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_LANGUAGE);
   if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "language", pango_language_to_string (((PangoAttrLanguage*)attr)->value), NULL);
+    {
+      const char *language = pango_language_to_string (((PangoAttrLanguage*)attr)->value);
+      g_snprintf (name, 256, "language=%s", language);
+      tag = gtk_text_tag_table_lookup (table, name);
+      if (!tag)
+        {
+          tag = gtk_text_tag_new (name);
+          g_object_set (tag, "language", language, NULL);
+          gtk_text_tag_table_add (table, tag);
+          g_object_unref (tag);
+        }
+      g_ptr_array_add (tags, tag);
+    }
 
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_FAMILY);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "family", ((PangoAttrString*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_STYLE);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "style", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_WEIGHT);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "weight", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_VARIANT);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "variant", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_STRETCH);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "stretch", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_SIZE);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "size", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
+  STRING_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_FAMILY, family)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_STYLE, style)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_WEIGHT, weight)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_VARIANT, variant)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_STRETCH, stretch)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_SIZE, size)
 
   attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_FONT_DESC);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "font-desc", ((PangoAttrFontDesc*)attr)->desc, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_FOREGROUND);
   if (attr)
     {
-      PangoColor *color;
-      GdkRGBA rgba;
-     
-      color = &((PangoAttrColor*)attr)->color;
-      rgba.red = color->red / 65535.;
-      rgba.green = color->green / 65535.;
-      rgba.blue = color->blue / 65535.;
-      rgba.alpha = 1.;
-      g_object_set (tag, "foreground-rgba", &rgba, NULL);
-    };
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_BACKGROUND);
-  if (attr)
-    {
-      PangoColor *color;
-      GdkRGBA rgba;
-     
-      color = &((PangoAttrColor*)attr)->color;
-      rgba.red = color->red / 65535.;
-      rgba.green = color->green / 65535.;
-      rgba.blue = color->blue / 65535.;
-      rgba.alpha = 1.;
-      g_object_set (tag, "background-rgba", &rgba, NULL);
-    };
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_UNDERLINE);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "underline", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_UNDERLINE_COLOR);
-  if (attr)
-    {
-      PangoColor *color;
-      GdkRGBA rgba;
-
-      color = &((PangoAttrColor*)attr)->color;
-      rgba.red = color->red / 65535.;
-      rgba.green = color->green / 65535.;
-      rgba.blue = color->blue / 65535.;
-      rgba.alpha = 1.;
-      g_object_set (tag, "underline-rgba", &rgba, NULL);
+      PangoFontDescription *desc = ((PangoAttrFontDesc*)attr)->desc;
+      char *str = pango_font_description_to_string (desc);
+      g_snprintf (name, 256, "font-desc=%s", str);
+      g_free (str);
+      tag = gtk_text_tag_table_lookup (table, name);
+      if (!tag)
+        {
+          tag = gtk_text_tag_new (name);
+          g_object_set (tag, "font-desc", desc, NULL);
+          gtk_text_tag_table_add (table, tag);
+          g_object_unref (tag);
+        }
+      g_ptr_array_add (tags, tag);
     }
 
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_OVERLINE);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "overline", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_OVERLINE_COLOR);
-  if (attr)
-    {
-      PangoColor *color;
-      GdkRGBA rgba;
-
-      color = &((PangoAttrColor*)attr)->color;
-      rgba.red = color->red / 65535.;
-      rgba.green = color->green / 65535.;
-      rgba.blue = color->blue / 65535.;
-      rgba.alpha = 1.;
-      g_object_set (tag, "overline-rgba", &rgba, NULL);
-    }
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_STRIKETHROUGH);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "strikethrough", (gboolean) (((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value != 0), NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_STRIKETHROUGH_COLOR);
-  if (attr)
-    {
-      PangoColor *color;
-      GdkRGBA rgba;
-
-      color = &((PangoAttrColor*)attr)->color;
-      rgba.red = color->red / 65535.;
-      rgba.green = color->green / 65535.;
-      rgba.blue = color->blue / 65535.;
-      rgba.alpha = 1.;
-      g_object_set (tag, "strikethrough-rgba", &rgba, NULL);
-    }
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_RISE);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "rise", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_SCALE);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "scale", ((PangoAttrFloat*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_FALLBACK);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "fallback", (gboolean) (((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value != 0), NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_LETTER_SPACING);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "letter-spacing", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_FONT_FEATURES);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "font-features", ((PangoAttrString*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_ALLOW_BREAKS);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "allow-breaks", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_SHOW);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "show-spaces", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  attr = pango_attr_iterator_get (iter, PANGO_ATTR_INSERT_HYPHENS);
-  if (attr)
-    g_object_set (tag, "insert-hyphens", ((PangoAttrInt*)attr)->value, NULL);
-
-  return tag;
+  RGBA_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_FOREGROUND, foreground_rgba)
+  RGBA_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_BACKGROUND, background_rgba)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_UNDERLINE, underline)
+  RGBA_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_UNDERLINE_COLOR, underline_rgba)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_OVERLINE, overline)
+  RGBA_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_OVERLINE_COLOR, overline_rgba)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_STRIKETHROUGH, strikethrough)
+  RGBA_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_STRIKETHROUGH_COLOR, strikethrough_rgba)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_RISE, rise)
+  FLOAT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_SCALE, scale)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_FALLBACK, fallback)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_LETTER_SPACING, letter_spacing)
+  STRING_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_FONT_FEATURES, font_features)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_ALLOW_BREAKS, allow_breaks)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_SHOW, show_spaces)
+  INT_ATTR(PANGO_ATTR_INSERT_HYPHENS, insert_hyphens)
 }
 
 static void
@@ -4544,7 +4555,8 @@ gtk_text_buffer_insert_with_attributes (GtkTextBuffer *buffer,
 {
   GtkTextMark *mark;
   PangoAttrIterator *attr;
-  GtkTextTagTable *tags;
+  GtkTextTagTable *table;
+  GPtrArray *tags;
 
   g_return_if_fail (GTK_IS_TEXT_BUFFER (buffer));
 
@@ -4557,11 +4569,11 @@ gtk_text_buffer_insert_with_attributes (GtkTextBuffer *buffer,
   /* create mark with right gravity */
   mark = gtk_text_buffer_create_mark (buffer, NULL, iter, FALSE);
   attr = pango_attr_list_get_iterator (attributes);
-  tags = gtk_text_buffer_get_tag_table (buffer);
+  table = gtk_text_buffer_get_tag_table (buffer);
+  tags = g_ptr_array_new ();
 
   do
     {
-      GtkTextTag *tag;
       int start, end;
 
       pango_attr_iterator_range (attr, &start, &end);
@@ -4569,20 +4581,24 @@ gtk_text_buffer_insert_with_attributes (GtkTextBuffer *buffer,
       if (end == G_MAXINT) /* last chunk */
         end = start - 1; /* resulting in -1 to be passed to _insert */
 
-      tag = get_tag_for_attributes (attr);
-      gtk_text_tag_table_add (tags, tag);
+      get_tags_for_attributes (attr, table, tags);
 
-      gtk_text_buffer_insert_with_tags (buffer, iter, text + start, end - start, tag, NULL);
+      gtk_text_buffer_insert_with_tagsv (buffer,
+                                         iter,
+                                         text + start, end - start,
+                                         (GtkTextTag **)tags->pdata, tags->len);
+
+      g_ptr_array_set_size (tags, 0);
 
       gtk_text_buffer_get_iter_at_mark (buffer, iter, mark);
-
-       g_object_unref (tag);
     }
   while (pango_attr_iterator_next (attr));
-  
+
+  g_ptr_array_unref (tags);
+
   gtk_text_buffer_delete_mark (buffer, mark);
   pango_attr_iterator_destroy (attr);
-} 
+}
 
 /**
  * gtk_text_buffer_insert_markup:
@@ -4616,8 +4632,9 @@ gtk_text_buffer_insert_markup (GtkTextBuffer *buffer,
 
   gtk_text_buffer_insert_with_attributes (buffer, iter, text, attributes);
 
+  g_print ("created %d tags\n", gtk_text_tag_table_get_size (gtk_text_buffer_get_tag_table (buffer)));
   pango_attr_list_unref (attributes);
-  g_free (text); 
+  g_free (text);
 }
 
 static void