diff --git a/src/miner.cpp b/src/miner.cpp
index 176bc77b7..facf2b0c2 100644
--- a/src/miner.cpp
+++ b/src/miner.cpp
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ void BlockAssembler::resetBlock()
 
 std::unique_ptr<CBlockTemplate> BlockAssembler::CreateNewBlock(const CScript& scriptPubKeyIn)
 {
+    int64_t nTimeStart = GetTimeMicros();
+
     resetBlock();
 
     pblocktemplate.reset(new CBlockTemplate());
@@ -141,7 +143,12 @@ std::unique_ptr<CBlockTemplate> BlockAssembler::CreateNewBlock(const CScript& sc
                        : pblock->GetBlockTime();
 
     addPriorityTxs();
-    addPackageTxs();
+
+    int nPackagesSelected = 0;
+    int nDescendantsUpdated = 0;
+    addPackageTxs(nPackagesSelected, nDescendantsUpdated);
+
+    int64_t nTime1 = GetTimeMicros();
 
     nLastBlockTx = nBlockTx;
     nLastBlockSize = nBlockSize;
@@ -181,6 +188,9 @@ std::unique_ptr<CBlockTemplate> BlockAssembler::CreateNewBlock(const CScript& sc
     if (!TestBlockValidity(state, chainparams, *pblock, pindexPrev, false, false)) {
         throw std::runtime_error(strprintf("%s: TestBlockValidity failed: %s", __func__, FormatStateMessage(state)));
     }
+    int64_t nTime2 = GetTimeMicros();
+
+    LogPrint("bench", "CreateNewBlock() packages: %.2fms (%d packages, %d updated descendants), validity: %.2fms (total %.2fms)\n", 0.001 * (nTime1 - nTimeStart), nPackagesSelected, nDescendantsUpdated, 0.001 * (nTime2 - nTime1), 0.001 * (nTime2 - nTimeStart));
 
     return std::move(pblocktemplate);
 }
@@ -292,9 +302,10 @@ void BlockAssembler::AddToBlock(CTxMemPool::txiter iter)
     }
 }
 
-void BlockAssembler::UpdatePackagesForAdded(const CTxMemPool::setEntries& alreadyAdded,
+int BlockAssembler::UpdatePackagesForAdded(const CTxMemPool::setEntries& alreadyAdded,
         indexed_modified_transaction_set &mapModifiedTx)
 {
+    int nDescendantsUpdated = 0;
     BOOST_FOREACH(const CTxMemPool::txiter it, alreadyAdded) {
         CTxMemPool::setEntries descendants;
         mempool.CalculateDescendants(it, descendants);
@@ -302,6 +313,7 @@ void BlockAssembler::UpdatePackagesForAdded(const CTxMemPool::setEntries& alread
         BOOST_FOREACH(CTxMemPool::txiter desc, descendants) {
             if (alreadyAdded.count(desc))
                 continue;
+            ++nDescendantsUpdated;
             modtxiter mit = mapModifiedTx.find(desc);
             if (mit == mapModifiedTx.end()) {
                 CTxMemPoolModifiedEntry modEntry(desc);
@@ -314,6 +326,7 @@ void BlockAssembler::UpdatePackagesForAdded(const CTxMemPool::setEntries& alread
             }
         }
     }
+    return nDescendantsUpdated;
 }
 
 // Skip entries in mapTx that are already in a block or are present
@@ -354,7 +367,7 @@ void BlockAssembler::SortForBlock(const CTxMemPool::setEntries& package, CTxMemP
 // Each time through the loop, we compare the best transaction in
 // mapModifiedTxs with the next transaction in the mempool to decide what
 // transaction package to work on next.
-void BlockAssembler::addPackageTxs()
+void BlockAssembler::addPackageTxs(int &nPackagesSelected, int &nDescendantsUpdated)
 {
     // mapModifiedTx will store sorted packages after they are modified
     // because some of their txs are already in the block
@@ -368,6 +381,13 @@ void BlockAssembler::addPackageTxs()
 
     CTxMemPool::indexed_transaction_set::index<ancestor_score>::type::iterator mi = mempool.mapTx.get<ancestor_score>().begin();
     CTxMemPool::txiter iter;
+
+    // Limit the number of attempts to add transactions to the block when it is
+    // close to full; this is just a simple heuristic to finish quickly if the
+    // mempool has a lot of entries.
+    const int64_t MAX_CONSECUTIVE_FAILURES = 1000;
+    int64_t nConsecutiveFailed = 0;
+
     while (mi != mempool.mapTx.get<ancestor_score>().end() || !mapModifiedTx.empty())
     {
         // First try to find a new transaction in mapTx to evaluate.
@@ -429,6 +449,14 @@ void BlockAssembler::addPackageTxs()
                 mapModifiedTx.get<ancestor_score>().erase(modit);
                 failedTx.insert(iter);
             }
+
+            ++nConsecutiveFailed;
+
+            if (nConsecutiveFailed > MAX_CONSECUTIVE_FAILURES && nBlockWeight >
+                    nBlockMaxWeight - 4000) {
+                // Give up if we're close to full and haven't succeeded in a while
+                break;
+            }
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -449,6 +477,9 @@ void BlockAssembler::addPackageTxs()
             continue;
         }
 
+        // This transaction will make it in; reset the failed counter.
+        nConsecutiveFailed = 0;
+
         // Package can be added. Sort the entries in a valid order.
         std::vector<CTxMemPool::txiter> sortedEntries;
         SortForBlock(ancestors, iter, sortedEntries);
@@ -459,8 +490,10 @@ void BlockAssembler::addPackageTxs()
             mapModifiedTx.erase(sortedEntries[i]);
         }
 
+        ++nPackagesSelected;
+
         // Update transactions that depend on each of these
-        UpdatePackagesForAdded(ancestors, mapModifiedTx);
+        nDescendantsUpdated += UpdatePackagesForAdded(ancestors, mapModifiedTx);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/miner.h b/src/miner.h
index 4b6915d29..5934492c7 100644
--- a/src/miner.h
+++ b/src/miner.h
@@ -174,8 +174,10 @@ private:
     // Methods for how to add transactions to a block.
     /** Add transactions based on tx "priority" */
     void addPriorityTxs();
-    /** Add transactions based on feerate including unconfirmed ancestors */
-    void addPackageTxs();
+    /** Add transactions based on feerate including unconfirmed ancestors
+      * Increments nPackagesSelected / nDescendantsUpdated with corresponding
+      * statistics from the package selection (for logging statistics). */
+    void addPackageTxs(int &nPackagesSelected, int &nDescendantsUpdated);
 
     // helper function for addPriorityTxs
     /** Test if tx will still "fit" in the block */
@@ -199,8 +201,9 @@ private:
     /** Sort the package in an order that is valid to appear in a block */
     void SortForBlock(const CTxMemPool::setEntries& package, CTxMemPool::txiter entry, std::vector<CTxMemPool::txiter>& sortedEntries);
     /** Add descendants of given transactions to mapModifiedTx with ancestor
-      * state updated assuming given transactions are inBlock. */
-    void UpdatePackagesForAdded(const CTxMemPool::setEntries& alreadyAdded, indexed_modified_transaction_set &mapModifiedTx);
+      * state updated assuming given transactions are inBlock. Returns number
+      * of updated descendants. */
+    int UpdatePackagesForAdded(const CTxMemPool::setEntries& alreadyAdded, indexed_modified_transaction_set &mapModifiedTx);
 };
 
 /** Modify the extranonce in a block */