diff --git a/lib/elixir/lib/module/types/descr.ex b/lib/elixir/lib/module/types/descr.ex
index adc17fa9e32..81a5ee79909 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/lib/module/types/descr.ex
+++ b/lib/elixir/lib/module/types/descr.ex
@@ -1278,8 +1278,130 @@ defmodule Module.Types.Descr do
 
   defp map_only?(descr), do: empty?(Map.delete(descr, :map))
 
-  # Union is list concatenation
-  defp map_union(dnf1, dnf2), do: dnf1 ++ (dnf2 -- dnf1)
+  defp map_union(dnf1, dnf2) do
+    # Union is just concatenation, but we rely on some optimization strategies to
+    # avoid the list to grow when possible
+
+    # first pass trying to identify patterns where two maps can be fused as one
+    with [{tag1, pos1, []}] <- dnf1,
+         [{tag2, pos2, []}] <- dnf2,
+         strategy when strategy != nil <- map_union_optimization_strategy(tag1, pos1, tag2, pos2) do
+      case strategy do
+        :all_equal ->
+          dnf1
+
+        :any_map ->
+          [{:open, %{}, []}]
+
+        {:one_key_difference, key, v1, v2} ->
+          new_pos = Map.put(pos1, key, union(v1, v2))
+          [{tag1, new_pos, []}]
+
+        :left_subtype_of_right ->
+          dnf2
+
+        :right_subtype_of_left ->
+          dnf1
+      end
+    else
+      # otherwise we just concatenate and remove structural duplicates
+      _ -> dnf1 ++ (dnf2 -- dnf1)
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp map_union_optimization_strategy(tag1, pos1, tag2, pos2)
+  defp map_union_optimization_strategy(tag, pos, tag, pos), do: :all_equal
+  defp map_union_optimization_strategy(:open, empty, _, _) when empty == %{}, do: :any_map
+  defp map_union_optimization_strategy(_, _, :open, empty) when empty == %{}, do: :any_map
+
+  defp map_union_optimization_strategy(tag, pos1, tag, pos2)
+       when map_size(pos1) == map_size(pos2) do
+    :maps.iterator(pos1)
+    |> :maps.next()
+    |> do_map_union_optimization_strategy(pos2, :all_equal)
+  end
+
+  defp map_union_optimization_strategy(:open, pos1, _, pos2)
+       when map_size(pos1) <= map_size(pos2) do
+    :maps.iterator(pos1)
+    |> :maps.next()
+    |> do_map_union_optimization_strategy(pos2, :right_subtype_of_left)
+  end
+
+  defp map_union_optimization_strategy(_, pos1, :open, pos2)
+       when map_size(pos1) >= map_size(pos2) do
+    :maps.iterator(pos2)
+    |> :maps.next()
+    |> do_map_union_optimization_strategy(pos1, :right_subtype_of_left)
+    |> case do
+      :right_subtype_of_left -> :left_subtype_of_right
+      nil -> nil
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp map_union_optimization_strategy(_, _, _, _), do: nil
+
+  defp do_map_union_optimization_strategy(:none, _, status), do: status
+
+  defp do_map_union_optimization_strategy({key, v1, iterator}, pos2, status) do
+    with %{^key => v2} <- pos2,
+         next_status when next_status != nil <- map_union_next_strategy(key, v1, v2, status) do
+      do_map_union_optimization_strategy(:maps.next(iterator), pos2, next_status)
+    else
+      _ -> nil
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp map_union_next_strategy(key, v1, v2, status)
+
+  # structurally equal values do not impact the ongoing strategy
+  defp map_union_next_strategy(_key, same, same, status), do: status
+
+  defp map_union_next_strategy(key, v1, v2, :all_equal) do
+    if key != :__struct__, do: {:one_key_difference, key, v1, v2}
+  end
+
+  defp map_union_next_strategy(_key, v1, v2, {:one_key_difference, _, d1, d2}) do
+    # we have at least two key differences now, we switch strategy
+    # if both are subtypes in one direction, keep checking
+    cond do
+      trivial_subtype?(d1, d2) and trivial_subtype?(v1, v2) -> :left_subtype_of_right
+      trivial_subtype?(d2, d1) and trivial_subtype?(v2, v1) -> :right_subtype_of_left
+      true -> nil
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp map_union_next_strategy(_key, v1, v2, :left_subtype_of_right) do
+    if trivial_subtype?(v1, v2), do: :left_subtype_of_right
+  end
+
+  defp map_union_next_strategy(_key, v1, v2, :right_subtype_of_left) do
+    if trivial_subtype?(v2, v1), do: :right_subtype_of_left
+  end
+
+  # cheap to compute sub-typing
+  # a trivial subtype is always a subtype, but not all subtypes are subtypes
+  defp trivial_subtype?(_, :term), do: true
+  defp trivial_subtype?(same, same), do: true
+
+  defp trivial_subtype?(%{} = left, %{} = right)
+       when map_size(left) == 1 and map_size(right) == 1 do
+    case {left, right} do
+      {%{atom: _}, %{atom: {:negation, neg}}} when neg == %{} ->
+        true
+
+      {%{map: _}, %{map: [{:open, pos, []}]}} when pos == %{} ->
+        true
+
+      {%{bitmap: bitmap1}, %{bitmap: bitmap2}} ->
+        (bitmap1 &&& bitmap2) === bitmap2
+
+      _ ->
+        false
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp trivial_subtype?(_, _), do: false
 
   # Given two unions of maps, intersects each pair of maps.
   defp map_intersection(dnf1, dnf2) do
diff --git a/lib/elixir/test/elixir/module/types/descr_test.exs b/lib/elixir/test/elixir/module/types/descr_test.exs
index 2ffcb977869..69cd66f30d9 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/test/elixir/module/types/descr_test.exs
+++ b/lib/elixir/test/elixir/module/types/descr_test.exs
@@ -105,6 +105,47 @@ defmodule Module.Types.DescrTest do
       assert union(difference(list(term()), list(integer())), list(integer()))
              |> equal?(list(term()))
     end
+
+    test "optimizations" do
+      # The tests are checking the actual implementation, not the semantics.
+      # This is why we are using structural comparisons.
+      # It's fine to remove these if the implementation changes, but breaking
+      # these might have an important impact on compile times.
+
+      # Optimization one: same tags, all but one key are structurally equal
+      assert union(
+               open_map(a: float(), b: atom()),
+               open_map(a: integer(), b: atom())
+             ) == open_map(a: union(float(), integer()), b: atom())
+
+      assert union(
+               closed_map(a: float(), b: atom()),
+               closed_map(a: integer(), b: atom())
+             ) == closed_map(a: union(float(), integer()), b: atom())
+
+      # Optimization two: we can tell that one map is a trivial subtype of the other:
+
+      assert union(
+               closed_map(a: term(), b: term()),
+               closed_map(a: float(), b: binary())
+             ) == closed_map(a: term(), b: term())
+
+      assert union(
+               open_map(a: term()),
+               closed_map(a: float(), b: binary())
+             ) == open_map(a: term())
+
+      assert union(
+               closed_map(a: float(), b: binary()),
+               open_map(a: term())
+             ) == open_map(a: term())
+
+      #  Do we want this want to pass or keep shallow checks only?
+      # assert union(
+      #          closed_map(a: term(), b: tuple([term(), term()])),
+      #          closed_map(a: float(), b: tuple([atom(), binary()]))
+      #        ) == closed_map(a: term(), b: term())
+    end
   end
 
   describe "intersection" do