diff --git a/lib/events.js b/lib/events.js
index 7e19491e9f5..45577c8c602 100644
--- a/lib/events.js
+++ b/lib/events.js
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 // OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE
 // USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 
-var isArray = Array.isArray;
 var domain;
 
 exports.usingDomains = false;
@@ -33,7 +32,7 @@ function EventEmitter() {
       this.domain = domain.active;
     }
   }
-  this._events = this._events || null;
+  this._events = this._events || {};
   this._maxListeners = this._maxListeners || defaultMaxListeners;
 }
 exports.EventEmitter = EventEmitter;
@@ -57,8 +56,9 @@ var PROCESS;
 EventEmitter.prototype.emit = function(type) {
   // If there is no 'error' event listener then throw.
   if (type === 'error') {
-    if (!this._events || !this._events.error ||
-        (isArray(this._events.error) && !this._events.error.length)) {
+    if (!this._events.error ||
+        (typeof this._events.error === 'object' &&
+         !this._events.error.length)) {
       if (this.domain) {
         var er = arguments[1];
         er.domainEmitter = this;
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.emit = function(type) {
     }
   }
 
-  if (!this._events) return false;
   var handler = this._events[type];
   if (!handler) return false;
 
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.emit = function(type) {
     }
     return true;
 
-  } else if (isArray(handler)) {
+  } else if (typeof handler === 'object') {
     if (this.domain) {
       PROCESS = PROCESS || process;
       if (this !== PROCESS) {
@@ -153,7 +152,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.addListener = function(type, listener) {
   if (!this._events[type]) {
     // Optimize the case of one listener. Don't need the extra array object.
     this._events[type] = listener;
-  } else if (isArray(this._events[type])) {
+  } else if (typeof this._events[type] === 'object') {
 
     // If we've already got an array, just append.
     this._events[type].push(listener);
@@ -165,7 +164,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.addListener = function(type, listener) {
   }
 
   // Check for listener leak
-  if (isArray(this._events[type]) && !this._events[type].warned) {
+  if (typeof this._events[type] === 'object' && !this._events[type].warned) {
     var m;
     m = this._maxListeners;
 
@@ -219,11 +218,11 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.removeListener = function(type, listener) {
 
   if (list === listener ||
       (typeof list.listener === 'function' && list.listener === listener)) {
-    this._events[type] = null;
+    this._events[type] = undefined;
     if (this._events.removeListener)
       this.emit('removeListener', type, listener);
 
-  } else if (isArray(list)) {
+  } else if (typeof list === 'object') {
     for (i = 0; i < length; i++) {
       if (list[i] === listener ||
           (list[i].listener && list[i].listener === listener)) {
@@ -237,7 +236,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.removeListener = function(type, listener) {
 
     if (list.length === 1) {
       list.length = 0;
-      this._events[type] = null;
+      this._events[type] = undefined;
     } else {
       list.splice(position, 1);
     }
@@ -261,9 +260,9 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.removeAllListeners = function(type) {
   // not listening for removeListener, no need to emit
   if (!this._events.removeListener) {
     if (arguments.length === 0)
-      this._events = null;
+      this._events = {};
     else if (this._events[type])
-      this._events[type] = null;
+      this._events[type] = undefined;
     return this;
   }
 
@@ -274,7 +273,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.removeAllListeners = function(type) {
       this.removeAllListeners(key);
     }
     this.removeAllListeners('removeListener');
-    this._events = null;
+    this._events = {};
     return this;
   }
 
@@ -287,7 +286,7 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.removeAllListeners = function(type) {
     while (listeners.length)
       this.removeListener(type, listeners[listeners.length - 1]);
   }
-  this._events[type] = null;
+  this._events[type] = undefined;
 
   return this;
 };
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 847ebaffb26..25354e9d84d 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -2477,6 +2477,9 @@ Handle<Object> SetupProcessObject(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                                     3);
   process->Set(String::NewSymbol("_tickInfoBox"), info_box);
 
+  // pre-set _events object for faster emit checks
+  process->Set(String::NewSymbol("_events"), Object::New());
+
   return process;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/simple/test-event-emitter-listeners-side-effects.js b/test/simple/test-event-emitter-listeners-side-effects.js
index 92a5bef97c0..c6218e0598a 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-event-emitter-listeners-side-effects.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-event-emitter-listeners-side-effects.js
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ var fl;  // foo listeners
 fl = e.listeners('foo');
 assert(Array.isArray(fl));
 assert(fl.length === 0);
-assert.equal(e._events, null);
+assert.deepEqual(e._events, {});
 
 e.on('foo', assert.fail);
 fl = e.listeners('foo');
diff --git a/test/simple/test-event-emitter-set-max-listeners-side-effects.js b/test/simple/test-event-emitter-set-max-listeners-side-effects.js
index a50479784ad..604129796ea 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-event-emitter-set-max-listeners-side-effects.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-event-emitter-set-max-listeners-side-effects.js
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@ var events = require('events');
 
 var e = new events.EventEmitter;
 
-assert.strictEqual(e._events, null);
+assert.deepEqual(e._events, {});
 e.setMaxListeners(5);
-assert.strictEqual(e._events, null);
+assert.deepEqual(e._events, {});