diff --git a/src/job.rs b/src/job.rs
index 0d63717..6bd39f5 100644
--- a/src/job.rs
+++ b/src/job.rs
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ unsafe impl Send for Job {}
 pub struct JobQueue {
     sentinel: NonNull<Job>,
     tail: NonNull<Job>,
+    len: u32,
 }
 
 impl Default for JobQueue {
@@ -248,6 +249,7 @@ impl Default for JobQueue {
         Self {
             sentinel: root,
             tail: root,
+            len: 0,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -263,6 +265,10 @@ impl Drop for JobQueue {
 }
 
 impl JobQueue {
+    pub fn len(&self) -> u32 {
+        self.len
+    }
+
     /// Any `Job` pushed onto the queue should alive at least until it gets
     /// popped.
     pub unsafe fn push_back<T>(&mut self, job: &Job<T>) {
@@ -282,6 +288,8 @@ impl JobQueue {
             .set(Some(NonNull::from(next_tail).cast()));
         next_tail.prev.set(Some(current_tail.into()));
 
+        self.len += 1;
+
         self.tail = next_tail.into();
     }
 
@@ -301,6 +309,8 @@ impl JobQueue {
             current_tail.prev.set(None);
             prev_tail.fut_or_next.set(None);
 
+            self.len -= 1;
+
             self.tail = prev_tail.into();
         }
     }
@@ -344,6 +354,8 @@ impl JobQueue {
             head.fut_or_next
                 .set(Some(Box::leak(Box::new(Future::default())).into()));
 
+            self.len -= 1;
+
             // `self.sentinel`'s `fut_or_next` pointer can only be set by
             // `JobQueue::push_back` or by `JobQueue::pop_front` when it's set
             // to a job that was previous set by `JobQueue::push_back` and
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 570f323..fed749d 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -276,13 +276,34 @@ impl<'s> Scope<'s> {
         self.context.heartbeats[self.worker_index].store(false, Ordering::Relaxed);
     }
 
-    fn join_inner<A, B, RA, RB>(&mut self, a: A, b: B) -> (RA, RB)
+    fn join_seq<A, B, RA, RB>(&mut self, a: A, b: B) -> (RA, RB)
     where
         A: FnOnce(&mut Scope<'_>) -> RA + Send,
         B: FnOnce(&mut Scope<'_>) -> RB + Send,
         RA: Send,
         RB: Send,
     {
+        let rb = b(self);
+        let ra = a(self);
+
+        (ra, rb)
+    }
+
+    fn join_heartbeat<A, B, RA, RB>(&mut self, a: A, b: B) -> (RA, RB)
+    where
+        A: FnOnce(&mut Scope<'_>) -> RA + Send,
+        B: FnOnce(&mut Scope<'_>) -> RB + Send,
+        RA: Send,
+        RB: Send,
+    {
+        let a = move |scope: &mut Scope<'_>| {
+            if scope.context.heartbeats[scope.worker_index].load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+                scope.heartbeat();
+            }
+
+            a(scope)
+        };
+
         let stack = JobStack::new(a);
         let job = Job::new(&stack);
 
@@ -346,7 +367,7 @@ impl<'s> Scope<'s> {
         RA: Send,
         RB: Send,
     {
-        self.join_with_heartbeat_every::<16, _, _, _, _>(a, b)
+        self.join_with_heartbeat_every::<64, _, _, _, _>(a, b)
     }
 
     /// Runs `a` and `b` potentially in parallel on separate threads and
@@ -383,18 +404,10 @@ impl<'s> Scope<'s> {
     {
         self.join_count = self.join_count.wrapping_add(1) % TIMES;
 
-        if self.join_count == 0 {
-            let a = move |scope: &mut Scope<'_>| {
-                if scope.context.heartbeats[scope.worker_index].load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
-                    scope.heartbeat();
-                }
-
-                a(scope)
-            };
-
-            self.join_inner(a, b)
+        if self.join_count == 0 || self.job_queue.len() < 3 {
+            self.join_heartbeat(a, b)
         } else {
-            self.join_inner(a, b)
+            self.join_seq(a, b)
         }
     }
 }
@@ -613,7 +626,7 @@ mod tests {
                 _ => {
                     let (head, tail) = slice.split_at_mut(1);
 
-                    s.join(
+                    s.join_with_heartbeat_every::<1, _, _, _, _>(
                         |_| {
                             thread::sleep(Duration::from_micros(10));
                             head[0] += 1;