diff --git a/route.js b/route.js
index d219597..6890350 100644
--- a/route.js
+++ b/route.js
@@ -78,14 +78,6 @@ function Routing(exports) {
 	return key in this.entries;
     };
 
-    $Dict.prototype.smallerOf = function (other) {
-	return (other.length < this.length) ? other : this;
-    };
-
-    $Dict.prototype.largerOf = function (other) {
-	return (this.length < other.length) ? this : other;
-    };
-
     function is_emptyMatcher(m) {
 	return (m === emptyMatcher);
     }
@@ -333,8 +325,8 @@ function Routing(exports) {
 
 	    var w = merge(r1.get(__), r2.get(__));
 	    if (is_emptyMatcher(w)) {
-		var smaller = r1.smallerOf(r2);
-		var larger  = r1.largerOf(r2);
+		var smaller = r1.length < r2.length ? r1 : r2;
+		var larger  = r1.length < r2.length ? r2 : r1;
 		var target = larger.copy();
 		for (var key in smaller.entries) {
 		    var k = merge(smaller.get(key), larger.get(key));
@@ -430,7 +422,7 @@ function Routing(exports) {
 
 	    if (is_emptyMatcher(w1)) {
 		if (is_emptyMatcher(w2)) {
-		    for (var key in r1.smallerOf(r2).entries) examineKey(key);
+		    for (var key in (r1.length < r2.length ? r1 : r2).entries) examineKey(key);
 		} else {
 		    for (var key in r1.entries) examineKey(key);
 		}
@@ -658,7 +650,7 @@ function Routing(exports) {
 	    // Optimize similarly to intersect().
 	    if (is_emptyMatcher(w1)) {
 		if (is_emptyMatcher(w2)) {
-		    for (var key in r1.smallerOf(r2).entries) examineKey(key);
+		    for (var key in (r1.length < r2.length ? r1 : r2).entries) examineKey(key);
 		} else {
 		    for (var key in r1.entries) examineKey(key);
 		}
diff --git a/tr.js b/tr.js
index e8394da..ab3ec8f 100644
--- a/tr.js
+++ b/tr.js
@@ -126,3 +126,47 @@ dump(r.simpleGestalt(false, "A", 0, 0).union(r.simpleGestalt(true, "B", 0, 0))
 dump(r.simpleGestalt(false, "A", 0, 0).union(r.simpleGestalt(true, "B", 0, 0))
      .equals(r.simpleGestalt(false, "B", 0, 0).union(r.simpleGestalt(true, "A", 0, 0)))
      === false);
+
+
+console.log("debugging unions (1)");
+dumpM(r.union(r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['A']), [r.__, 2]),
+	      r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['C']), [1, 3]),
+	      r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['B']), [3, 4])));
+
+dumpM(r.union(r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['C']), [1, 3]),
+	      r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['B']), [3, 4])));
+
+dumpM(r.union(r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['A']), [r.__, 2]),
+	      r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['C']), [1, 3])));
+
+dumpM(r.union(r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['A']), [r.__, 2]),
+	      r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['B']), [3, 4])));
+
+console.log("debugging unions (2)");
+var MU = r.emptyMatcher;
+MU = r.union(MU, r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['A']), [r.__, 2]));
+dumpM(MU);
+MU = r.union(MU, r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['C']), [1, 3]));
+dumpM(MU);
+MU = r.union(MU, r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['B']), [3, 4]));
+dumpM(MU);
+
+console.log("debugging unions (3)");
+dumpM(r.union(r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet('A'), [2]),
+	      dumpM(r.union(r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet('B'), [2]),
+			    r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet('C'), [3])))));
+
+console.log("matcherKeys on wild matchers");
+dump(r.matcherKeys(r.project(r.union(r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['A']), [r.__, 2]),
+				     r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['C']), [1, 3]),
+				     r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['B']), [3, 4])),
+			     r.compileProjection([r._$(), r._$()]))));
+dump(r.matcherKeys(r.project(r.union(r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['A']), [r.__, 2]),
+				     r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['C']), [1, 3]),
+				     r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['B']), [3, 4])),
+			     r.compileProjection([r.__, r._$]))));
+dump(r.matcherKeys(r.project(r.project(r.union(r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['A']), [r.__, 2]),
+					       r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['C']), [1, 3]),
+					       r.compilePattern(r.arrayToSet(['B']), [3, 4])),
+				       r.compileProjection([r._$(), r._$()])),
+			     r.compileProjection([r.__, r._$]))));