diff --git a/src/cmp/cmp_test.go b/src/cmp/cmp_test.go
index e265464f4f..43d9ef365e 100644
--- a/src/cmp/cmp_test.go
+++ b/src/cmp/cmp_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"math"
 	"slices"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"unsafe"
 )
@@ -158,8 +159,8 @@ func ExampleOr_sort() {
 	// Sort by customer first, product second, and last by higher price
 	slices.SortFunc(orders, func(a, b Order) int {
 		return cmp.Or(
-			cmp.Compare(a.Customer, b.Customer),
-			cmp.Compare(a.Product, b.Product),
+			strings.Compare(a.Customer, b.Customer),
+			strings.Compare(a.Product, b.Product),
 			cmp.Compare(b.Price, a.Price),
 		)
 	})
diff --git a/src/internal/bytealg/compare_generic.go b/src/internal/bytealg/compare_generic.go
index b04e275061..8c08b7e6f5 100644
--- a/src/internal/bytealg/compare_generic.go
+++ b/src/internal/bytealg/compare_generic.go
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ samebytes:
 	return 0
 }
 
+func CompareString(a, b string) int {
+	return runtime_cmpstring(a, b)
+}
+
 //go:linkname runtime_cmpstring runtime.cmpstring
 func runtime_cmpstring(a, b string) int {
 	l := len(a)
diff --git a/src/internal/bytealg/compare_native.go b/src/internal/bytealg/compare_native.go
index 34964e281c..983ab069db 100644
--- a/src/internal/bytealg/compare_native.go
+++ b/src/internal/bytealg/compare_native.go
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ import _ "unsafe" // For go:linkname
 //go:noescape
 func Compare(a, b []byte) int
 
+func CompareString(a, b string) int {
+	return abigen_runtime_cmpstring(a, b)
+}
+
 // The declaration below generates ABI wrappers for functions
 // implemented in assembly in this package but declared in another
 // package.
diff --git a/src/slices/example_test.go b/src/slices/example_test.go
index 76ebe0dfac..e1bda36e28 100644
--- a/src/slices/example_test.go
+++ b/src/slices/example_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func ExampleBinarySearchFunc() {
 		{"Gopher", 13},
 	}
 	n, found := slices.BinarySearchFunc(people, Person{"Bob", 0}, func(a, b Person) int {
-		return cmp.Compare(a.Name, b.Name)
+		return strings.Compare(a.Name, b.Name)
 	})
 	fmt.Println("Bob:", n, found)
 	// Output:
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ func ExampleIsSorted() {
 func ExampleIsSortedFunc() {
 	names := []string{"alice", "Bob", "VERA"}
 	isSortedInsensitive := slices.IsSortedFunc(names, func(a, b string) int {
-		return cmp.Compare(strings.ToLower(a), strings.ToLower(b))
+		return strings.Compare(strings.ToLower(a), strings.ToLower(b))
 	})
 	fmt.Println(isSortedInsensitive)
 	fmt.Println(slices.IsSorted(names))
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ func ExampleSort() {
 func ExampleSortFunc_caseInsensitive() {
 	names := []string{"Bob", "alice", "VERA"}
 	slices.SortFunc(names, func(a, b string) int {
-		return cmp.Compare(strings.ToLower(a), strings.ToLower(b))
+		return strings.Compare(strings.ToLower(a), strings.ToLower(b))
 	})
 	fmt.Println(names)
 	// Output:
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ func ExampleSortFunc_multiField() {
 		{"Alice", 20},
 	}
 	slices.SortFunc(people, func(a, b Person) int {
-		if n := cmp.Compare(a.Name, b.Name); n != 0 {
+		if n := strings.Compare(a.Name, b.Name); n != 0 {
 			return n
 		}
 		// If names are equal, order by age
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ func ExampleSortStableFunc() {
 	}
 	// Stable sort by name, keeping age ordering of Alices intact
 	slices.SortStableFunc(people, func(a, b Person) int {
-		return cmp.Compare(a.Name, b.Name)
+		return strings.Compare(a.Name, b.Name)
 	})
 	fmt.Println(people)
 	// Output:
diff --git a/src/slices/sort_benchmark_test.go b/src/slices/sort_benchmark_test.go
index d73a3182c9..1dde26ef1c 100644
--- a/src/slices/sort_benchmark_test.go
+++ b/src/slices/sort_benchmark_test.go
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 package slices_test
 
 import (
+	"cmp"
 	"fmt"
 	"slices"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -41,10 +43,38 @@ func BenchmarkBinarySearchFuncStruct(b *testing.B) {
 			}
 			midpoint := len(structs) / 2
 			needle := &myStruct{n: (structs[midpoint].n + structs[midpoint+1].n) / 2}
-			lessFunc := func(a, b *myStruct) int { return a.n - b.n }
+			cmpFunc := func(a, b *myStruct) int { return a.n - b.n }
 			b.ResetTimer()
 			for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
-				slices.BinarySearchFunc(structs, needle, lessFunc)
+				slices.BinarySearchFunc(structs, needle, cmpFunc)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkSortFuncStruct(b *testing.B) {
+	for _, size := range []int{16, 32, 64, 128, 512, 1024} {
+		b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("Size%d", size), func(b *testing.B) {
+			structs := make([]*myStruct, size)
+			for i := range structs {
+				structs[i] = &myStruct{
+					a: fmt.Sprintf("string%d", i%10),
+					n: i * 11 % size,
+				}
+			}
+			cmpFunc := func(a, b *myStruct) int {
+				if n := strings.Compare(a.a, b.a); n != 0 {
+					return n
+				}
+				return cmp.Compare(a.n, b.n)
+			}
+			// Presort the slice so all benchmark iterations are identical.
+			slices.SortFunc(structs, cmpFunc)
+			b.ResetTimer()
+			for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+				// Sort the slice twice because slices.SortFunc modifies the slice in place.
+				slices.SortFunc(structs, func(a, b *myStruct) int { return cmpFunc(b, a) })
+				slices.SortFunc(structs, cmpFunc)
 			}
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/src/strings/compare.go b/src/strings/compare.go
index 2bd4a243db..b3c01fddc1 100644
--- a/src/strings/compare.go
+++ b/src/strings/compare.go
@@ -4,25 +4,14 @@
 
 package strings
 
+import "internal/bytealg"
+
 // Compare returns an integer comparing two strings lexicographically.
 // The result will be 0 if a == b, -1 if a < b, and +1 if a > b.
 //
-// Compare is included only for symmetry with package bytes.
-// It is usually clearer and always faster to use the built-in
-// string comparison operators ==, <, >, and so on.
+// Use Compare when you need to perform a three-way comparison (with
+// slices.SortFunc, for example). It is usually clearer and always faster
+// to use the built-in string comparison operators ==, <, >, and so on.
 func Compare(a, b string) int {
-	// NOTE(rsc): This function does NOT call the runtime cmpstring function,
-	// because we do not want to provide any performance justification for
-	// using strings.Compare. Basically no one should use strings.Compare.
-	// As the comment above says, it is here only for symmetry with package bytes.
-	// If performance is important, the compiler should be changed to recognize
-	// the pattern so that all code doing three-way comparisons, not just code
-	// using strings.Compare, can benefit.
-	if a == b {
-		return 0
-	}
-	if a < b {
-		return -1
-	}
-	return +1
+	return bytealg.CompareString(a, b)
 }