diff --git a/tablex.lua b/tablex.lua
index 7f75872..3ef1031 100644
--- a/tablex.lua
+++ b/tablex.lua
@@ -48,25 +48,68 @@ function tablex.unshift(t, v)
 	return t
 end
 
+function tablex.is_sorted(t)
+    local sorted = true
+    for i = 1, #t - 1 do
+        if t[i] > t[i + 1] then
+            sorted = false
+            break
+        end
+    end
+    return sorted
+end
+
 --insert to the first position before the first larger element in the table
 --if this is used on an already sorted table, the table will remain sorted and not need re-sorting
 --todo: make it do binary search rather than linear to improve performance
 --return the table for possible chaining
 function tablex.insert_sorted(t, v, less)
 	local inserted = false
-	for i = 1, #t do
-		if less(v, t[i]) then
-			table.insert(t, i, v)
+
+	-- to use binary search is necessary as precondition that
+	-- the table is sorted
+	if not tablex.is_sorted(t) then
+			for i = 1, #t do
+				if less(v, t[i]) then
+					table.insert(t, i, v)
+					inserted = true
+					break
+				end
+			end
+		if not inserted then
+			table.insert(t, v)
+		end
+		return t
+	end
+
+	local l = 1
+	local r = #t
+	
+	if r < l then
+		table.insert(t,v)
+		return t
+	end
+
+
+	while l <= r do
+		local mid = math.floor(l + (r - l) / 2)
+		if (less(v, t[mid]) or v == t[mid]) and (mid == 1 or less(t[mid - 1], v) or t[mid - 1] == v) then
+			table.insert(t, mid, v)
 			inserted = true
 			break
+		elseif less(t[mid], v) then
+			l = mid + 1
+		elseif less(v, t[mid - 1]) then
+			r  = mid - 1
 		end
 	end
+
 	if not inserted then
-		table.insert(t, v)
+		table.insert(t, l, v)
 	end
+
 	return t
 end
-
 --find the index in a sequential table that a resides at
 --or nil if nothing was found
 function tablex.index_of(t, a)