--- a/configmix/config.py	Wed Dec 29 13:33:11 2021 +0100
+++ b/configmix/config.py	Fri Dec 31 21:24:16 2021 +0100
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@
 from .variables import lookup_varns, lookup_filter
 from .compat import u, uchr, n, str_and_u, PY2
 from .constants import REF_NAMESPACE, NONE_FILTER, EMPTY_FILTER
+try:
+    from ._speedups import fast_unquote, fast_pathstr2path
+except ImportError:
+    fast_unquote = None
+    fast_pathstr2path = None
 
 
 _MARKER = object()
@@ -280,7 +285,7 @@
         return s
 
 
-def unquote(s):
+def py_unquote(s):
     """Unquote the content of `s`: handle all patterns ``%xNN``,
     ``%uNNNN`` or ``%UNNNNNNNN``.
 
@@ -317,7 +322,13 @@
     return _EMPTY_STR.join(res)
 
 
-def pathstr2path(varname):
+if fast_unquote:
+    unquote = fast_unquote
+else:
+    unquote = py_unquote
+
+
+def py_pathstr2path(varname):
     """Parse a dot-separated path string `varname` into a tuple of
     unquoted path items
 
@@ -345,6 +356,12 @@
         return tuple()
 
 
+if fast_pathstr2path:
+    pathstr2path = fast_pathstr2path
+else:
+    pathstr2path = py_pathstr2path
+
+
 def _split_ns(varname):
     """Split the variable name string `varname` into the namespace and
     the namespace-specific name
@@ -355,7 +372,6 @@
     :rtype: tuple(str or None, str)
 
     """
-    
     ns, sep, rest = varname.partition(_NS_SEPARATOR)
     if sep:
         return (unquote(ns), rest)
@@ -366,7 +382,7 @@
 def _split_filters(varname):
     """Split off the filter part from the `varname` string
 
-    :type varname: str    
+    :type varname: str
     :return: The tuple of the variable name without the filters and a list
              of filters
     :rtype: tuple(str, list)