diff --git a/rtengine/image16.cc b/rtengine/image16.cc
index 8ba88bd4c..56f3a4290 100644
--- a/rtengine/image16.cc
+++ b/rtengine/image16.cc
@@ -56,8 +56,85 @@ void Image16::getScanline (int row, unsigned char* buffer, int bps)
         }
     } else if (bps == 8) {
         int ix = 0;
+        int i = 0;
+#ifdef __SSSE3__
+        // process 48 values using SSSE3. Looks like a lot of code, but it only needs about one instruction per value, whereas scalar version needs about five instructions per value
+        vmask reduceWord2Bytev = _mm_set_epi8(0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 15, 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 3, 1);
+        // we need fivev and sixv to reduce the number of registers used for permutation masks from 9 to 6
+        vint fivev = _mm_set1_epi8(5);
+        vint sixv = _mm_set1_epi8(6);
 
-        for (int i = 0; i < width; i++) {
+        for (; i < width - 15; i += 16, ix += 48) {
+            // generate initial shuffle masks. Gaps are set to 0xf0 to allow calculating subsequent masks from previous ones
+            vint redmaskv = _mm_set_epi8(5, 0xf0, 0xf0, 4, 0xf0, 0xf0, 3, 0xf0, 0xf0, 2, 0xf0, 0xf0, 1, 0xf0, 0xf0, 0);
+            vint greenmaskv = _mm_set_epi8(0xf0, 0xf0, 4, 0xf0, 0xf0, 3, 0xf0, 0xf0, 2, 0xf0, 0xf0, 1, 0xf0, 0xf0, 0, 0xf0);
+            vint bluemaskv = _mm_set_epi8(0xf0, 4, 0xf0, 0xf0, 3, 0xf0, 0xf0, 2, 0xf0, 0xf0, 1, 0xf0, 0xf0, 0, 0xf0, 0xf0);
+
+            // load first 8 values for each colour
+            vint red1v = _mm_loadu_si128((__m128i*)&r(row, i));
+            vint green1v = _mm_loadu_si128((__m128i*)&g(row, i));
+            vint blue1v = _mm_loadu_si128((__m128i*)&b(row, i));
+
+            // load second 8 values for each colour
+            vint red2v = _mm_loadu_si128((__m128i*)&r(row, i + 8));
+            vint green2v = _mm_loadu_si128((__m128i*)&g(row, i + 8));
+            vint blue2v = _mm_loadu_si128((__m128i*)&b(row, i + 8));
+
+            // shuffle the high bytes of the values to the lower 64 bit of the register
+            red1v = _mm_shuffle_epi8(red1v, reduceWord2Bytev);
+            green1v = _mm_shuffle_epi8(green1v, reduceWord2Bytev);
+            blue1v = _mm_shuffle_epi8(blue1v, reduceWord2Bytev);
+
+            // shuffle the high bytes of the values to the lower 64 bit of the register
+            red2v = _mm_shuffle_epi8(red2v, reduceWord2Bytev);
+            green2v = _mm_shuffle_epi8(green2v, reduceWord2Bytev);
+            blue2v = _mm_shuffle_epi8(blue2v, reduceWord2Bytev);
+
+            // mix first and second 8 values of each colour together
+            red1v = (vint)_mm_shuffle_pd((__m128d)red1v, (__m128d)red2v, 0);
+            green1v = (vint)_mm_shuffle_pd((__m128d)green1v, (__m128d)green2v, 0);
+            blue1v = (vint)_mm_shuffle_pd((__m128d)blue1v, (__m128d)blue2v, 0);
+
+            // now we have the input in registers => let's generate the output
+
+            // first we need r0g0b0r1g1b1r2g2b2r3g3b3r4g4b4r5
+            vint destv = _mm_shuffle_epi8(red1v, redmaskv);
+            vint greenv = _mm_shuffle_epi8(green1v, greenmaskv);
+            destv = _mm_or_si128(destv, greenv);
+            vint bluev = _mm_shuffle_epi8(blue1v, bluemaskv);
+            destv = _mm_or_si128(destv, bluev);
+            _mm_storeu_si128((__m128i*) & (buffer[ix]), destv);
+
+            // then we need g5b5r6g6b6r7g7b7r8g8b8r9g9b9raga
+            // we can calculate the shuffle masks from previous ones => needs only 6 instead of 9 registers to handle the 9 different shuffle masks
+            vint tempmaskv = _mm_add_epi8(redmaskv, fivev);
+            redmaskv = _mm_add_epi8(bluemaskv, sixv);
+            bluemaskv = _mm_add_epi8(greenmaskv, fivev);
+            greenmaskv = tempmaskv;
+            destv = _mm_shuffle_epi8(red1v, redmaskv);
+            greenv = _mm_shuffle_epi8(green1v, greenmaskv);
+            destv = _mm_or_si128(destv, greenv);
+            bluev = _mm_shuffle_epi8(blue1v, bluemaskv);
+            destv = _mm_or_si128(destv, bluev);
+            _mm_storeu_si128((__m128i*) & (buffer[ix + 16]), destv);
+
+            // and last one is barbgbbbrcgcbcrdgdbdregeberfgfbf
+            // we can calculate the shuffle masks from previous ones => needs only 6 instead of 9 registers to handle the 9 different shuffle masks
+            tempmaskv = _mm_add_epi8(greenmaskv, fivev);
+            greenmaskv = _mm_add_epi8(redmaskv, fivev);
+            redmaskv = _mm_add_epi8(bluemaskv, sixv);
+            bluemaskv = tempmaskv;
+            destv = _mm_shuffle_epi8(red1v, redmaskv);
+            greenv = _mm_shuffle_epi8(green1v, greenmaskv);
+            destv = _mm_or_si128(destv, greenv);
+            bluev = _mm_shuffle_epi8(blue1v, bluemaskv);
+            destv = _mm_or_si128(destv, bluev);
+            _mm_storeu_si128((__m128i*) & (buffer[ix + 32]), destv);
+        }
+
+#endif
+
+        for (; i < width; i++) {
             buffer[ix++] = r(row, i) >> 8;
             buffer[ix++] = g(row, i) >> 8;
             buffer[ix++] = b(row, i) >> 8;
@@ -80,34 +157,34 @@ void Image16::setScanline (int row, unsigned char* buffer, int bps, float *minVa
     assert(!minValue);
 
     switch (sampleFormat) {
-    case (IIOSF_UNSIGNED_CHAR): {
-        int ix = 0;
+        case (IIOSF_UNSIGNED_CHAR): {
+            int ix = 0;
 
-        for (int i = 0; i < width; i++) {
-            r(row, i) = (unsigned short)(buffer[ix++]) << 8;
-            g(row, i) = (unsigned short)(buffer[ix++]) << 8;
-            b(row, i) = (unsigned short)(buffer[ix++]) << 8;
+            for (int i = 0; i < width; i++) {
+                r(row, i) = (unsigned short)(buffer[ix++]) << 8;
+                g(row, i) = (unsigned short)(buffer[ix++]) << 8;
+                b(row, i) = (unsigned short)(buffer[ix++]) << 8;
+            }
+
+            break;
         }
 
-        break;
-    }
+        case (IIOSF_UNSIGNED_SHORT): {
+            unsigned short* sbuffer = (unsigned short*) buffer;
+            int ix = 0;
 
-    case (IIOSF_UNSIGNED_SHORT): {
-        unsigned short* sbuffer = (unsigned short*) buffer;
-        int ix = 0;
+            for (int i = 0; i < width; i++) {
+                r(row, i) = sbuffer[ix++];
+                g(row, i) = sbuffer[ix++];
+                b(row, i) = sbuffer[ix++];
+            }
 
-        for (int i = 0; i < width; i++) {
-            r(row, i) = sbuffer[ix++];
-            g(row, i) = sbuffer[ix++];
-            b(row, i) = sbuffer[ix++];
+            break;
         }
 
-        break;
-    }
-
-    default:
-        // Other type are ignored, but could be implemented if necessary
-        break;
+        default:
+            // Other type are ignored, but could be implemented if necessary
+            break;
     }
 
     /*
diff --git a/rtengine/imageio.cc b/rtengine/imageio.cc
index 4fa5a5a93..2c779a99b 100644
--- a/rtengine/imageio.cc
+++ b/rtengine/imageio.cc
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@
 #include "color.h"
 
 #include "jpeg.h"
-
+#define BENCHMARK
+#include "StopWatch.h"
 using namespace std;
 using namespace rtengine;
 using namespace rtengine::procparams;
@@ -917,7 +918,7 @@ int ImageIO::loadPPMFromMemory(const char* buffer, int width, int height, bool s
 
 int ImageIO::savePNG  (Glib::ustring fname, int compression, volatile int bps)
 {
-
+BENCHFUN
     FILE *file = g_fopen_withBinaryAndLock (fname);
 
     if (!file) {
@@ -1011,7 +1012,7 @@ int ImageIO::savePNG  (Glib::ustring fname, int compression, volatile int bps)
 // Quality 0..100, subsampling: 1=low quality, 2=medium, 3=high
 int ImageIO::saveJPEG (Glib::ustring fname, int quality, int subSamp)
 {
-
+BENCHFUN
     FILE *file = g_fopen_withBinaryAndLock (fname);
 
     if (!file) {
@@ -1198,7 +1199,7 @@ int ImageIO::saveJPEG (Glib::ustring fname, int quality, int subSamp)
 
 int ImageIO::saveTIFF (Glib::ustring fname, int bps, bool uncompressed)
 {
-
+BENCHFUN
     //TODO: Handling 32 bits floating point output images!
     bool writeOk = true;
     int width = getW ();