diff --git a/go/types/ordered_sequences_diff.go b/go/types/ordered_sequences_diff.go
index dbadd3aa70..9d29e19c46 100644
--- a/go/types/ordered_sequences_diff.go
+++ b/go/types/ordered_sequences_diff.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 package types
 
 import (
+	"sync"
+
 	"github.com/attic-labs/noms/go/d"
 )
 
@@ -33,19 +35,29 @@ func sendChange(changes chan<- ValueChanged, closeChan <-chan struct{}, change V
 
 // TODO - something other than the literal edit-distance, which is way too much cpu work for this case - https://github.com/attic-labs/noms/issues/2027
 func orderedSequenceDiff(last orderedSequence, current orderedSequence, changes chan<- ValueChanged, closeChan <-chan struct{}) error {
-	lastCur := newCursorAt(last, emptyKey, false, false)
-	currentCur := newCursorAt(current, emptyKey, false, false)
-	lastHeight := lastCur.depth()
-	currentHeight := currentCur.depth()
+	var lastHeight, currentHeight int
+	wg := &sync.WaitGroup{}
+	wg.Add(2)
+	getHeight := func(seq orderedSequence, out *int) {
+		cur := newCursorAt(seq, emptyKey, false, false)
+		*out = cur.depth()
+		wg.Done()
+	}
+	go getHeight(last, &lastHeight)
+	go getHeight(current, &currentHeight)
+	wg.Wait()
+	return orderedSequenceDiffInternalNodes(last, current, changes, closeChan, lastHeight, currentHeight)
+}
 
+func orderedSequenceDiffInternalNodes(last orderedSequence, current orderedSequence, changes chan<- ValueChanged, closeChan <-chan struct{}, lastHeight, currentHeight int) error {
 	if lastHeight > currentHeight {
 		lastChild := last.(orderedMetaSequence).getCompositeChildSequence(0, uint64(last.seqLen())).(orderedSequence)
-		return orderedSequenceDiff(lastChild, current, changes, closeChan)
+		return orderedSequenceDiffInternalNodes(lastChild, current, changes, closeChan, lastHeight-1, currentHeight)
 	}
 
 	if currentHeight > lastHeight {
 		currentChild := current.(orderedMetaSequence).getCompositeChildSequence(0, uint64(current.seqLen())).(orderedSequence)
-		return orderedSequenceDiff(last, currentChild, changes, closeChan)
+		return orderedSequenceDiffInternalNodes(last, currentChild, changes, closeChan, lastHeight, currentHeight-1)
 	}
 
 	if !isMetaSequence(last) && !isMetaSequence(current) {
@@ -56,9 +68,19 @@ func orderedSequenceDiff(last orderedSequence, current orderedSequence, changes
 			func(i uint64, j uint64) bool { return compareFn(int(i), int(j)) })
 
 		for _, splice := range initialSplices {
-			lastChild := last.(orderedMetaSequence).getCompositeChildSequence(splice.SpAt, splice.SpRemoved).(orderedSequence)
-			currentChild := current.(orderedMetaSequence).getCompositeChildSequence(splice.SpFrom, splice.SpAdded).(orderedSequence)
-			err := orderedSequenceDiff(lastChild, currentChild, changes, closeChan)
+			var lastChild, currentChild orderedSequence
+			wg := &sync.WaitGroup{}
+			wg.Add(2)
+			go func() {
+				lastChild = last.(orderedMetaSequence).getCompositeChildSequence(splice.SpAt, splice.SpRemoved).(orderedSequence)
+				wg.Done()
+			}()
+			go func() {
+				currentChild = current.(orderedMetaSequence).getCompositeChildSequence(splice.SpFrom, splice.SpAdded).(orderedSequence)
+				wg.Done()
+			}()
+			wg.Wait()
+			err := orderedSequenceDiffInternalNodes(lastChild, currentChild, changes, closeChan, lastHeight-1, currentHeight-1)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
diff --git a/go/types/ordered_sequences_diff_test.go b/go/types/ordered_sequences_diff_test.go
index 68844c5450..992f989895 100644
--- a/go/types/ordered_sequences_diff_test.go
+++ b/go/types/ordered_sequences_diff_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ const (
 	lengthOfNumbersTest = 1000
 )
 
+type diffFn func(last orderedSequence, current orderedSequence, changes chan<- ValueChanged, closeChan <-chan struct{}) error
+
 type diffTestSuite struct {
 	suite.Suite
 	from1, to1, by1     int
@@ -36,12 +38,12 @@ func newDiffTestSuite(from1, to1, by1, from2, to2, by2, numAddsExpected, numRemo
 	}
 }
 
-func accumulateOrderedSequenceDiffChanges(o1, o2 orderedSequence) (added []Value, removed []Value, modified []Value) {
+func accumulateOrderedSequenceDiffChanges(o1, o2 orderedSequence, df diffFn) (added []Value, removed []Value, modified []Value) {
 	changes := make(chan ValueChanged)
 	closeChan := make(chan struct{})
 
 	go func() {
-		err := orderedSequenceDiffLeafItems(o1, o2, changes, closeChan)
+		err := df(o1, o2, changes, closeChan)
 		if err == nil {
 			close(changes)
 		}
@@ -71,12 +73,13 @@ func (suite *diffTestSuite) TestDiff() {
 		return true
 	}
 
-	runTest := func(name string, vf valFn, cf colFn) {
+	runTestDf := func(name string, vf valFn, cf colFn, df diffFn) {
 		col1 := cf(vf(suite.from1, suite.to1, suite.by1))
 		col2 := cf(vf(suite.from2, suite.to2, suite.by2))
 		suite.added, suite.removed, suite.modified = accumulateOrderedSequenceDiffChanges(
 			col1.sequence().(orderedSequence),
-			col2.sequence().(orderedSequence))
+			col2.sequence().(orderedSequence),
+			df)
 		suite.Equal(suite.numAddsExpected, len(suite.added), "test %s: num added is not as expected", name)
 		suite.Equal(suite.numRemovesExpected, len(suite.removed), "test %s: num removed is not as expected", name)
 		suite.Equal(suite.numModifiedExpected, len(suite.modified), "test %s: num modified is not as expected", name)
@@ -85,6 +88,11 @@ func (suite *diffTestSuite) TestDiff() {
 		suite.True(notNil(suite.modified), "test %s: modified has nil values", name)
 	}
 
+	runTest := func(name string, vf valFn, cf colFn) {
+		runTestDf(name, vf, cf, orderedSequenceDiff)
+		runTestDf(name, vf, cf, orderedSequenceDiffLeafItems)
+	}
+
 	newSetAsCol := func(vs []Value) Collection { return NewSet(vs...) }
 	newMapAsCol := func(vs []Value) Collection { return NewMap(vs...) }