diff --git a/model/metric.go b/model/metric.go
index 32f9d7f..b43ddaf 100644
--- a/model/metric.go
+++ b/model/metric.go
@@ -28,11 +28,13 @@ type Metric map[LabelName]LabelValue
 
 // Equal compares the fingerprints of both metrics.
 func (m Metric) Equal(o Metric) bool {
+	// TODO do an actual map comparison
 	return m.Fingerprint().Equal(o.Fingerprint())
 }
 
 // Before compares the fingerprints of both metrics.
 func (m Metric) Before(o Metric) bool {
+	// TODO do an actual map comparison
 	return m.Fingerprint().Less(o.Fingerprint())
 }
 
@@ -67,6 +69,12 @@ func (m Metric) Fingerprint() Fingerprint {
 	return metricToFingerprint(m)
 }
 
+// Fingerprint returns a Metric's Fingerprint calculated by a faster hashing
+// algorithm, which is, however, more susceptible to hash collisions.
+func (m Metric) FastFingerprint() Fingerprint {
+	return metricToFastFingerprint(m)
+}
+
 // Clone returns a copy of the Metric.
 func (m Metric) Clone() Metric {
 	clone := Metric{}
diff --git a/model/metric_test.go b/model/metric_test.go
index d51b184..5dbc023 100644
--- a/model/metric_test.go
+++ b/model/metric_test.go
@@ -17,12 +17,14 @@ import "testing"
 
 func testMetric(t testing.TB) {
 	var scenarios = []struct {
-		input       Metric
-		fingerprint Fingerprint
+		input           Metric
+		fingerprint     Fingerprint
+		fastFingerprint Fingerprint
 	}{
 		{
-			input:       Metric{},
-			fingerprint: 14695981039346656037,
+			input:           Metric{},
+			fingerprint:     14695981039346656037,
+			fastFingerprint: 14695981039346656037,
 		},
 		{
 			input: Metric{
@@ -30,27 +32,31 @@ func testMetric(t testing.TB) {
 				"occupation":   "robot",
 				"manufacturer": "westinghouse",
 			},
-			fingerprint: 11310079640881077873,
+			fingerprint:     5911716720268894962,
+			fastFingerprint: 11310079640881077873,
 		},
 		{
 			input: Metric{
 				"x": "y",
 			},
-			fingerprint: 13948396922932177635,
+			fingerprint:     8241431561484471700,
+			fastFingerprint: 13948396922932177635,
 		},
 		{
 			input: Metric{
 				"a": "bb",
 				"b": "c",
 			},
-			fingerprint: 3198632812309449502,
+			fingerprint:     3016285359649981711,
+			fastFingerprint: 3198632812309449502,
 		},
 		{
 			input: Metric{
 				"a":  "b",
 				"bb": "c",
 			},
-			fingerprint: 5774953389407657638,
+			fingerprint:     7122421792099404749,
+			fastFingerprint: 5774953389407657638,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -58,6 +64,9 @@ func testMetric(t testing.TB) {
 		if scenario.fingerprint != scenario.input.Fingerprint() {
 			t.Errorf("%d. expected %d, got %d", i, scenario.fingerprint, scenario.input.Fingerprint())
 		}
+		if scenario.fastFingerprint != scenario.input.FastFingerprint() {
+			t.Errorf("%d. expected %d, got %d", i, scenario.fastFingerprint, scenario.input.FastFingerprint())
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/model/signature.go b/model/signature.go
index cc77b19..3f7abec 100644
--- a/model/signature.go
+++ b/model/signature.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"hash"
 	"hash/fnv"
+	"sort"
 	"sync"
 )
 
@@ -46,30 +47,37 @@ func getHashAndBuf() *hashAndBuf {
 }
 
 func putHashAndBuf(hb *hashAndBuf) {
+	hb.h.Reset()
+	hb.b.Reset()
 	hashAndBufPool.Put(hb)
 }
 
-// LabelsToSignature returns a unique signature (i.e., fingerprint) for a given
-// label set.
+// LabelsToSignature returns an quasi-unique signature (i.e., fingerprint) for a
+// given label set. (Collisions are possible but unlikely if the number of label
+// sets the function is applied to is small.)
 func LabelsToSignature(labels map[string]string) uint64 {
 	if len(labels) == 0 {
 		return emptyLabelSignature
 	}
 
-	var result uint64
+	labelNames := make([]string, 0, len(labels))
+	for labelName := range labels {
+		labelNames = append(labelNames, labelName)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(labelNames)
+
 	hb := getHashAndBuf()
 	defer putHashAndBuf(hb)
 
-	for labelName, labelValue := range labels {
+	for _, labelName := range labelNames {
 		hb.b.WriteString(labelName)
 		hb.b.WriteByte(SeparatorByte)
-		hb.b.WriteString(labelValue)
+		hb.b.WriteString(labels[labelName])
+		hb.b.WriteByte(SeparatorByte)
 		hb.h.Write(hb.b.Bytes())
-		result ^= hb.h.Sum64()
-		hb.h.Reset()
 		hb.b.Reset()
 	}
-	return result
+	return hb.h.Sum64()
 }
 
 // metricToFingerprint works exactly as LabelsToSignature but takes a Metric as
@@ -79,6 +87,34 @@ func metricToFingerprint(m Metric) Fingerprint {
 		return Fingerprint(emptyLabelSignature)
 	}
 
+	labelNames := make(LabelNames, 0, len(m))
+	for labelName := range m {
+		labelNames = append(labelNames, labelName)
+	}
+	sort.Sort(labelNames)
+
+	hb := getHashAndBuf()
+	defer putHashAndBuf(hb)
+
+	for _, labelName := range labelNames {
+		hb.b.WriteString(string(labelName))
+		hb.b.WriteByte(SeparatorByte)
+		hb.b.WriteString(string(m[labelName]))
+		hb.b.WriteByte(SeparatorByte)
+		hb.h.Write(hb.b.Bytes())
+		hb.b.Reset()
+	}
+	return Fingerprint(hb.h.Sum64())
+}
+
+// metricToFastFingerprint works similar to metricToFingerprint but uses a
+// faster and less allocation-heavy hash function, which is more susceptible to
+// create hash collisions. Therefore, collision detection should be applied.
+func metricToFastFingerprint(m Metric) Fingerprint {
+	if len(m) == 0 {
+		return Fingerprint(emptyLabelSignature)
+	}
+
 	var result uint64
 	hb := getHashAndBuf()
 	defer putHashAndBuf(hb)
@@ -97,13 +133,15 @@ func metricToFingerprint(m Metric) Fingerprint {
 
 // SignatureForLabels works like LabelsToSignature but takes a Metric as
 // parameter (rather than a label map) and only includes the labels with the
-// specified LabelNames into the signature calculation.
+// specified LabelNames into the signature calculation. The labels passed in
+// will be sorted by this function.
 func SignatureForLabels(m Metric, labels LabelNames) uint64 {
 	if len(m) == 0 || len(labels) == 0 {
 		return emptyLabelSignature
 	}
 
-	var result uint64
+	sort.Sort(labels)
+
 	hb := getHashAndBuf()
 	defer putHashAndBuf(hb)
 
@@ -111,12 +149,11 @@ func SignatureForLabels(m Metric, labels LabelNames) uint64 {
 		hb.b.WriteString(string(label))
 		hb.b.WriteByte(SeparatorByte)
 		hb.b.WriteString(string(m[label]))
+		hb.b.WriteByte(SeparatorByte)
 		hb.h.Write(hb.b.Bytes())
-		result ^= hb.h.Sum64()
-		hb.h.Reset()
 		hb.b.Reset()
 	}
-	return result
+	return hb.h.Sum64()
 }
 
 // SignatureWithoutLabels works like LabelsToSignature but takes a Metric as
@@ -127,24 +164,27 @@ func SignatureWithoutLabels(m Metric, labels map[LabelName]struct{}) uint64 {
 		return emptyLabelSignature
 	}
 
-	var result uint64
+	labelNames := make(LabelNames, 0, len(m))
+	for labelName := range m {
+		if _, exclude := labels[labelName]; !exclude {
+			labelNames = append(labelNames, labelName)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(labelNames) == 0 {
+		return emptyLabelSignature
+	}
+	sort.Sort(labelNames)
+
 	hb := getHashAndBuf()
 	defer putHashAndBuf(hb)
 
-	for labelName, labelValue := range m {
-		if _, exclude := labels[labelName]; exclude {
-			continue
-		}
+	for _, labelName := range labelNames {
 		hb.b.WriteString(string(labelName))
 		hb.b.WriteByte(SeparatorByte)
-		hb.b.WriteString(string(labelValue))
+		hb.b.WriteString(string(m[labelName]))
+		hb.b.WriteByte(SeparatorByte)
 		hb.h.Write(hb.b.Bytes())
-		result ^= hb.h.Sum64()
-		hb.h.Reset()
 		hb.b.Reset()
 	}
-	if result == 0 {
-		return emptyLabelSignature
-	}
-	return result
+	return hb.h.Sum64()
 }
diff --git a/model/signature_test.go b/model/signature_test.go
index 7b3327d..01db531 100644
--- a/model/signature_test.go
+++ b/model/signature_test.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func TestLabelsToSignature(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			in:  map[string]string{"name": "garland, briggs", "fear": "love is not enough"},
-			out: 12952432476264840823,
+			out: 5799056148416392346,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func TestMetricToFingerprint(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			in:  Metric{"name": "garland, briggs", "fear": "love is not enough"},
-			out: 12952432476264840823,
+			out: 5799056148416392346,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -67,6 +67,30 @@ func TestMetricToFingerprint(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestMetricToFastFingerprint(t *testing.T) {
+	var scenarios = []struct {
+		in  Metric
+		out Fingerprint
+	}{
+		{
+			in:  Metric{},
+			out: 14695981039346656037,
+		},
+		{
+			in:  Metric{"name": "garland, briggs", "fear": "love is not enough"},
+			out: 12952432476264840823,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for i, scenario := range scenarios {
+		actual := metricToFastFingerprint(scenario.in)
+
+		if actual != scenario.out {
+			t.Errorf("%d. expected %d, got %d", i, scenario.out, actual)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSignatureForLabels(t *testing.T) {
 	var scenarios = []struct {
 		in     Metric
@@ -81,12 +105,12 @@ func TestSignatureForLabels(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			in:     Metric{"name": "garland, briggs", "fear": "love is not enough"},
 			labels: LabelNames{"fear", "name"},
-			out:    12952432476264840823,
+			out:    5799056148416392346,
 		},
 		{
 			in:     Metric{"name": "garland, briggs", "fear": "love is not enough", "foo": "bar"},
 			labels: LabelNames{"fear", "name"},
-			out:    12952432476264840823,
+			out:    5799056148416392346,
 		},
 		{
 			in:     Metric{"name": "garland, briggs", "fear": "love is not enough"},
@@ -128,17 +152,17 @@ func TestSignatureWithoutLabels(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			in:     Metric{"name": "garland, briggs", "fear": "love is not enough", "foo": "bar"},
 			labels: map[LabelName]struct{}{"foo": struct{}{}},
-			out:    12952432476264840823,
+			out:    5799056148416392346,
 		},
 		{
 			in:     Metric{"name": "garland, briggs", "fear": "love is not enough"},
 			labels: map[LabelName]struct{}{},
-			out:    12952432476264840823,
+			out:    5799056148416392346,
 		},
 		{
 			in:     Metric{"name": "garland, briggs", "fear": "love is not enough"},
 			labels: nil,
-			out:    12952432476264840823,
+			out:    5799056148416392346,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -164,15 +188,15 @@ func BenchmarkLabelToSignatureScalar(b *testing.B) {
 }
 
 func BenchmarkLabelToSignatureSingle(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkLabelToSignature(b, map[string]string{"first-label": "first-label-value"}, 5147259542624943964)
+	benchmarkLabelToSignature(b, map[string]string{"first-label": "first-label-value"}, 5146282821936882169)
 }
 
 func BenchmarkLabelToSignatureDouble(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkLabelToSignature(b, map[string]string{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value"}, 18269973311206963528)
+	benchmarkLabelToSignature(b, map[string]string{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value"}, 3195800080984914717)
 }
 
 func BenchmarkLabelToSignatureTriple(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkLabelToSignature(b, map[string]string{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 15738406913934009676)
+	benchmarkLabelToSignature(b, map[string]string{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 13843036195897128121)
 }
 
 func benchmarkMetricToFingerprint(b *testing.B, m Metric, e Fingerprint) {
@@ -188,15 +212,39 @@ func BenchmarkMetricToFingerprintScalar(b *testing.B) {
 }
 
 func BenchmarkMetricToFingerprintSingle(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkMetricToFingerprint(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value"}, 5147259542624943964)
+	benchmarkMetricToFingerprint(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value"}, 5146282821936882169)
 }
 
 func BenchmarkMetricToFingerprintDouble(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkMetricToFingerprint(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value"}, 18269973311206963528)
+	benchmarkMetricToFingerprint(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value"}, 3195800080984914717)
 }
 
 func BenchmarkMetricToFingerprintTriple(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkMetricToFingerprint(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 15738406913934009676)
+	benchmarkMetricToFingerprint(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 13843036195897128121)
+}
+
+func benchmarkMetricToFastFingerprint(b *testing.B, m Metric, e Fingerprint) {
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		if a := metricToFastFingerprint(m); a != e {
+			b.Fatalf("expected signature of %d for %s, got %d", e, m, a)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintScalar(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkMetricToFastFingerprint(b, nil, 14695981039346656037)
+}
+
+func BenchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintSingle(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkMetricToFastFingerprint(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value"}, 5147259542624943964)
+}
+
+func BenchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintDouble(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkMetricToFastFingerprint(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value"}, 18269973311206963528)
+}
+
+func BenchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintTriple(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkMetricToFastFingerprint(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 15738406913934009676)
 }
 
 func TestEmptyLabelSignature(t *testing.T) {
@@ -218,7 +266,7 @@ func TestEmptyLabelSignature(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func benchmarkMetricToFingerprintConc(b *testing.B, m Metric, e Fingerprint, concLevel int) {
+func benchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintConc(b *testing.B, m Metric, e Fingerprint, concLevel int) {
 	var start, end sync.WaitGroup
 	start.Add(1)
 	end.Add(concLevel)
@@ -227,7 +275,7 @@ func benchmarkMetricToFingerprintConc(b *testing.B, m Metric, e Fingerprint, con
 		go func() {
 			start.Wait()
 			for j := b.N / concLevel; j >= 0; j-- {
-				if a := metricToFingerprint(m); a != e {
+				if a := metricToFastFingerprint(m); a != e {
 					b.Fatalf("expected signature of %d for %s, got %d", e, m, a)
 				}
 			}
@@ -239,18 +287,18 @@ func benchmarkMetricToFingerprintConc(b *testing.B, m Metric, e Fingerprint, con
 	end.Wait()
 }
 
-func BenchmarkMetricToFingerprintTripleConc1(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkMetricToFingerprintConc(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 15738406913934009676, 1)
+func BenchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintTripleConc1(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintConc(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 15738406913934009676, 1)
 }
 
-func BenchmarkMetricToFingerprintTripleConc2(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkMetricToFingerprintConc(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 15738406913934009676, 2)
+func BenchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintTripleConc2(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintConc(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 15738406913934009676, 2)
 }
 
-func BenchmarkMetricToFingerprintTripleConc4(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkMetricToFingerprintConc(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 15738406913934009676, 4)
+func BenchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintTripleConc4(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintConc(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 15738406913934009676, 4)
 }
 
-func BenchmarkMetricToFingerprintTripleConc8(b *testing.B) {
-	benchmarkMetricToFingerprintConc(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 15738406913934009676, 8)
+func BenchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintTripleConc8(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkMetricToFastFingerprintConc(b, Metric{"first-label": "first-label-value", "second-label": "second-label-value", "third-label": "third-label-value"}, 15738406913934009676, 8)
 }