diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 99b8c83d..14ea9c68 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
   `trim_right` functions, which have been deprecated.
 - The `result.nil_error` function has been deprecated in favour of
   `result.replace_error`.
+- The performance of `string.trim`, `string.trim_start`, and `string.trim_end`
+  has been improved on JavaScript.
 
 ## v0.41.0 - 2024-10-31
 
diff --git a/src/gleam_stdlib.mjs b/src/gleam_stdlib.mjs
index a70309e5..7ad5ce97 100644
--- a/src/gleam_stdlib.mjs
+++ b/src/gleam_stdlib.mjs
@@ -283,31 +283,60 @@ export function split_once(haystack, needle) {
   }
 }
 
-const unicode_whitespaces = [
-  "\u0020", // Space
-  "\u0009", // Horizontal tab
-  "\u000A", // Line feed
-  "\u000B", // Vertical tab
-  "\u000C", // Form feed
-  "\u000D", // Carriage return
-  "\u0085", // Next line
-  "\u2028", // Line separator
-  "\u2029", // Paragraph separator
-].join("");
-
-const left_trim_regex = new RegExp(`^([${unicode_whitespaces}]*)`, "g");
-const right_trim_regex = new RegExp(`([${unicode_whitespaces}]*)$`, "g");
+function isUnicodeWhitespace(c) {
+  return (
+    c === "\u0020" || // Space
+    c === "\u0009" || // Horizontal tab
+    c === "\u000A" || // Line feed
+    c === "\u000B" || // Vertical tab
+    c === "\u000C" || // Form feed
+    c === "\u000D" || // Carriage return
+    c === "\u0085" || // Next line
+    c === "\u2028" || // Line separator
+    c === "\u2029" // Paragraph separator
+  );
+}
 
 export function trim(string) {
-  return trim_start(trim_end(string));
+  const start_index = find_non_whitespace_char(string);
+  const end_index = Math.max(
+    rfind_non_whitespace_char(string) + 1,
+    start_index
+  );
+
+  return string.substring(start_index, end_index);
 }
 
 export function trim_start(string) {
-  return string.replace(left_trim_regex, "");
+  return string.substring(find_non_whitespace_char(string));
 }
 
 export function trim_end(string) {
-  return string.replace(right_trim_regex, "");
+  return string.substring(0, rfind_non_whitespace_char(string) + 1);
+}
+
+function find_non_whitespace_char(string) {
+  let i = 0;
+
+  for (; i < string.length; i++) {
+    if (!isUnicodeWhitespace(string[i])) {
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return i;
+}
+
+function rfind_non_whitespace_char(string) {
+  let i = string.length - 1;
+
+  for (; i >= 0; i--) {
+    if (!isUnicodeWhitespace(string[i])) {
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return i;
 }
 
 export function bit_array_from_string(string) {
diff --git a/test/gleam/string_test.gleam b/test/gleam/string_test.gleam
index c49f543c..bc7bfb37 100644
--- a/test/gleam/string_test.gleam
+++ b/test/gleam/string_test.gleam
@@ -176,6 +176,23 @@ pub fn trim_end_test() {
   |> should.equal("  hats")
 }
 
+pub fn trim_whole_string_test() {
+  let s =
+    "\u{0020}\u{0009}\u{000A}\u{000B}\u{000C}\u{000D}\u{0085}\u{2028}\u{2029}"
+
+  s
+  |> string.trim_start
+  |> should.equal("")
+
+  s
+  |> string.trim_end
+  |> should.equal("")
+
+  s
+  |> string.trim
+  |> should.equal("")
+}
+
 // unicode whitespaces
 pub fn trim_horizontal_tab_test() {
   "hats\u{0009}"