diff --git a/.jules/bolt.md b/.jules/bolt.md
index d54cf10f..c9cc7a46 100644
--- a/.jules/bolt.md
+++ b/.jules/bolt.md
@@ -61,3 +61,6 @@
 ## 2026-07-13 - Array.from mapping optimization
 **Learning:** Using `Array.from({ length: N }).map(...)` creates an intermediate array of `undefined` values which requires memory allocation and garbage collection, adding O(N) unnecessary overhead in frequently re-rendered UI components.
 **Action:** Use `Array.from({ length: N }, (_, index) => ...)` to map elements directly during array creation, avoiding intermediate allocations.
+## 2024-05-20 - [Performance Optimization] Vectorizing diagonal patch extraction in Checkerboard Novelty Kernel
+**Learning:** When performing windowed operations strictly along the diagonal of large matrices in Python/NumPy, using Python array slicing loops incurs linear time constant overhead due to inner loop array allocation and summation.
+**Action:** Use sub-matrix diagonal vectorization (`numpy.lib.stride_tricks.sliding_window_view` coupled with `np.diagonal` and `np.einsum`) instead of nested Python loops to shift heavy computations to fast C-level operations.
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index cf1c991c..ff7604e4 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -955,7 +955,6 @@
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         "aix"
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-      "peer": true,
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@@ -973,7 +972,6 @@
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-      "peer": true,
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@@ -991,7 +989,6 @@
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-      "peer": true,
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@@ -1009,7 +1006,6 @@
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-      "peer": true,
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@@ -1027,7 +1023,6 @@
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@@ -1045,7 +1040,6 @@
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@@ -1063,7 +1057,6 @@
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@@ -1081,7 +1074,6 @@
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@@ -1099,7 +1091,6 @@
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@@ -1117,7 +1108,6 @@
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@@ -1135,7 +1125,6 @@
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@@ -1153,7 +1142,6 @@
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@@ -1171,7 +1159,6 @@
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@@ -1189,7 +1176,6 @@
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@@ -1207,7 +1193,6 @@
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@@ -1225,7 +1210,6 @@
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@@ -1243,7 +1227,6 @@
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@@ -1261,7 +1244,6 @@
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@@ -1279,7 +1261,6 @@
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@@ -1297,7 +1278,6 @@
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@@ -1315,7 +1295,6 @@
       "os": [
         "openbsd"
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-      "peer": true,
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@@ -1333,7 +1312,6 @@
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-      "peer": true,
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@@ -1351,7 +1329,6 @@
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         "sunos"
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@@ -1369,7 +1346,6 @@
       "os": [
         "win32"
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@@ -1387,7 +1363,6 @@
       "os": [
         "win32"
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@@ -1405,7 +1380,6 @@
       "os": [
         "win32"
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-      "peer": true,
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@@ -7179,9 +7153,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/undici": {
-      "version": "7.28.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/undici/-/undici-7.28.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-cRZYrTDwWznlnRiPjggAGxZXanty6M8RV1ff8Wm4LWXBp7/IG8v5DnOm74DtUBp9OONpK75YlPnIjQqX0dBDtA==",
+      "version": "7.29.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/undici/-/undici-7.29.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-IDxfleLmmbSskfWSUATiN1nfn2rDuvnMOqb5CWR92iIfojA0Ud+ulOAAEQ57LPr9rWmsreUyf5lwyao+7GNNVw==",
       "dev": true,
       "license": "MIT",
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diff --git a/services/analysis-engine/src/bandscope_analysis/sections/segmenter.py b/services/analysis-engine/src/bandscope_analysis/sections/segmenter.py
index 7841e20d..fe749a87 100644
--- a/services/analysis-engine/src/bandscope_analysis/sections/segmenter.py
+++ b/services/analysis-engine/src/bandscope_analysis/sections/segmenter.py
@@ -135,15 +135,11 @@ def _checkerboard_novelty_reference(
     kernel[half:, half:] = 1.0
 
     # Sum each checkerboard offset across all valid diagonal windows at once.
-    valid = novelty[half : n - half]
-    for di in range(-half, half):
-        for dj in range(-half, half):
-            value = kernel[di + half, dj + half]
-            diagonal = np.diagonal(ssm[half + di : n - half + di, half + dj : n - half + dj])
-            if value > 0:
-                valid += diagonal
-            else:
-                valid -= diagonal
+    # Uses sliding_window_view and einsum to avoid nested python loops and
+    # minimize array allocation overhead.
+    windows = np.lib.stride_tricks.sliding_window_view(ssm, (kernel_size, kernel_size))
+    diag_windows = np.diagonal(windows, axis1=0, axis2=1)[:, :, : n - 2 * half]
+    novelty[half : n - half] = np.einsum("ijk,ij->k", diag_windows, kernel)
 
     # Normalize by peak absolute magnitude, preserving sign.
     max_val = np.max(np.abs(novelty))