diff --git a/python/xy/_figure.py b/python/xy/_figure.py
index 4252f430..80ea37bc 100644
--- a/python/xy/_figure.py
+++ b/python/xy/_figure.py
@@ -1075,16 +1075,18 @@ def _zero_baseline_anchor(self, axis_id: str) -> Optional[str]:
                 continue
             base = t.x0.values if axis == "x" else t.y0.values
             value = t.x1.values if axis == "x" else t.y1.values
+            # Ask the questions as masked predicates rather than compacting
+            # `base`/`value` down to their finite rows first: the compaction
+            # allocates and copies two full columns per axis per build, and
+            # every question here is a single "does any row violate this?".
             finite = np.isfinite(base) & np.isfinite(value)
-            if not np.any(finite):
+            if not finite.any():
                 continue
-            base = base[finite]
-            value = value[finite]
-            if not np.all(base == 0.0):
+            if (finite & (base != 0.0)).any():
                 continue
-            if np.all(value >= 0.0):
+            if not (finite & (value < 0.0)).any():
                 return "lo"
-            if np.all(value <= 0.0):
+            if not (finite & (value > 0.0)).any():
                 return "hi"
         return None
 
diff --git a/python/xy/marks.py b/python/xy/marks.py
index aad4d409..1db275ab 100644
--- a/python/xy/marks.py
+++ b/python/xy/marks.py
@@ -1001,8 +1001,21 @@ def _auto_cap_size(positions: np.ndarray) -> float:
 
     0.25x the median adjacent spacing of the distinct finite positions along
     the cap's axis; 0.4 when fewer than two are distinct (no spacing exists).
+
+    The positions an error bar carries are usually an ordered independent
+    variable, and `np.unique` sorts unconditionally — an O(N log N) pass over
+    the whole column to answer a question about adjacent gaps. One O(N) diff
+    both proves the column is already non-decreasing and yields those gaps
+    directly; only an out-of-order column pays for the sort. Same distinct
+    values in the same order either way, so the median is identical.
     """
-    distinct = np.unique(positions[np.isfinite(positions)])
+    finite = positions[np.isfinite(positions)]
+    if len(finite) >= 2:
+        gaps = np.diff(finite)
+        if (gaps >= 0.0).all():
+            positive = gaps[gaps != 0.0]
+            return 0.25 * float(np.median(positive)) if len(positive) else 0.4
+    distinct = np.unique(finite)
     if len(distinct) < 2:
         return 0.4
     return 0.25 * float(np.median(np.diff(distinct)))