diff --git a/src/renderers/shared/fiber/ReactFiberUpdateQueue.js b/src/renderers/shared/fiber/ReactFiberUpdateQueue.js
index 544db31edb..721ff0259c 100644
--- a/src/renderers/shared/fiber/ReactFiberUpdateQueue.js
+++ b/src/renderers/shared/fiber/ReactFiberUpdateQueue.js
@@ -162,6 +162,26 @@ function insertUpdateIntoQueue(queue, update, insertAfter, insertBefore) {
   }
 }
 
+// Returns the update after which the incoming update should be inserted into
+// the queue, or null if it should be inserted at beginning.
+function findInsertionPosition(queue, update) : Update | null {
+  const priorityLevel = update.priorityLevel;
+  let insertAfter = null;
+  let insertBefore = null;
+  if (queue.last && comparePriority(queue.last.priorityLevel, priorityLevel) <= 0) {
+    // Fast path for the common case where the update should be inserted at
+    // the end of the queue.
+    insertAfter = queue.last;
+  } else {
+    insertBefore = queue.first;
+    while (insertBefore && comparePriority(insertBefore.priorityLevel, priorityLevel) <= 0) {
+      insertAfter = insertBefore;
+      insertBefore = insertBefore.next;
+    }
+  }
+  return insertAfter;
+}
+
 // The work-in-progress queue is a subset of the current queue (if it exists).
 // We need to insert the incoming update into both lists. However, it's possible
 // that the correct position in one list will be different from the position in
@@ -189,7 +209,6 @@ function insertUpdateIntoQueue(queue, update, insertAfter, insertBefore) {
 //
 // However, if incoming update is inserted into the same position of both lists,
 // we shouldn't make a copy.
-
 function insertUpdate(fiber : Fiber, update : Update, methodName : ?string) : void {
   const queue1 = ensureUpdateQueue(fiber);
   const queue2 = fiber.alternate ? ensureUpdateQueue(fiber.alternate) : null;
@@ -218,54 +237,40 @@ function insertUpdate(fiber : Fiber, update : Update, methodName : ?string) : vo
     }
   }
 
-  const priorityLevel = update.priorityLevel;
+  // Find the insertion position in the first queue.
+  const insertAfter1 = findInsertionPosition(queue1, update);
+  const insertBefore1 = insertAfter1 ? insertAfter1.next : queue1.first;
 
-  let queue = queue1;
-  let insertAfter1;
-  let insertBefore1;
-  let insertAfter2;
-  let insertBefore2;
-  for (let i = 0; queue && i < 2; i++) {
-    let insertAfter = null;
-    let insertBefore = null;
-    if (queue.last && comparePriority(queue.last.priorityLevel, priorityLevel) <= 0) {
-      // Fast path for the common case where the update should be inserted at
-      // the end of the queue.
-      insertAfter = queue.last;
-    } else {
-      insertBefore = queue.first;
-      while (insertBefore && comparePriority(insertBefore.priorityLevel, priorityLevel) <= 0) {
-        insertAfter = insertBefore;
-        insertBefore = insertBefore.next;
-      }
-    }
-    if (i === 0) {
-      insertAfter1 = insertAfter;
-      insertBefore1 = insertBefore;
-      queue = queue2;
-    } else {
-      insertAfter2 = insertAfter;
-      insertBefore2 = insertBefore;
-      queue = null;
-    }
+  if (!queue2) {
+    // If there's no alternate queue, there's nothing else to do but insert.
+    insertUpdateIntoQueue(queue1, update, insertAfter1, insertBefore1);
+    return;
   }
 
-  const update1 = update;
-  insertUpdateIntoQueue(queue1, update1, insertAfter1, insertBefore1);
+  // If there is an alternate queue, find the insertion position.
+  const insertAfter2 = findInsertionPosition(queue2, update);
+  const insertBefore2 = insertAfter2 ? insertAfter2.next : queue2.first;
 
-  if (queue2) {
-    let update2;
-    if (insertBefore1 === insertBefore2) {
-      // The update is inserted into the same position of both lists. There's no
-      // need to clone the update.
-      update2 = update1;
-    } else {
-      // The update is inserted into two separate positions. Make a clone of the
-      // update and insert it twice. One or the other will be dropped the next
-      // time we commit.
-      update2 = cloneUpdate(update1);
-    }
+  // Now we can insert into the first queue. This must come after finding both
+  // insertion positions because it mutates the list.
+  insertUpdateIntoQueue(queue1, update, insertAfter1, insertBefore1);
+
+  if (insertBefore1 !== insertBefore2) {
+    // The insertion positions are different, so we need to clone the update and
+    // insert the clone into the alternate queue.
+    const update2 = cloneUpdate(update);
     insertUpdateIntoQueue(queue2, update2, insertAfter2, insertBefore2);
+  } else {
+    // The insertion positions are the same, so when we inserted into the first
+    // queue, it also inserted into the alternate. All we need to do is update
+    // the alternate queue's `first` and `last` pointers, in case they
+    // have changed.
+    if (!insertAfter2) {
+      queue2.first = update;
+    }
+    if (!insertBefore2) {
+      queue2.last = null;
+    }
   }
 }