diff --git a/src/wikiq/__init__.py b/src/wikiq/__init__.py
index 03e57e2..93cfe49 100755
--- a/src/wikiq/__init__.py
+++ b/src/wikiq/__init__.py
@@ -23,13 +23,14 @@ import pywikidiff2
 from deltas.tokenizers import wikitext_split
 from more_itertools import ichunked
 from mwxml import Dump
-
+import asyncio
 import wikiq.tables as tables
 from wikiq.tables import RevisionTable
 from wikiq.wiki_diff_matcher import WikiDiffMatcher
 
 TO_ENCODE = ("title", "editor")
 PERSISTENCE_RADIUS = 7
+DIFF_TIMEOUT = 60*20
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import pyarrow as pa
@@ -46,6 +47,15 @@ class PersistMethod:
     wikidiff2 = 4
 
 
+async def diff_async(differ, last_text, text):
+    async def _diff():
+        return differ.inline_json_diff(last_text, text)
+    try:
+        result = await asyncio.wait_for(_diff(), DIFF_TIMEOUT)
+    except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+        raise
+    return result
+
 def calculate_persistence(tokens_added):
     return (sum([(len(x.revisions) - 1) for x in tokens_added]), len(tokens_added))
 
@@ -493,11 +503,21 @@ class WikiqParser:
                     num_context_lines=1000000,
                     max_word_level_diff_complexity=-1,
                     moved_paragraph_detection_cutoff=-1,
+                    words_cache_capacity=10000,
+                    diff_cache_capacity=10000,
+                    stats_cache_capacity=10000,
+                )
+
+                fast_differ = pywikidiff2.pywikidiff2(
+                    num_context_lines=1000000,
+                    max_word_level_diff_complexity=40000000,
+                    moved_paragraph_detection_cutoff=100,
                     words_cache_capacity=-1,
                     diff_cache_capacity=-1,
                     stats_cache_capacity=-1,
                 )
 
+
             while not on_last_batch:
                 # first loop: next_batch <- batch;
                 # second loop: next_batch <- batch; evaluate next_batch.
@@ -657,7 +677,12 @@ class WikiqParser:
                     last_text = last_rev_text
                     new_diffs = []
                     for text in row_buffer["text"]:
-                        new_diffs.append(differ.inline_json_diff(last_text, text))
+                        try:
+                            diff = asyncio.run(diff_async(differ, last_text, text))
+                        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+                            print(f"WARNING! wikidiff2 timeout for rev: {row_buffer['revid']}. Falling back to default limits.". file=sys.stderr)
+                            diff = fast_differ.inline_json_diff(last_text, text)
+                        new_diffs.append(diff)
                         last_text = text
                     row_buffer["diff"] = [
                         [