diff --git a/bson/bson.h b/bson/bson.h
index 0ad7a2ca55c..9515adfd829 100644
--- a/bson/bson.h
+++ b/bson/bson.h
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ namespace mongo {
 #include "oid.h"
 #include "bsonelement.h"
 #include "bsonobj.h"
-
 #include "bsonobjbuilder.h"
 #include "bsonobjiterator.h"
 #include "bson-inl.h"
diff --git a/bson/inline_decls.h b/bson/inline_decls.h
index afe926c60e7..cc28aee7b98 100644
--- a/bson/inline_decls.h
+++ b/bson/inline_decls.h
@@ -30,3 +30,29 @@
 #define NOINLINE_DECL
 
 #endif
+
+
+/* Note: do not clutter code with these -- ONLY use in hot spots / significant loops. */
+
+//#if 1
+
+//#if !defined(__GNUC__)
+
+// branch prediction.  indicate we expect to enter the if statement body
+#define MONGOIF(x) if( (x) )
+
+// branch prediction.  indicate we expect to not enter the if statement body
+#define MONGO_IF(x) if( (x) ) 
+
+// prefetch data from memory
+#define MONGOPREFETCH(x) { /*just check we compile:*/ sizeof(*x); }
+
+#if 0
+
+#define IF(x) if( __builtin_expect((x), 1) )
+
+#define _IF(x) if( __builtin_expect((x), 0) )
+
+#define PREFETCH(x) { /*just check we compile:*/ sizeof(*x); }
+
+#endif
diff --git a/db/dur_preplogbuffer.cpp b/db/dur_preplogbuffer.cpp
index d1f05a5cede..5851e415408 100644
--- a/db/dur_preplogbuffer.cpp
+++ b/db/dur_preplogbuffer.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "../util/alignedbuilder.h"
 #include "../util/timer.h"
 #include "dur_stats.h"
+#include "../server.h"
 
 using namespace mongoutils;
 
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ namespace mongo {
             size_t ofs = 1;
             MongoMMF *mmf = findMMF_inlock(i->start(), /*out*/ofs);
 
-            if( !mmf->willNeedRemap() ) {
+            _IF( !mmf->willNeedRemap() ) {
                 // tag this mmf as needed a remap of its private view later.
                 // usually it will already be dirty/already set, so we do the if above first
                 // to avoid possibility of cpu cache line contention
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ namespace mongo {
 #endif
             bb.appendBuf(i->start(), e.len);
 
-            if (e.len != (unsigned)i->length()) {
+            _IF (e.len != (unsigned)i->length()) {
                 log() << "journal info splitting prepBasicWrite at boundary" << endl;
 
                 // This only happens if we write to the last byte in a file and
@@ -119,9 +120,21 @@ namespace mongo {
             // each time events switch to a different database we journal a JDbContext
             RelativePath lastDbPath;
 
-            for( set<WriteIntent>::iterator i = commitJob.writes().begin(); i != commitJob.writes().end(); i++ ) {
-                prepBasicWrite_inlock(bb, &(*i), lastDbPath);
-            }
+            set<WriteIntent>::iterator i = commitJob.writes().begin();
+
+            const WriteIntent *w = &(*i);
+            while(1) {
+                i++;
+                const WriteIntent *next = 0;
+                IF( i != commitJob.writes().end() ) {
+                    next = &(*i);
+                    PREFETCH(next);
+                }
+                prepBasicWrite_inlock(bb, w, lastDbPath);
+                _IF( next == 0 )
+                    break;
+                w = next;
+            };
         }
 
         void resetLogBuffer(AlignedBuilder& bb) {
diff --git a/dbtests/test.vcxproj b/dbtests/test.vcxproj
index 976682e11ff..319ae8d9a64 100644
--- a/dbtests/test.vcxproj
+++ b/dbtests/test.vcxproj
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <Project DefaultTargets="Build" ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   <ItemGroup Label="ProjectConfigurations">
     <ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|Win32">
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@
     <ClInclude Include="..\db\ops\query.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\db\ops\update.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\pcre-7.4\pcrecpp.h" />
+    <ClInclude Include="..\server.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\targetver.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\..\boostw\boost_1_34_1\boost\version.hpp" />
     <ClInclude Include="..\pcre-7.4\config.h" />
diff --git a/dbtests/test.vcxproj.filters b/dbtests/test.vcxproj.filters
index 572941e99d2..530c4267db0 100755
--- a/dbtests/test.vcxproj.filters
+++ b/dbtests/test.vcxproj.filters
@@ -301,6 +301,9 @@
     <ClInclude Include="..\db\ops\query.h">
       <Filter>db\cpp</Filter>
     </ClInclude>
+    <ClInclude Include="..\server.h">
+      <Filter>db\h</Filter>
+    </ClInclude>
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Library Include="..\..\js\js64r.lib">
@@ -515,33 +518,18 @@
     <ClCompile Include="..\util\base64.cpp">
       <Filter>util\cpp</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
-    <ClCompile Include="..\util\httpclient.cpp">
-      <Filter>util\cpp</Filter>
-    </ClCompile>
     <ClCompile Include="..\util\md5.c">
       <Filter>util\cpp</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
     <ClCompile Include="..\util\md5main.cpp">
       <Filter>util\cpp</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
-    <ClCompile Include="..\util\message.cpp">
-      <Filter>util\cpp</Filter>
-    </ClCompile>
-    <ClCompile Include="..\util\message_server_port.cpp">
-      <Filter>util\cpp</Filter>
-    </ClCompile>
-    <ClCompile Include="..\util\miniwebserver.cpp">
-      <Filter>util\cpp</Filter>
-    </ClCompile>
     <ClCompile Include="..\util\mmap.cpp">
       <Filter>util\cpp</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
     <ClCompile Include="..\util\processinfo_win32.cpp">
       <Filter>util\cpp</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
-    <ClCompile Include="..\util\sock.cpp">
-      <Filter>util\cpp</Filter>
-    </ClCompile>
     <ClCompile Include="..\util\util.cpp">
       <Filter>util\cpp</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
@@ -845,6 +833,27 @@
     <ClCompile Include="..\db\ops\query.cpp">
       <Filter>db\cpp</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
+    <ClCompile Include="..\db\dbmessage.cpp">
+      <Filter>db\cpp</Filter>
+    </ClCompile>
+    <ClCompile Include="..\util\net\message.cpp">
+      <Filter>db\cpp</Filter>
+    </ClCompile>
+    <ClCompile Include="..\util\net\listen.cpp">
+      <Filter>db\cpp</Filter>
+    </ClCompile>
+    <ClCompile Include="..\util\net\message_server_port.cpp">
+      <Filter>db\cpp</Filter>
+    </ClCompile>
+    <ClCompile Include="..\util\net\message_port.cpp">
+      <Filter>db\cpp</Filter>
+    </ClCompile>
+    <ClCompile Include="..\util\net\miniwebserver.cpp">
+      <Filter>db\cpp</Filter>
+    </ClCompile>
+    <ClCompile Include="..\util\net\sock.cpp">
+      <Filter>db\cpp</Filter>
+    </ClCompile>
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <None Include="..\SConstruct">
diff --git a/server.h b/server.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..066b87db989
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/** @file server.h
+
+    This file contains includes commonly needed in the server files (mongod, mongos, test).  It is NOT included in the C++ client.
+
+    Over time we should move more here, and more out of pch.h.  And get rid of pch.h at some point.
+*/
+
+// todo is there a boost  thign for this already?
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "bson/inline_decls.h"
+
+/* Note: do not clutter code with these -- ONLY use in hot spots / significant loops. */
+
+// branch prediction.  indicate we expect to enter the if statement body
+#define IF MONGOIF
+
+// branch prediction.  indicate we expect to not enter the if statement body
+#define _IF MONGO_IF
+
+// prefetch data from memory
+#define PREFETCH MONGOPREFETCH