diff --git a/src/basic/Matrix.js b/src/basic/Matrix.js
index 9b081508..d2d9c8d0 100644
--- a/src/basic/Matrix.js
+++ b/src/basic/Matrix.js
@@ -350,16 +350,22 @@ var Matrix = Base.extend(/** @lends Matrix# */{
 	 * @return {Matrix} this affine transform
 	 */
 	concatenate: function(mx) {
-		var a = this._a,
-			b = this._b,
-			c = this._c,
-			d = this._d;
-		this._a = mx._a * a + mx._c * b;
-		this._b = mx._b * a + mx._d * b;
-		this._c = mx._a * c + mx._c * d;
-		this._d = mx._b * c + mx._d * d;
-		this._tx += mx._tx * a + mx._ty * b;
-		this._ty += mx._tx * c + mx._ty * d;
+		var a1 = this._a,
+			b1 = this._b,
+			c1 = this._c,
+			d1 = this._d,
+			a2 = mx._a,
+			b2 = mx._b,
+			c2 = mx._c,
+			d2 = mx._d,
+			tx2 = mx._tx,
+			ty2 = mx._ty;
+		this._a = a2 * a1 + c2 * b1;
+		this._b = b2 * a1 + d2 * b1;
+		this._c = a2 * c1 + c2 * d1;
+		this._d = b2 * c1 + d2 * d1;
+		this._tx += tx2 * a1 + ty2 * b1;
+		this._ty += tx2 * c1 + ty2 * d1;
 		this._changed();
 		return this;
 	},
@@ -371,22 +377,50 @@ var Matrix = Base.extend(/** @lends Matrix# */{
 	 * @return {Matrix} this affine transform
 	 */
 	preConcatenate: function(mx) {
-		var a = this._a,
-			b = this._b,
-			c = this._c,
-			d = this._d,
-			tx = this._tx,
-			ty = this._ty;
-		this._a = mx._a * a + mx._b * c;
-		this._b = mx._a * b + mx._b * d;
-		this._c = mx._c * a + mx._d * c;
-		this._d = mx._c * b + mx._d * d;
-		this._tx = mx._a * tx + mx._b * ty + mx._tx;
-		this._ty = mx._c * tx + mx._d * ty + mx._ty;
+		var a1 = this._a,
+			b1 = this._b,
+			c1 = this._c,
+			d1 = this._d,
+			tx1 = this._tx,
+			ty1 = this._ty,
+			a2 = mx._a,
+			b2 = mx._b,
+			c2 = mx._c,
+			d2 = mx._d,
+			tx2 = mx._tx,
+			ty2 = mx._ty;
+		this._a = a2 * a1 + b2 * c1;
+		this._b = a2 * b1 + b2 * d1;
+		this._c = c2 * a1 + d2 * c1;
+		this._d = c2 * b1 + d2 * d1;
+		this._tx = a2 * tx1 + b2 * ty1 + tx2;
+		this._ty = c2 * tx1 + d2 * ty1 + ty2;
 		this._changed();
 		return this;
 	},
 
+	chain: function(mx) {
+		var a1 = this._a,
+			b1 = this._b,
+			c1 = this._c,
+			d1 = this._d,
+			tx1 = this._tx,
+			ty1 = this._ty,
+			a2 = mx._a,
+			b2 = mx._b,
+			c2 = mx._c,
+			d2 = mx._d,
+			tx2 = mx._tx,
+			ty2 = mx._ty;
+		return new Matrix(
+				a2 * a1 + c2 * b1,
+				a2 * c1 + c2 * d1,
+				b2 * a1 + d2 * b1,
+				b2 * c1 + d2 * d1,
+				tx1 + tx2 * a1 + ty2 * b1,
+				ty1 + tx2 * c1 + ty2 * d1);
+	},
+
 	/**
 	 * @return {Boolean} whether this transform is the identity transform
 	 */
diff --git a/src/item/Item.js b/src/item/Item.js
index 272c258e..5a1cca92 100644
--- a/src/item/Item.js
+++ b/src/item/Item.js
@@ -978,7 +978,7 @@ var Item = Base.extend(Callback, /** @lends Item# */{
 		matrix = !matrix
 				? _matrix
 				: _matrix
-					? matrix.clone().concatenate(_matrix)
+					? matrix.chain(_matrix)
 					: matrix;
 		// If we're caching bounds on this item, pass it on as cacheItem, so the
 		// children can setup the _boundsCache structures for it.
@@ -1692,7 +1692,7 @@ var Item = Base.extend(Callback, /** @lends Item# */{
 			// Keep the accumulated matrices up to this item in options, so we
 			// can keep calculating the correct _tolerancePadding values.
 			totalMatrix = options._totalMatrix = parentTotalMatrix
-					? parentTotalMatrix.clone().concatenate(matrix)
+					? parentTotalMatrix.chain(matrix)
 					// If this is the first one in the recursion, factor in the
 					// zoom of the view and the globalMatrix of the item.
 					: this.getGlobalMatrix().preConcatenate(view._matrix),
@@ -3600,7 +3600,7 @@ var Item = Base.extend(Callback, /** @lends Item# */{
 			parentMatrix = matrices[matrices.length - 1],
 			viewMatrix = param.viewMatrix,
 			matrix = this._matrix,
-			globalMatrix = parentMatrix.clone().concatenate(matrix);
+			globalMatrix = parentMatrix.chain(matrix);
 		// If this item is not invertible, do not draw it, since it would cause
 		// empty ctx.currentPath and mess up caching. It appears to also be a
 		// good idea generally to not draw in such circumstances, e.g. SVG
@@ -3613,7 +3613,7 @@ var Item = Base.extend(Callback, /** @lends Item# */{
 		// pre-concatenate the view's matrix.
 		// Note that it's only provided if it isn't the identity matrix.
 		function getViewMatrix(matrix) {
-			return viewMatrix ? viewMatrix.clone().concatenate(matrix) : matrix;
+			return viewMatrix ? viewMatrix.chain(matrix) : matrix;
 		}
 
 		// Only keep track of transformation if told so. See Project#draw()
@@ -3669,7 +3669,7 @@ var Item = Base.extend(Callback, /** @lends Item# */{
 		ctx.save();
 		// Get the transformation matrix for non-scaling strokes.
 		var strokeMatrix = parentStrokeMatrix
-				? parentStrokeMatrix.clone().concatenate(matrix)
+				? parentStrokeMatrix.chain(matrix)
 				: !this.getStrokeScaling() && getViewMatrix(globalMatrix),
 			// If we're drawing into a separate canvas and a clipItem is defined
 			// for the current rendering loop, we need to draw the clip item
@@ -3758,7 +3758,7 @@ var Item = Base.extend(Callback, /** @lends Item# */{
 			// layer level, with a fallback to #009dec
 			var color = this.getSelectedColor(true)
 					|| this.getLayer().getSelectedColor(true),
-				mx = matrix.clone().concatenate(this.getGlobalMatrix(true));
+				mx = matrix.chain(this.getGlobalMatrix(true));
 			ctx.strokeStyle = ctx.fillStyle = color
 					? color.toCanvasStyle(ctx) : '#009dec';
 			if (this._drawSelected)
diff --git a/src/path/CompoundPath.js b/src/path/CompoundPath.js
index 8f2289cf..4ed795de 100644
--- a/src/path/CompoundPath.js
+++ b/src/path/CompoundPath.js
@@ -232,7 +232,8 @@ var CompoundPath = PathItem.extend(/** @lends CompoundPath# */{
 		for (var i = 0, l = children.length; i < l; i++) {
 			var child = children[i],
 				mx = child._matrix;
-			paths.push(child.getPathData(_matrix ? _matrix.clone().concatenate(mx) : mx, _precision));
+			paths.push(child.getPathData(_matrix && !mx.isIdentity()
+					? _matrix.chain(mx) : mx, _precision));
 		}
 		return paths.join(' ');
 	}
@@ -282,7 +283,7 @@ var CompoundPath = PathItem.extend(/** @lends CompoundPath# */{
 				mx = child._matrix;
 			if (!selectedItems[child._id])
 				child._drawSelected(ctx, mx.isIdentity() ? matrix
-						: matrix.clone().concatenate(mx));
+						: matrix.chain(mx));
 		}
 	}
 }, new function() { // Injection scope for PostScript-like drawing functions