diff --git a/src/combinations.rs b/src/combinations.rs
index c75f6e6e1..6df9b4e40 100644
--- a/src/combinations.rs
+++ b/src/combinations.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 use std::ops::Index;
 use std::fmt;
+use std::iter::{self, Empty};
 
 /// An iterator to iterate through all the `n`-length combinations in an iterator.
 ///
@@ -20,31 +21,37 @@ impl<I> fmt::Debug for Combinations<I>
     debug_fmt_fields!(Combinations, n, indices, pool, first);
 }
 
-/// Create a new `Combinations` from a clonable iterator.
+/// Create a new `Combinations` from a cloneable iterator.
 pub fn combinations<I>(iter: I, n: usize) -> Combinations<I>
     where I: Iterator
 {
-    let mut indices: Vec<usize> = Vec::with_capacity(n);
-    for i in 0..n {
-        indices.push(i);
-    }
     let mut pool: LazyBuffer<I> = LazyBuffer::new(iter);
-
     for _ in 0..n {
         if !pool.get_next() {
             break;
         }
     }
+    Combinations::new(n, pool)
+}
 
-    Combinations {
-        n: n,
-        indices: indices,
-        pool: pool,
-        first: true,
+impl<I> Combinations<I>
+    where I: Iterator
+{
+    fn new(n: usize, pool: LazyBuffer<I>) -> Combinations<I> {
+        Combinations {
+            n: n,
+            indices: (0..n).collect(),
+            pool: pool,
+            first: true,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Fast construction from a slice.
+    pub(crate) fn from_slice<T: Clone>(src: &[T], n: usize) -> Combinations<Empty<T>> {
+        let pool = LazyBuffer::<Empty<T>>::from_slice(src);
+        Combinations::new(n, pool)
     }
-}
 
-impl<I: Iterator> Combinations<I> {
     #[inline]
     /// Returns the length of a combination produced by this iterator.
     pub fn n(&self) -> usize { self.n }
@@ -132,6 +139,14 @@ impl<I> LazyBuffer<I>
         }
     }
 
+    fn from_slice<T: Clone>(src: &[T]) -> LazyBuffer<Empty<T>> {
+        LazyBuffer {
+            it: iter::empty::<T>(),
+            done: true,
+            buffer: src.to_owned(),
+        }
+    }
+
     pub fn len(&self) -> usize {
         self.buffer.len()
     }
diff --git a/src/powerset.rs b/src/powerset.rs
index 8d603096a..fed602c2e 100644
--- a/src/powerset.rs
+++ b/src/powerset.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-use std::vec::IntoIter;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::usize;
-use super::combinations::{self, Combinations};
+use std::iter::{self, Empty};
+use super::combinations::Combinations;
 use super::size_hint;
 
 /// An iterator over the powerset of all elements from its source iterator.
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub struct Powerset<I: Iterator> {
     pos: usize,
 }
 
-type SetCombinations<I> = Combinations<IntoIter<<I as Iterator>::Item>>;
+type SetCombinations<I> = Combinations<iter::Empty<<I as Iterator>::Item>>;
 
 impl<I> fmt::Debug for Powerset<I>
     where I: Iterator + fmt::Debug,
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ impl<I> fmt::Debug for Powerset<I>
 
 /// Create a new `Powerset` from a cloneable iterator.
 pub fn powerset<I>(src: I) -> Powerset<I>
-    where I: Iterator,
-          I::Item: Clone
+    where I: Iterator
 {
     let (src_low, _) = src.size_hint();
 
@@ -57,8 +56,7 @@ impl<I> Powerset<I>
             None => 2
         };
 
-        let iter = self.buf.clone().into_iter();
-        let mut combs = combinations::combinations(iter, new_len);
+        let mut combs = Combinations::<Empty<I::Item>>::from_slice(&self.buf[..], new_len);
         let result = combs.next();
         self.combs = Some(combs);