diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3eac17d7..08fbf85c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 
 - The `debug` function in the `io` module has been deprecated in favour of
   the `echo` keyword.
-- The performance of `string.append` and `string.concat` have been improved.
+- The performance of `string.append`, `string.join`, and `string.concat` have
+  been improved.
 
 ## v0.58.0 - 2025-03-23
 
diff --git a/src/gleam/string.gleam b/src/gleam/string.gleam
index fe52a640..64b65a52 100644
--- a/src/gleam/string.gleam
+++ b/src/gleam/string.gleam
@@ -432,11 +432,23 @@ fn repeat_loop(string: String, times: Int, acc: String) -> String {
 /// // -> "home/evan/Desktop"
 /// ```
 ///
-@external(javascript, "../gleam_stdlib.mjs", "join")
 pub fn join(strings: List(String), with separator: String) -> String {
-  strings
-  |> list.intersperse(with: separator)
-  |> concat
+  case strings {
+    [] -> ""
+    [first, ..rest] -> join_loop(rest, separator, first)
+  }
+}
+
+fn join_loop(
+  strings: List(String),
+  separator: String,
+  accumulator: String,
+) -> String {
+  case strings {
+    [] -> accumulator
+    [string, ..strings] ->
+      join_loop(strings, separator, accumulator <> separator <> string)
+  }
 }
 
 /// Pads the start of a `String` until it has a given length.
diff --git a/src/gleam_stdlib.mjs b/src/gleam_stdlib.mjs
index 8068c9eb..b0feabff 100644
--- a/src/gleam_stdlib.mjs
+++ b/src/gleam_stdlib.mjs
@@ -205,17 +205,6 @@ export function split(xs, pattern) {
   return List.fromArray(xs.split(pattern));
 }
 
-export function join(xs, separator) {
-  const iterator = xs[Symbol.iterator]();
-  let result = iterator.next().value || "";
-  let current = iterator.next();
-  while (!current.done) {
-    result = result + separator + current.value;
-    current = iterator.next();
-  }
-  return result;
-}
-
 export function concat(xs) {
   let result = "";
   for (const x of xs) {
diff --git a/test/gleam/string_test.gleam b/test/gleam/string_test.gleam
index df326b61..f2d63c30 100644
--- a/test/gleam/string_test.gleam
+++ b/test/gleam/string_test.gleam
@@ -161,7 +161,27 @@ pub fn repeat_test() {
   |> should.equal("")
 }
 
-pub fn join_test() {
+pub fn join_0_test() {
+  []
+  |> string.join(with: ", ")
+  |> should.equal("")
+
+  []
+  |> string.join(with: "-")
+  |> should.equal("")
+}
+
+pub fn join_1_test() {
+  ["Hello"]
+  |> string.join(with: ", ")
+  |> should.equal("Hello")
+
+  ["Hello"]
+  |> string.join(with: "-")
+  |> should.equal("Hello")
+}
+
+pub fn join_2_test() {
   ["Hello", "world!"]
   |> string.join(with: ", ")
   |> should.equal("Hello, world!")
@@ -171,6 +191,16 @@ pub fn join_test() {
   |> should.equal("Hello-world!")
 }
 
+pub fn join_3_test() {
+  ["Hello", "there", "world!"]
+  |> string.join(with: ", ")
+  |> should.equal("Hello, there, world!")
+
+  ["Hello", "there", "world!"]
+  |> string.join(with: "-")
+  |> should.equal("Hello-there-world!")
+}
+
 pub fn trim_test() {
   "  hats  \n"
   |> string.trim