diff --git a/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h b/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h
index 2126aff36..d631016cb 100644
--- a/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h
+++ b/src/include/ngspice/cktdefs.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "ngspice/sen2defs.h"
 #include "ngspice/pzdefs.h"
 #include "ngspice/noisedef.h"
+#include "ngspice/hash.h"
 
 
 
@@ -281,6 +282,8 @@ struct CKTcircuit {
                                    contains only linear elements */
     unsigned int CKTnoopac:1; /* flag to indicate that OP will not be evaluated
                                  during AC simulation */
+
+    NGHASHPTR DEVnameHash;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/cktdest.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/cktdest.c
index 4584f90c0..5f441743c 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/cktdest.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/cktdest.c
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ CKTdestroy(CKTcircuit *ckt)
     FREE(ckt->evt);
 #endif
 
+    nghash_free(ckt->DEVnameHash, NULL, NULL);
     FREE(ckt);
     return(OK);
 }
diff --git a/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c b/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
index 549287d9c..3f8adce06 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ CKTcrtElt(CKTcircuit *ckt, GENmodel *modPtr, GENinstance **inInstPtr, IFuid name
 
     modPtr->GENinstances = instPtr;
 
+    nghash_insert(ckt->DEVnameHash, name, instPtr);
+
     if(inInstPtr != NULL)
 	*inInstPtr = instPtr;
 
diff --git a/src/spicelib/devices/cktfinddev.c b/src/spicelib/devices/cktfinddev.c
index 19359fe69..4e423cf95 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/devices/cktfinddev.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/devices/cktfinddev.c
@@ -10,17 +10,6 @@ Author: 1985 Thomas L. Quarles
 #include "string.h"
 
 
-static GENinstance *
-find_instance(GENinstance *here, IFuid name)
-{
-    for (; here; here = here->GENnextInstance)
-        if (here->GENname == name)
-            return here;
-
-    return NULL;
-}
-
-
 int
 CKTfndDev(CKTcircuit *ckt, int *type, GENinstance **fast, IFuid name, GENmodel *modfast)
 {
@@ -36,8 +25,8 @@ CKTfndDev(CKTcircuit *ckt, int *type, GENinstance **fast, IFuid name, GENmodel *
 
     /* we know the model `modfast', but need to find the device instance */
     if (modfast) {
-        here = find_instance(modfast->GENinstances, name);
-        if (here) {
+        here = nghash_find(ckt->DEVnameHash, name);
+        if (here && here->GENmodPtr == modfast) {
             if (fast)
                 *fast = here;
 
@@ -54,8 +43,8 @@ CKTfndDev(CKTcircuit *ckt, int *type, GENinstance **fast, IFuid name, GENmodel *
         /* look through all models */
         for (mods = ckt->CKThead[*type]; mods ; mods = mods->GENnextModel) {
             /* and all instances */
-                here = find_instance(mods->GENinstances, name);
-                if (here) {
+                here = nghash_find(ckt->DEVnameHash, name);
+                if (here && here->GENmodPtr == mods) {
                     if (fast)
                         *fast = here;
                     return OK;
@@ -72,8 +61,8 @@ CKTfndDev(CKTcircuit *ckt, int *type, GENinstance **fast, IFuid name, GENmodel *
             /* look through all models */
             for (mods = ckt->CKThead[*type]; mods; mods = mods->GENnextModel) {
                 /* and all instances */
-                    here = find_instance(mods->GENinstances, name);
-                    if (here) {
+                    here = nghash_find(ckt->DEVnameHash, name);
+                    if (here && here->GENmodPtr == mods) {
                         if (fast)
                             *fast = here;
                         return OK;
diff --git a/src/spicelib/devices/cktinit.c b/src/spicelib/devices/cktinit.c
index 3f9c3e71f..8f81c3cbe 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/devices/cktinit.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/devices/cktinit.c
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ CKTinit(CKTcircuit **ckt)		/* new circuit to create */
     sckt->CKTabsDv = 0.5;
     sckt->CKTrelDv = 2.0;
     sckt->CKTvarHertz = 0;
+    sckt->DEVnameHash = nghash_init_pointer(100);
 
 #ifdef XSPICE
 /* gtri - begin - wbk - allocate/initialize substructs */