diff --git a/base/operators.jl b/base/operators.jl
index a35c44276a2e4..a91122e72dd31 100644
--- a/base/operators.jl
+++ b/base/operators.jl
@@ -577,17 +577,37 @@ xor(x::Integer) = x
 
 const ⊻ = xor
 
-# foldl for argument lists. expand recursively up to a point, then
-# switch to a loop. this allows small cases like `a+b+c+d` to be inlined
+# foldl for argument lists. expand fully up to a point, then
+# switch to a loop. this allows small cases like `a+b+c+d` to be managed
 # efficiently, without a major slowdown for `+(x...)` when `x` is big.
-afoldl(op,a) = a
-afoldl(op,a,b) = op(a,b)
-afoldl(op,a,b,c...) = afoldl(op, op(a,b), c...)
-function afoldl(op,a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p,qs...)
-    y = op(op(op(op(op(op(op(op(op(op(op(op(op(op(op(a,b),c),d),e),f),g),h),i),j),k),l),m),n),o),p)
-    for x in qs; y = op(y,x); end
-    y
+# n.b.: keep this method count small, so it can be inferred without hitting the
+# method count limit in inference
+afoldl(op, a) = a
+function afoldl(op, a, bs...)
+    l = length(bs)
+    i =  0; y = a;            l == i && return y
+    #@nexprs 15 i -> (y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y)
+    i =  1; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i =  2; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i =  3; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i =  4; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i =  5; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i =  6; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i =  7; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i =  8; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i =  9; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i = 10; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i = 11; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i = 12; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i = 13; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i = 14; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    i = 15; y = op(y, bs[i]); l == i && return y
+    for i in (i + 1):l
+        y = op(y, bs[i])
+    end
+    return y
 end
+typeof(afoldl).name.mt.max_args = 18
 
 for op in (:+, :*, :&, :|, :xor, :min, :max, :kron)
     @eval begin
diff --git a/test/operators.jl b/test/operators.jl
index c14858657ce3b..7b7711037cfb7 100644
--- a/test/operators.jl
+++ b/test/operators.jl
@@ -277,3 +277,5 @@ end
 
 a = rand(3, 3)
 @test transpose(a) === a'ᵀ
+
+@test [Base.afoldl(+, 1:i...) for i = 1:40] == [i * (i + 1) ÷ 2 for i = 1:40]