diff --git a/keras/src/ops/operation_utils.py b/keras/src/ops/operation_utils.py
index b1ac2621de0a..187eff370243 100644
--- a/keras/src/ops/operation_utils.py
+++ b/keras/src/ops/operation_utils.py
@@ -29,23 +29,26 @@ def broadcast_shapes(shape1, shape2):
     origin_shape1 = shape1
     origin_shape2 = shape2
 
-    if len(shape1) > len(shape2):
-        shape2 = [1] * (len(shape1) - len(shape2)) + shape2
-    if len(shape1) < len(shape2):
-        shape1 = [1] * (len(shape2) - len(shape1)) + shape1
-    output_shape = list(shape1)
-    for i in range(len(shape1)):
-        if shape1[i] == 1:
-            output_shape[i] = shape2[i]
-        elif shape1[i] is None:
-            output_shape[i] = None if shape2[i] == 1 else shape2[i]
+    len1, len2 = len(shape1), len(shape2)
+    if len1 > len2:
+        shape2 = [1] * (len1 - len2) + shape2
+    elif len1 < len2:
+        shape1 = [1] * (len2 - len1) + shape1
+
+    # Avoid the unnecessary output_shape = list(shape1): just use a new list since most elements may be replaced
+    output_shape = []
+    for dim1, dim2 in zip(shape1, shape2):
+        if dim1 == 1:
+            output_shape.append(dim2)
+        elif dim1 is None:
+            output_shape.append(None if dim2 == 1 else dim2)
         else:
-            if shape2[i] == 1 or shape2[i] is None or shape2[i] == shape1[i]:
-                output_shape[i] = shape1[i]
+            if dim2 == 1 or dim2 is None or dim2 == dim1:
+                output_shape.append(dim1)
             else:
                 raise ValueError(
                     "Cannot broadcast shape, the failure dim has value "
-                    f"{shape1[i]}, which cannot be broadcasted to {shape2[i]}. "
+                    f"{dim1}, which cannot be broadcasted to {dim2}. "
                     f"Input shapes are: {origin_shape1} and {origin_shape2}."
                 )
 
@@ -353,9 +356,15 @@ def compute_take_along_axis_output_shape(input_shape, indices_shape, axis):
     input_shape = list(input_shape)
     indices_shape = list(indices_shape)
     if axis is None:
-        input_shape = (
-            [None] if None in input_shape else [int(np.prod(input_shape))]
-        )
+        # Avoid np.prod if there are no None values (np.prod is relatively expensive for short lists)
+        if None in input_shape:
+            input_shape = [None]
+        else:
+            prod = 1
+            for d in input_shape:
+                prod *= d
+            input_shape = [int(prod)]
+
 
     if len(input_shape) != len(indices_shape):
         raise ValueError(