diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 8fef9c30..822d0291 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ testing = ["xkb"]
 
 [dependencies]
 xkb-core = { version = "0.2.0", path = "xkb-core", optional = true }
+compact_str = "0.8"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 wkb = { package = "wayland-keyboard", path = ".", features = ["testing"] }
diff --git a/bench.sh b/bench.sh
index 16fe982a..398203ce 100755
--- a/bench.sh
+++ b/bench.sh
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ echo ""
 
 # ── 1. Speed Benchmarks (Criterion) ─────────────────────────────────
 echo "▶ [1/3] Speed benchmarks (Criterion)"
-echo "  Running: cargo bench --bench bench_speed"
+echo "  Running: cargo bench --bench bench_setup --bench bench_key --bench bench_compose"
 echo ""
-cargo bench --bench bench_speed 2>&1 | tee "$RESULTS_DIR/speed.txt"
+cargo bench --bench bench_setup --bench bench_key --bench bench_compose 2>&1 | tee "$RESULTS_DIR/speed.txt"
 echo ""
 
 # ── 2. Memory Benchmarks ────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/scripts/generate_benchmark_table.js b/scripts/generate_benchmark_table.js
index 43dca678..af4f1d3f 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_benchmark_table.js
+++ b/scripts/generate_benchmark_table.js
@@ -59,14 +59,15 @@ function generateSpeedTable() {
     const groups = fs.readdirSync(CRITERION_DIR)
         .filter(d => !d.startsWith('.') && d !== 'report');
 
-    // Criterion stores groups with '_' separators in directory names
+    // Criterion stores group names using '/' as directory separators.
+    // The benchmark groups are defined in bench_setup.rs, bench_key.rs, bench_compose.rs.
     const interesting = [
-        { dir: 'full_setup',             label: 'Full setup' },
-        { dir: 'key_update',             label: 'Key update' },
-        { dir: 'key_get_utf8',           label: 'Get UTF-8' },
-        { dir: 'key_get_sym',            label: 'Get keysym' },
-        { dir: 'compose_setup',          label: 'Compose setup', combine: ['compose_table_creation', 'compose_state_creation'] },
-        { dir: 'compose_feed',           label: 'Compose feed' },
+        { dir: 'setup/with_compose',     label: 'Full setup (with compose)' },
+        { dir: 'setup/no_compose',       label: 'Setup (no compose)' },
+        { dir: 'key/update',             label: 'Key update' },
+        { dir: 'key/get_char',           label: 'Key get char' },
+        { dir: 'key/get_sym',            label: 'Key get sym' },
+        { dir: 'compose/feed',           label: 'Compose feed' },
     ];
 
     const rows = [];
diff --git a/src/composer.rs b/src/composer.rs
index ad018070..d2ad120f 100644
--- a/src/composer.rs
+++ b/src/composer.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use compact_str::CompactString;
+
 /// Token fed into the composer: either a regular character or a Compose key press
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum Token {
@@ -8,7 +10,7 @@ pub enum Token {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum ComposeState {
     Idle(char),
-    Composing(String),
+    Composing(CompactString),
     Finished(char),
     Cancelled,
 }
@@ -84,12 +86,12 @@ impl Composer {
     /// Returns an opinionated display string of the in-progress compose sequence.
     /// Compose key shows as `·` if it is the last token pressed.
     /// Characters show as themselves.
-    pub fn pending_string(&self) -> String {
+    pub fn pending_string(&self) -> CompactString {
         if self.pending.is_empty() {
-            return String::new();
+            return CompactString::default();
         }
 
-        let mut s = String::with_capacity(self.pending.len());
+        let mut s = CompactString::with_capacity(self.pending.len());
         let last = self.pending.len() - 1;
 
         for token in &self.pending[..last] {