It's not just your imagination -- Chrome really is getting faster.

Google said today that its JavaScript benchmark tool shows Chrome is 26 percent faster than it was last year.

(Credit:

Google)

"Stability sometimes takes higher priority, but we're still manic about improving Chrome's speed," Google's Toon Verwaest said in a blog post.

One way Google avoids the bloat that has crippled other browsers over the years -- the company set up automated tests to notify engineers whenever a change in the code makes the browser slower, Verwaest said.

The company's efforts aren't limited to JavaScript improvements -- it also made recent moves to reduce the browser's startup time.

Chrome has slowly but steadily improved its market share since its debut four years ago; its focus on speed is surely a top reason why.

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