diff --git a/src/path-chemistry.cpp b/src/path-chemistry.cpp
index 9a1d67e16ec008a21fdb7c58e12947cb04f7ac51..b58fa4f15088da67958de0dd1b57546e5064ffa9 100644
--- a/src/path-chemistry.cpp
+++ b/src/path-chemistry.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include "verbs.h"
 
 #include "display/curve.h"
+#include "display/sp-canvas.h"
 
 #include "object/box3d.h"
 #include "object/object-set.h"
@@ -207,7 +208,8 @@ ObjectSet::breakApart(bool skip_undo)
         desktop()->messageStack()->flash(Inkscape::IMMEDIATE_MESSAGE, _("Breaking apart paths..."));
         // set "busy" cursor
         desktop()->setWaitingCursor();
-    
+        // disable redrawing during the break-apart operation for remarkable speedup for large paths
+        desktop()->getCanvas()->_drawing_disabled = true;
     }
 
     bool did = false;
@@ -281,9 +283,11 @@ ObjectSet::breakApart(bool skip_undo)
         g_free(style);
         g_free(path_effect);
     }
-    
-    if(desktop())
+
+    if (desktop()) {
+        desktop()->getCanvas()->_drawing_disabled = false;
         desktop()->clearWaitingCursor();
+    }
 
     if (did) {
         if ( !skip_undo ) {
diff --git a/src/splivarot.cpp b/src/splivarot.cpp
index b986af32ea06ad35703b19ba4a1ff59cb63bb1b3..1f4b4e9b514ec925c71ec63bf1dcb48a92d2500d 100644
--- a/src/splivarot.cpp
+++ b/src/splivarot.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
 #include "text-editing.h"
 #include "verbs.h"
 
+#include "display/sp-canvas.h"
+
 #include "helper/geom.h"
 
 #include "livarot/Path.h"
@@ -321,7 +323,11 @@ BoolOpErrors Inkscape::ObjectSet::pathBoolOp(bool_op bop, const bool skip_undo,
 {
     if (nullptr != desktop() && !checked) {
         SPDocument *doc = desktop()->getDocument();
+        // don't redraw the canvas during the operation as that can remarkably slow down the progress
+        desktop()->getCanvas()->_drawing_disabled = true;
         BoolOpErrors returnCode = ObjectSet::pathBoolOp(bop, true, true);
+        desktop()->getCanvas()->_drawing_disabled = false;
+
         switch(returnCode) {
         case ERR_TOO_LESS_PATHS_1:
             boolop_display_error_message(desktop(), _("Select <b>at least 1 path</b> to perform a boolean union."));