diff --git a/lark/parsers/earley.py b/lark/parsers/earley.py
index f9dfbfe..8b8b411 100644
--- a/lark/parsers/earley.py
+++ b/lark/parsers/earley.py
@@ -27,6 +27,44 @@ class Item:
     def __hash__(self):
         return hash((self.rule, self.ptr, self.start))
 
+    def __repr__(self):
+        before = map(str, self.rule.expansion[:self.ptr])
+        after = map(str, self.rule.expansion[self.ptr:])
+        return '<(%d) %s : %s * %s>' % (self.start, self.rule.origin, ' '.join(before), ' '.join(after))
+
+
+class NewsList(list):
+    def __init__(self, initial=None):
+        list.__init__(self, initial or [])
+        self.last_iter = 0
+
+    def get_news(self):
+        i = self.last_iter
+        self.last_iter = len(self)
+        return self[i:]
+
+
+class Column:
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.to_reduce = NewsList()
+        self.to_predict = NewsList()
+        self.to_scan = NewsList()
+        self.item_count = 0
+
+    def add(self, items):
+        self.item_count += len(items)
+        for item in items:
+            if item.is_complete:
+                if item not in self.to_reduce:  # Avoid infinite loop
+                    self.to_reduce.append(item)
+            else:
+                if is_terminal(item.expect):
+                    self.to_scan.append(item)
+                else:
+                    self.to_predict.append(item)
+
+    def __nonzero__(self):
+        return bool(self.item_count)
 
 class Parser:
     def __init__(self, parser_conf):
@@ -39,53 +77,53 @@ class Parser:
             if rule.origin != '$root':  # XXX kinda ugly
                 a = rule.alias
                 self.postprocess[rule] = a if callable(a) else getattr(parser_conf.callback, a)
-                self.predictions[rule.origin] = [(x.rule, x.index) for x in self.analysis.expand_rule(rule.origin)]
+                self.predictions[rule.origin] = [x.rule for x in self.analysis.expand_rule(rule.origin)]
 
     def parse(self, stream):
         # Define parser functions
 
-        def predict(symbol, i):
-            assert not is_terminal(symbol), symbol
-            return {Item(rule, index, i, []) for rule, index in self.predictions[symbol]}
+        def predict(nonterm, i):
+            assert not is_terminal(nonterm), nonterm
+            return [Item(rule, 0, i, []) for rule in self.predictions[nonterm]]
 
         def complete(item, table):
+            name = item.rule.origin
             item.data = self.postprocess[item.rule](item.data)
-            return {old_item.advance(item.data) for old_item in table[item.start]
-                    if not old_item.is_complete and old_item.expect == item.rule.origin}
+            return [i.advance(item.data) for i in table[item.start].to_predict
+                    if i.expect == name]
 
         def process_column(i, token):
             assert i == len(table)-1
             cur_set = table[i]
-            next_set = set()
-
-            to_process = cur_set
-            while to_process:
-                new_items = set()
-                for item in to_process:
-                    if item.is_complete:
-                        new_items |= complete(item, table)
-                    else:
-                        if is_terminal(item.expect):
-                            # scan
-                            match = item.expect[0](token) if callable(item.expect[0]) else item.expect[0] == token.type
-                            if match:
-                                next_set.add(item.advance(stream[i]))
-                        else:
-                            if item.ptr: # part of an already predicted batch
-                                new_items |= predict(item.expect, i)
-
-                to_process = new_items - cur_set    # TODO: is this precaution necessary?
-                cur_set |= to_process
+            next_set = Column()
 
+            while True:
+                to_predict = {x.expect for x in cur_set.to_predict.get_news()
+                              if x.ptr}  # if not part of an already predicted batch
+                to_reduce = cur_set.to_reduce.get_news()
+                if not (to_predict or to_reduce):
+                    break
+
+                for nonterm in to_predict:
+                    cur_set.add( predict(nonterm, i) )
+                for item in to_reduce:
+                    cur_set.add( complete(item, table) )
+
+
+            for item in cur_set.to_scan.get_news():
+                match = item.expect[0](token) if callable(item.expect[0]) else item.expect[0] == token.type
+                if match:
+                    next_set.add([item.advance(stream[i])])
 
             if not next_set and token.type != '$end':
-                expect = filter(is_terminal, [x.expect for x in cur_set if not x.is_complete])
+                expect = [i.expect for i in cur_set.to_scan]
                 raise UnexpectedToken(token, expect, stream, i)
 
             table.append(next_set)
 
         # Main loop starts
-        table = [predict(self.start, 0)]
+        table = [Column()]
+        table[0].add(predict(self.start, 0))
 
         for i, char in enumerate(stream):
             process_column(i, char)
@@ -93,8 +131,8 @@ class Parser:
         process_column(len(stream), EndToken())
 
         # Parse ended. Now build a parse tree
-        solutions = [n.data for n in table[len(stream)]
-                     if n.is_complete and n.rule.origin==self.start and n.start==0]
+        solutions = [n.data for n in table[len(stream)].to_reduce
+                     if n.rule.origin==self.start and n.start==0]
 
         if not solutions:
             raise ParseError('Incomplete parse: Could not find a solution to input')
diff --git a/lark/parsers/grammar_analysis.py b/lark/parsers/grammar_analysis.py
index c03d9ae..3428713 100644
--- a/lark/parsers/grammar_analysis.py
+++ b/lark/parsers/grammar_analysis.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class Rule(object):
         self.alias = alias
 
     def __repr__(self):
-        return '<%s : %s>' % (self.origin, ' '.join(self.expansion))
+        return '<%s : %s>' % (self.origin, ' '.join(map(unicode,self.expansion)))
 
 class RulePtr(object):
     def __init__(self, rule, index):