diff --git a/lark/load_grammar.py b/lark/load_grammar.py
index 47cf151..a4bef03 100644
--- a/lark/load_grammar.py
+++ b/lark/load_grammar.py
@@ -275,7 +275,9 @@ class SimplifyRule_Visitor(Visitor):
 
     def expansions(self, tree):
         self._flatten(tree)
-        tree.children = dedup_list(tree.children)
+        # Ensure all children are unique
+        if len(set(tree.children)) != len(tree.children):
+            tree.children = dedup_list(tree.children)   # dedup is expensive, so try to minimize its use
 
 
 class RuleTreeToText(Transformer):
diff --git a/lark/parsers/earley.py b/lark/parsers/earley.py
index a4ffead..59e9a06 100644
--- a/lark/parsers/earley.py
+++ b/lark/parsers/earley.py
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ class Parser:
 
         self.forest_sum_visitor = None
         for rule in parser_conf.rules:
-            self.predictions[rule.origin] = [x.rule for x in analysis.expand_rule(rule.origin)]
+            if rule.origin not in self.predictions:
+                self.predictions[rule.origin] = [x.rule for x in analysis.expand_rule(rule.origin)]
 
             ## Detect if any rules have priorities set. If the user specified priority = "none" then
             #  the priorities will be stripped from all rules before they reach us, allowing us to
diff --git a/lark/visitors.py b/lark/visitors.py
index 1ceef33..7cd108a 100644
--- a/lark/visitors.py
+++ b/lark/visitors.py
@@ -158,28 +158,30 @@ class Transformer_NonRecursive(Transformer):
     "Non-recursive. Doesn't change the original tree."
 
     def transform(self, tree):
-        q = [tree]
-
         # Tree to postfix
         rev_postfix = []
+        q = [tree]
         while q:
             t = q.pop()
             rev_postfix.append( t )
             if isinstance(t, Tree):
-                q += t.children[::-1]
+                q += t.children
 
         # Postfix to tree
         stack = []
         for x in reversed(rev_postfix):
             if isinstance(x, Tree):
                 size = len(x.children)
-                args = [stack.pop() for _ in range(size)]
+                if size:
+                    args = stack[-size:]
+                    del stack[-size:]
+                else:
+                    args = []
                 stack.append(self._call_userfunc(x, args))
             else:
                 stack.append(x)
 
         t ,= stack  # We should have only one tree remaining
-        assert t == tree
         return t
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_parser.py b/tests/test_parser.py
index 5a41c57..fcb6d22 100644
--- a/tests/test_parser.py
+++ b/tests/test_parser.py
@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@ def _read(n, *args):
         return f.read()
 
 class TestParsers(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_big_list(self):
+        Lark(r"""
+            start: {}
+        """.format(
+            "|".join(['"%s"'%i for i in range(250)])
+        ))
+
     def test_same_ast(self):
         "Tests that Earley and LALR parsers produce equal trees"
         g = Lark(r"""start: "(" name_list ("," "*" NAME)? ")"