diff --git a/src/web/DomElement.C b/src/web/DomElement.C
index cbed472a..87f58f7c 100644
--- a/src/web/DomElement.C
+++ b/src/web/DomElement.C
@@ -904,6 +904,101 @@ void DomElement::setJavaScriptEvent(EscapeOStream& out,
   // events on the dom root container are events received by the whole
   // document when no element has focus
 
+  // Fast path: most exposed-signal handlers are produced by setEvent() from a
+  // small set of deterministic templates. Recognize the three common shapes
+  // (simple update, guarded update, anchor-guarded update) and emit a call
+  // into a shared closure factory in Wt.js instead of a unique per-element
+  // `function fNNN(event) { ... }` declaration. The factory closures
+  // reproduce the inlined handler body exactly; this is a payload-size
+  // optimization, not a behavior change. Other handler shapes fall through
+  // to the unchanged per-element function emission below.
+  if (!globalUnfocused_ && !handler.signalName.empty()) {
+    static const std::string prelude = "var e=event||window.event,o=this;";
+
+    const std::string& body = handler.jsCode;
+    if (body.size() > prelude.size()
+        && body.compare(0, prelude.size(), prelude) == 0) {
+      static const std::string anchorOpen =
+        "if(e.ctrlKey||e.metaKey||e.shiftKey||(" WT_CLASS ".button(e) > 1))"
+        "return true;else{";
+
+      std::size_t bodyStart = prelude.size();
+      std::size_t bodyEnd = body.size();
+      bool anchor = false;
+      if (body.size() >= bodyStart + anchorOpen.size() + 1
+          && body.compare(bodyStart, anchorOpen.size(), anchorOpen) == 0
+          && body.back() == '}') {
+        anchor = true;
+        bodyStart += anchorOpen.size();
+        --bodyEnd;
+      }
+
+      // Keep the "Wt-no-default" string and the cancelEvent/preventDefault
+      // structure in sync with the HandlerChecks built by
+      // WInteractWidget::updateSignalConnection() and with the same string
+      // in the _mkgu / _mkau factories in src/web/skeleton/Wt.{,min.}js.
+      // Detection deliberately uses the literal here rather than the
+      // WInteractWidget::noDefault constant so that a future rename of the
+      // constant fails closed (handlers fall through to per-element
+      // function emission, payload regresses) rather than silently
+      // running a factory whose Wt.js body still checks the old class.
+      const std::string handlerChecks =
+        "if(o.classList.contains('" + app->theme()->disabledClass() + "')){"
+        WT_CLASS ".cancelEvent(e);return;}"
+        "if(o.classList.contains('Wt-no-default')){e.preventDefault();}";
+
+      bool guarded = false;
+      if (bodyEnd >= bodyStart + handlerChecks.size()
+          && body.compare(bodyStart, handlerChecks.size(), handlerChecks) == 0) {
+        guarded = true;
+        bodyStart += handlerChecks.size();
+      }
+
+      // The anchor-without-guard shape is reachable only from direct
+      // DomElement::setEvent callers on a raw <a> element (stock Wt anchor
+      // clicks always go through WInteractWidget, which injects HandlerChecks
+      // before setEvent runs). Skip optimizing that case; the AnchorGuarded
+      // factory adds a disabled-class check the original handler did not run,
+      // which would be observable behavior change.
+      if (anchor && !guarded) {
+        // fall through to per-element function emission
+      } else {
+        const std::string updateCall =
+          app->javaScriptClass() + "._p_.update(o,'" + handler.signalName +
+          "',e,true);";
+
+        if (bodyEnd - bodyStart == updateCall.size()
+            && body.compare(bodyStart, updateCall.size(), updateCall) == 0) {
+          // Factory contract: _mksu(app, sig) takes two arguments;
+          // _mkgu(app, dc, sig) and _mkau(app, dc, sig) take three. Keep
+          // emission below in sync with these signatures.
+          const char *factory =
+              anchor ? "._mkau(" :
+              guarded ? "._mkgu(" :
+              "._mksu(";
+          const bool wheelOnIE =
+            (eventName == WInteractWidget::WHEEL_SIGNAL &&
+             app->environment().agentIsIE() &&
+             static_cast<unsigned int>(app->environment().agent()) >=
+             static_cast<unsigned int>(UserAgent::IE9));
+          declare(out);
+          if (wheelOnIE)
+            out << var_ << ".addEventListener('wheel',";
+          else
+            out << var_ << ".on" << eventName << '=';
+          out << WT_CLASS << factory << app->javaScriptClass();
+          if (anchor || guarded)
+            out << ",'" << app->theme()->disabledClass() << '\'';
+          out << ",'" << handler.signalName << "')";
+          if (wheelOnIE)
+            out << ",false)";
+          out << ";\n";
+          return;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   unsigned fid = nextId_++;
 
   out << "function f" << fid << "(event) { ";
diff --git a/src/web/skeleton/Wt.js b/src/web/skeleton/Wt.js
index ddccc773..f5eb211c 100644
--- a/src/web/skeleton/Wt.js
+++ b/src/web/skeleton/Wt.js
@@ -740,6 +740,50 @@ if (!window._$_WT_CLASS_$_) {
       }
     };
 
+    // Closure factories used by DomElement::setJavaScriptEvent() to avoid
+    // emitting a unique `function fNNN(event){...}` declaration for every
+    // exposed-signal event handler. Each factory returns a per-element
+    // closure whose body reproduces, byte-for-byte at runtime, the inlined
+    // handler that DomElement::setEvent() would otherwise have built.
+    //
+    // _mksu — simple update: just the signal dispatch.
+    // _mkgu — guarded update: disabled-class + no-default-class checks,
+    //         then signal dispatch (non-anchor click pattern).
+    // _mkau — anchor-guarded update: ctrl/meta/shift / non-primary-button
+    //         bypass, then guarded update (anchor click pattern).
+    //
+    // The literal "Wt-no-default" below must match WInteractWidget::noDefault
+    // (src/Wt/WInteractWidget.C) and the matching literal in
+    // DomElement::setJavaScriptEvent(). All three sites must be updated
+    // together if that class name ever changes.
+    this._mksu = function(app, sig) {
+      return function(event) {
+        const e = event || window.event, o = this;
+        app._p_.update(o, sig, e, true);
+      };
+    };
+
+    this._mkgu = function(app, dc, sig) {
+      return function(event) {
+        const e = event || window.event, o = this;
+        if (o.classList.contains(dc)) { WT.cancelEvent(e); return; }
+        if (o.classList.contains("Wt-no-default")) { e.preventDefault(); }
+        app._p_.update(o, sig, e, true);
+      };
+    };
+
+    this._mkau = function(app, dc, sig) {
+      return function(event) {
+        const e = event || window.event, o = this;
+        if (e.ctrlKey || e.metaKey || e.shiftKey || (WT.button(e) > 1)) {
+          return true;
+        }
+        if (o.classList.contains(dc)) { WT.cancelEvent(e); return; }
+        if (o.classList.contains("Wt-no-default")) { e.preventDefault(); }
+        app._p_.update(o, sig, e, true);
+      };
+    };
+
     this.getElement = function(id) {
       let el = document.getElementById(id);
       if (!el) {