diff --git a/src/catch2/interfaces/catch_interfaces_reporter.hpp b/src/catch2/interfaces/catch_interfaces_reporter.hpp
index 86264118..c7217889 100644
--- a/src/catch2/interfaces/catch_interfaces_reporter.hpp
+++ b/src/catch2/interfaces/catch_interfaces_reporter.hpp
@@ -115,6 +115,11 @@ namespace Catch {
         //! Catch2 should call `Reporter::assertionEnded` even for passing
         //! assertions
         bool shouldReportAllAssertions = false;
+        //! Catch2 should call `Reporter::assertionStarting` for all assertions
+        // Defaults to true for backwards compatibility, but none of our current
+        // reporters actually want this, and it enables a fast path in assertion
+        // handling.
+        bool shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = true;
     };
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/catch2/internal/catch_run_context.cpp b/src/catch2/internal/catch_run_context.cpp
index b23c2146..df40d445 100644
--- a/src/catch2/internal/catch_run_context.cpp
+++ b/src/catch2/internal/catch_run_context.cpp
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ namespace Catch {
         m_lastKnownLineInfo("DummyLocation", static_cast<size_t>(-1)),
         m_outputRedirect( makeOutputRedirect( m_reporter->getPreferences().shouldRedirectStdOut ) ),
         m_abortAfterXFailedAssertions( m_config->abortAfter() ),
+        m_reportAssertionStarting( m_reporter->getPreferences().shouldReportAllAssertionStarts ),
         m_includeSuccessfulResults( m_config->includeSuccessfulResults() || m_reporter->getPreferences().shouldReportAllAssertions ),
         m_shouldDebugBreak( m_config->shouldDebugBreak() )
     {
@@ -309,8 +310,10 @@ namespace Catch {
     }
 
     void RunContext::notifyAssertionStarted( AssertionInfo const& info ) {
-        auto _ = scopedDeactivate( *m_outputRedirect );
-        m_reporter->assertionStarting( info );
+        if (m_reportAssertionStarting) {
+            auto _ = scopedDeactivate( *m_outputRedirect );
+            m_reporter->assertionStarting( info );
+        }
     }
 
     bool RunContext::sectionStarted( StringRef sectionName,
diff --git a/src/catch2/internal/catch_run_context.hpp b/src/catch2/internal/catch_run_context.hpp
index ed3fda93..da320fe8 100644
--- a/src/catch2/internal/catch_run_context.hpp
+++ b/src/catch2/internal/catch_run_context.hpp
@@ -159,6 +159,9 @@ namespace Catch {
         size_t m_abortAfterXFailedAssertions;
         bool m_lastAssertionPassed = false;
         bool m_shouldReportUnexpected = true;
+        // Caches whether `assertionStarting` events should be sent to the reporter.
+        bool m_reportAssertionStarting;
+        // Caches whether `assertionEnded` events for successful assertions should be sent to the reporter
         bool m_includeSuccessfulResults;
         // Caches m_config->shouldDebugBreak() to avoid vptr calls/allow inlining
         bool m_shouldDebugBreak;
diff --git a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_automake.hpp b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_automake.hpp
index a639428c..d920adf6 100644
--- a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_automake.hpp
+++ b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_automake.hpp
@@ -19,9 +19,11 @@ namespace Catch {
     public:
         // GCC5 compat: we cannot use inherited constructor, because it
         //              doesn't implement backport of P0136
-        AutomakeReporter(ReporterConfig&& _config):
-            StreamingReporterBase(CATCH_MOVE(_config))
-        {}
+        AutomakeReporter( ReporterConfig&& _config ):
+            StreamingReporterBase( CATCH_MOVE( _config ) ) {
+            m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = false;
+        }
+
         ~AutomakeReporter() override;
 
         static std::string getDescription() {
diff --git a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_compact.hpp b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_compact.hpp
index d95bbff1..a6437c68 100644
--- a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_compact.hpp
+++ b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_compact.hpp
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@ namespace Catch {
 
     class CompactReporter final : public StreamingReporterBase {
     public:
-        using StreamingReporterBase::StreamingReporterBase;
+        CompactReporter( ReporterConfig&& _config ):
+            StreamingReporterBase( CATCH_MOVE( _config ) ) {
+            m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = false;
+        }
 
         ~CompactReporter() override;
 
diff --git a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_console.cpp b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_console.cpp
index 0af47115..acb4ae8e 100644
--- a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_console.cpp
+++ b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_console.cpp
@@ -401,7 +401,10 @@ ConsoleReporter::ConsoleReporter(ReporterConfig&& config):
                 { "est run time high mean  high std dev", 14, Justification::Right }
             };
         }
-    }())) {}
+    }())) {
+    m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = false;
+}
+
 ConsoleReporter::~ConsoleReporter() = default;
 
 std::string ConsoleReporter::getDescription() {
diff --git a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_json.cpp b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_json.cpp
index bf761245..4328d560 100644
--- a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_json.cpp
+++ b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_json.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ namespace Catch {
         //      not, but for machine-parseable reporters I think the answer
         //      should be yes.
         m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertions = true;
+        // We only handle assertions when they end
+        m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = false;
 
         m_objectWriters.emplace( m_stream );
         m_writers.emplace( Writer::Object );
diff --git a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_junit.cpp b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_junit.cpp
index 27bdfe28..df34f17b 100644
--- a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_junit.cpp
+++ b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_junit.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ namespace Catch {
         {
             m_preferences.shouldRedirectStdOut = true;
             m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertions = false;
+            m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = false;
             m_shouldStoreSuccesfulAssertions = false;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_multi.cpp b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_multi.cpp
index 531902be..6bf9bcbd 100644
--- a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_multi.cpp
+++ b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_multi.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ namespace Catch {
             reporterish.getPreferences().shouldRedirectStdOut;
         m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertions |=
             reporterish.getPreferences().shouldReportAllAssertions;
+        m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts |=
+            reporterish.getPreferences().shouldReportAllAssertionStarts;
     }
 
     void MultiReporter::addListener( IEventListenerPtr&& listener ) {
diff --git a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_multi.hpp b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_multi.hpp
index 66113837..d206663e 100644
--- a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_multi.hpp
+++ b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_multi.hpp
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ namespace Catch {
         void updatePreferences(IEventListener const& reporterish);
 
     public:
+        MultiReporter( IConfig const* config ):
+            IEventListener( config ) {
+            m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = false;
+        }
+
         using IEventListener::IEventListener;
 
         void addListener( IEventListenerPtr&& listener );
diff --git a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_sonarqube.hpp b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_sonarqube.hpp
index 509f411e..98803a2a 100644
--- a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_sonarqube.hpp
+++ b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_sonarqube.hpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ namespace Catch {
         , xml(m_stream) {
             m_preferences.shouldRedirectStdOut = true;
             m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertions = false;
+            m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = false;
             m_shouldStoreSuccesfulAssertions = false;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_tap.hpp b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_tap.hpp
index e6889bb1..4664928f 100644
--- a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_tap.hpp
+++ b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_tap.hpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ namespace Catch {
         TAPReporter( ReporterConfig&& config ):
             StreamingReporterBase( CATCH_MOVE(config) ) {
             m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertions = true;
+            m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = false;
         }
 
         static std::string getDescription() {
diff --git a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_teamcity.hpp b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_teamcity.hpp
index 662e9892..4adb0e37 100644
--- a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_teamcity.hpp
+++ b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_teamcity.hpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ namespace Catch {
         :   StreamingReporterBase( CATCH_MOVE(_config) )
         {
             m_preferences.shouldRedirectStdOut = true;
+            m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = false;
         }
 
         ~TeamCityReporter() override;
diff --git a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_xml.cpp b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_xml.cpp
index 5adf3acf..8b7b5a70 100644
--- a/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_xml.cpp
+++ b/src/catch2/reporters/catch_reporter_xml.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ namespace Catch {
     {
         m_preferences.shouldRedirectStdOut = true;
         m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertions = true;
+        m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = false;
     }
 
     XmlReporter::~XmlReporter() = default;
diff --git a/tests/SelfTest/TestRegistrations.cpp b/tests/SelfTest/TestRegistrations.cpp
index d7a6966f..1a7be39d 100644
--- a/tests/SelfTest/TestRegistrations.cpp
+++ b/tests/SelfTest/TestRegistrations.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ public:
     ValidatingTestListener(Catch::IConfig const* config) :
         EventListenerBase(config) {
         m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertions = true;
+        m_preferences.shouldReportAllAssertionStarts = true;
     }
 
     void testRunStarting( Catch::TestRunInfo const& ) override {