diff --git a/backbone.js b/backbone.js
index cedcf04a3..668a0db66 100644
--- a/backbone.js
+++ b/backbone.js
@@ -629,6 +629,18 @@
   var setOptions = {add: true, remove: true, merge: true};
   var addOptions = {add: true, remove: false};
 
+  // Compare two values, in a `sort`-consistent way
+  var compareVals = function(a, b) {
+    if (a === b) return 0;
+    var isAComparable = a >= a, isBComparable = b >= b;
+    if (isAComparable || isBComparable) {
+      if (isAComparable && !isBComparable) return -1;
+      if (isBComparable && !isAComparable) return 1;
+    }
+    return a > b ? 1 : (b > a) ? -1 : 0;
+  };
+
+
   // Define the Collection's inheritable methods.
   _.extend(Collection.prototype, Events, {
 
@@ -828,16 +840,68 @@
       return this.models[index];
     },
 
+    // Perform a binary search for a model in a sorted collection.
+    search: function (toFind, getMax) {
+      if (!this.comparator) throw new Error('Cannot search an unsorted Collection');
+
+      // Create `compare` function for searching.
+      var compare;
+      if (_.isFunction(toFind)) {
+        // The user has provided the `compare` function.
+        compare = _.bind(toFind, this);
+      } else if (_.isFunction(this.comparator)) {
+        // Use the `comparator` function, `toFind` is a model.
+        if (this.comparator.length === 2) {
+          compare = _.bind(this.comparator, this, toFind);
+        } else {
+          compare = _.bind(function (valResult, model) {
+            return compareVals(valResult, this.comparator(model));
+          }, this, this.comparator(toFind));
+        }
+      } else {
+        // `comparator` is a string indicating the model property used to sort
+        // `toFind` is the value sought.
+        compare = _.bind(function (model) {
+          return compareVals(toFind, model.get(this.comparator));
+        }, this);
+      }
+
+      // Perform binary search.
+      var found = false, max = this.length - 1, min = 0, index, relValue;
+      while (max >= min && !found) {
+        index = Math.floor((max + min) / 2);
+        relValue = compare(this.at(index));
+        if (relValue > 0) {
+          min = index + 1;
+        } else if (relValue < 0) {
+          max = index - 1;
+        } else if (getMax && index < max && compare(this.at(index + 1)) === 0) {
+          min = index + 1;
+        } else if (!getMax && index > min && compare(this.at(index - 1)) === 0) {
+          max = index - 1;
+        } else {
+          found = true;
+        }
+      }
+      
+      return found ? index : -1;
+    },
+
     // Return models with matching attributes. Useful for simple cases of
     // `filter`.
     where: function(attrs, first) {
-      if (_.isEmpty(attrs)) return first ? void 0 : [];
-      return this[first ? 'find' : 'filter'](function(model) {
-        for (var key in attrs) {
-          if (attrs[key] !== model.get(key)) return false;
-        }
-        return true;
-      });
+      if (_.isEmpty(attrs) || !_.isEqual(_.keys(attrs), [this.comparator])) {
+        var matches = _.matches(attrs);
+        return this[first ? 'find' : 'filter'](function(model) {
+          return matches(model.attributes);
+        });
+      } else if (first) {
+        return this.at(this.search(attrs[this.comparator]));
+      } else {
+        var minIndex = this.search(attrs[this.comparator]);
+        var maxIndex = this.search(attrs[this.comparator], true);
+        return minIndex == null ? [] : this.models.slice(minIndex, maxIndex + 1);
+      }
     },
 
     // Return the first model with matching attributes. Useful for simple cases
diff --git a/test/collection.js b/test/collection.js
index 8f518143d..31395b95e 100644
--- a/test/collection.js
+++ b/test/collection.js
@@ -547,15 +547,53 @@
     equal(JSON.stringify(col), '[{"id":3,"label":"a"},{"id":2,"label":"b"},{"id":1,"label":"c"},{"id":0,"label":"d"}]');
   });
 
-  test("where and findWhere", 8, function() {
+  test("search", 7, function() {
+    var model1 = new Backbone.Model({a: 0});
+    var model2 = new Backbone.Model({a: 3});
+    var models = [
+      model1, {a: 1}, {a: 1}, {a: 1}, {a: 2}, model2
+    ];
+    var coll = new Backbone.Collection(models, {
+      comparator: 'a'
+    });
+    
+    equal(coll.at(coll.search(1)).get('a'), 1);
+    equal(coll.search(1), 1);
+    equal(coll.search(1, true), 3);
+    ok(coll.search(4) === -1);
+
+    equal(coll.at(coll.search(function (model) {
+      var v = model.get('a');
+      if (v < 2) return 1;
+      if (v > 2) return -1;
+      return 0;
+    })).get('a'), 2);
+
+    var col2 = new Backbone.Collection(models, {
+      comparator: function (m) {
+        return 5 - m.get('a');
+      }
+    });
+
+    var col3 = new Backbone.Collection(models, {
+      comparator: function (m1, m2) {
+        return m2.get('a') - m1.get('a');
+      }
+    });
+    equal(col3.at(col3.search(model1)), model1);
+    equal(col3.at(col3.search(model2)), model2);
+  });
+
+  test("where and findWhere", 16, function() {
     var model = new Backbone.Model({a: 1});
-    var coll = new Backbone.Collection([
+    var models = [
       model,
       {a: 1},
       {a: 1, b: 2},
       {a: 2, b: 2},
       {a: 3}
-    ]);
+    ];
+    var coll = new Backbone.Collection(models);
     equal(coll.where({a: 1}).length, 3);
     equal(coll.where({a: 2}).length, 1);
     equal(coll.where({a: 3}).length, 1);
@@ -564,6 +602,18 @@
     equal(coll.where({a: 1, b: 2}).length, 1);
     equal(coll.findWhere({a: 1}), model);
     equal(coll.findWhere({a: 4}), void 0);
+
+    var col2 = new Backbone.Collection(models, {
+      comparator: 'a'
+    });
+    equal(col2.where({a: 1}).length, 3);
+    equal(col2.where({a: 2}).length, 1);
+    equal(col2.where({a: 3}).length, 1);
+    equal(col2.where({b: 1}).length, 0);
+    equal(col2.where({b: 2}).length, 2);
+    equal(col2.where({a: 1, b: 2}).length, 1);
+    equal(col2.findWhere({a: 1}), model);
+    equal(col2.findWhere({a: 4}), void 0);
   });
 
   test("Underscore methods", 16, function() {