diff --git a/src/tarski/search/model.py b/src/tarski/search/model.py
index 6ad2e840..0231d8a7 100644
--- a/src/tarski/search/model.py
+++ b/src/tarski/search/model.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 from .operations import is_applicable, progress
 from ..evaluators.simple import evaluate
 
+from ..syntax.formulas import Atom, Connective
 
 class SearchModel:
     """ A base class for search models, including the usual the textbook methods :-) """
@@ -28,13 +29,145 @@ class GroundForwardSearchModel:
     def __init__(self, problem, operators):
         self.problem = problem
         self.operators = operators
+        self.is_strips = self.check_strips()
+        self._match_tree = None
+
+        if self.is_strips:
+            self.fluents = self.compute_fluents()
+            self.compute_match_tree()
+
+    def _extract_atoms(self, formula):
+        if isinstance(formula, Atom):
+            return [formula]
+        else:
+            return formula.subformulas
+
+    def _ignore_cost_metric(self, state):
+        def _is_cost(f):
+            return isinstance(f, tuple) and \
+                'symbol' in dir(f[0]) and \
+                'symbol' in dir(f[0].symbol) and \
+                f[0].symbol.symbol == 'total-cost'
+        return [f for f in state.as_atoms() if not _is_cost(f)]
+
+    def compute_fluents(self):
+        """Compute all of the ground fluents (mentioned in any action, init, goal)"""
+        fluents = set()
+        for op in self.operators:
+            fluents |= set(self._extract_atoms(op.precondition))
+            fluents |= set([e.atom for e in op.effects])
+
+        fluents |= set(self._extract_atoms(self.problem.goal))
+        fluents |= set(self._ignore_cost_metric(self.problem.init))
+
+        return fluents
+
+    def check_strips(self):
+        """Confirms if this operator is a STRIPS operator"""
+        def _strips_condition(c):
+            return isinstance(c, Atom) or \
+                (c.connective == Connective.And and \
+                 all([isinstance(p, Atom) for p in c.subformulas]))
+
+        # Confirm the operators are all STRIPS
+        for op in self.operators:
+            if not _strips_condition(op.precondition):
+                return False
+
+        # Finally, confirm the goal is STRIPS
+        return _strips_condition(self.problem.goal)
+
+    def compute_match_tree(self):
+        """ Compute the match tree for this search model """
+
+        self._id_to_fluent = {idx: f for idx, f in enumerate(self.fluents)}
+        self._fluent_to_id = {f: idx for idx, f in self._id_to_fluent.items()}
+        self._op_to_pre = {}
+        for op in self.operators:
+            self._op_to_pre[op] = {self._fluent_to_id[atom] for atom in self._extract_atoms(op.precondition)}
+
+        # Computes the score of the fluent and partitions the operators accordingly
+        def _score_and_split(ops, fluent):
+            split = {True: [], False: []}
+            for op in ops:
+                split[fluent in self._op_to_pre[op]].append(op)
+            tie_break = {True: 0, False: 0.5}
+            assert len(split[True]) + len(split[False]) == len(ops)
+            return (abs(len(split[True]) - len(split[False])) + tie_break[len(split[True]) > 0], split)
+
+        # Finds the best fluent based on how well it splits the remaining operators
+        def _best_fluent(ops, decisions):
+            best_fluent = None
+            best_score = 999999
+            best_split = None
+            for f in self._id_to_fluent.keys():
+                if f not in decisions:
+                    score, split = _score_and_split(ops, f)
+                    if score < best_score:
+                        best_fluent = f
+                        best_score = score
+                        best_split = split
+            assert best_fluent is not None
+            return (best_fluent, best_split)
+
+        # Recursively computes the match tree
+        def _match_tree(ops, decisions):
+
+            node = {
+                'fluent'    : None,
+                'applicable': set(),
+                'musthold'  : None,
+                'dontcare'  : None
+            }
+
+            if len(ops) == 0:
+                return node
+
+            # Find the ops that are already applicable given the decisions
+            not_applicable = set()
+            for op in ops:
+                if all([f in decisions for f in self._op_to_pre[op]]):
+                    node['applicable'].add(op)
+                else:
+                    not_applicable.add(op)
+
+            if len(not_applicable) == 0:
+                return node
+
+            fluent, split = _best_fluent(not_applicable, decisions)
+
+            node['fluent'] = fluent
+            node['musthold'] = _match_tree(split[True], decisions | {fluent})
+            node['dontcare'] = _match_tree(split[False], decisions | {fluent})
+
+            return node
+
+        self._match_tree = _match_tree(self.operators, set())
+
+    def _match_tree_applicable(self, state):
+        """Compute the set of applicable operators given the state."""
+
+        def _compute_match_tree(node, state, applicable):
+            if node is None:
+                return
+            applicable |= node['applicable']
+            if node['fluent'] in state:
+                _compute_match_tree(node['musthold'], state, applicable)
+            _compute_match_tree(node['dontcare'], state, applicable)
+
+        applicable = set()
+        _compute_match_tree(self._match_tree, {self._fluent_to_id[f] for f in self._ignore_cost_metric(state)}, applicable)
+        return applicable
 
     def init(self):
         return self.problem.init
 
     def applicable(self, state):
         """ Return a generator with all ground operators that are applicable in the given state. """
-        return (op for op in self.operators if is_applicable(state, op))
+        if self._match_tree:
+            return self._match_tree_applicable(state)
+        else:
+            return (op for op in self.operators if is_applicable(state, op))
 
     def successors(self, state):
         """ Return a generator with all tuples (op, successor) for successors of the given state. """