diff --git a/pkg/client/cache/listers.go b/pkg/client/cache/listers.go
index 67d11232a60..29e58597c29 100644
--- a/pkg/client/cache/listers.go
+++ b/pkg/client/cache/listers.go
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func (s *StoreToPodLister) Exists(pod *api.Pod) (bool, error) {
 
 // NodeConditionPredicate is a function that indicates whether the given node's conditions meet
 // some set of criteria defined by the function.
-type NodeConditionPredicate func(node api.Node) bool
+type NodeConditionPredicate func(node *api.Node) bool
 
 // StoreToNodeLister makes a Store have the List method of the client.NodeInterface
 // The Store must contain (only) Nodes.
@@ -153,9 +153,9 @@ type storeToNodeConditionLister struct {
 // List returns a list of nodes that match the conditions defined by the predicate functions in the storeToNodeConditionLister.
 func (s storeToNodeConditionLister) List() (nodes api.NodeList, err error) {
 	for _, m := range s.store.List() {
-		node := *m.(*api.Node)
+		node := m.(*api.Node)
 		if s.predicate(node) {
-			nodes.Items = append(nodes.Items, node)
+			nodes.Items = append(nodes.Items, *node)
 		} else {
 			glog.V(5).Infof("Node %s matches none of the conditions", node.Name)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/client/cache/listers_test.go b/pkg/client/cache/listers_test.go
index 2a01eab0709..a95e9ed96ec 100644
--- a/pkg/client/cache/listers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/client/cache/listers_test.go
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ func TestStoreToNodeConditionLister(t *testing.T) {
 		store.Add(n)
 	}
 
-	predicate := func(node api.Node) bool {
+	predicate := func(node *api.Node) bool {
 		for _, cond := range node.Status.Conditions {
 			if cond.Type == api.NodeOutOfDisk && cond.Status == api.ConditionTrue {
 				return false
diff --git a/pkg/controller/service/servicecontroller.go b/pkg/controller/service/servicecontroller.go
index 630a5b980d7..6165cdae2e4 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/service/servicecontroller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/service/servicecontroller.go
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ func hostsFromNodeList(list *api.NodeList) []string {
 }
 
 func getNodeConditionPredicate() cache.NodeConditionPredicate {
-	return func(node api.Node) bool {
+	return func(node *api.Node) bool {
 		// We add the master to the node list, but its unschedulable.  So we use this to filter
 		// the master.
 		// TODO: Use a node annotation to indicate the master
diff --git a/pkg/controller/service/servicecontroller_test.go b/pkg/controller/service/servicecontroller_test.go
index 69ccb77e98c..e8276a62244 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/service/servicecontroller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/service/servicecontroller_test.go
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ func TestGetNodeConditionPredicate(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	pred := getNodeConditionPredicate()
 	for _, test := range tests {
-		accept := pred(test.node)
+		accept := pred(&test.node)
 		if accept != test.expectAccept {
 			t.Errorf("Test failed for %s, expected %v, saw %v", test.name, test.expectAccept, accept)
 		}
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/predicates/predicates.go b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/predicates/predicates.go
index 8eb607845a8..e6983661191 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/predicates/predicates.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/predicates/predicates.go
@@ -204,6 +204,12 @@ func (c *MaxPDVolumeCountChecker) filterVolumes(volumes []api.Volume, namespace
 }
 
 func (c *MaxPDVolumeCountChecker) predicate(pod *api.Pod, nodeInfo *schedulercache.NodeInfo) (bool, error) {
+	// If a pod doesn't have any volume attached to it, the predicate will always be true.
+	// Thus we make a fast path for it, to avoid unnecessary computations in this case.
+	if len(pod.Spec.Volumes) == 0 {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
 	newVolumes := make(map[string]bool)
 	if err := c.filterVolumes(pod.Spec.Volumes, pod.Namespace, newVolumes); err != nil {
 		return false, err
@@ -302,6 +308,12 @@ func NewVolumeZonePredicate(pvInfo PersistentVolumeInfo, pvcInfo PersistentVolum
 }
 
 func (c *VolumeZoneChecker) predicate(pod *api.Pod, nodeInfo *schedulercache.NodeInfo) (bool, error) {
+	// If a pod doesn't have any volume attached to it, the predicate will always be true.
+	// Thus we make a fast path for it, to avoid unnecessary computations in this case.
+	if len(pod.Spec.Volumes) == 0 {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
 	node := nodeInfo.Node()
 	if node == nil {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("node not found")
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/node_affinity.go b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/node_affinity.go
index abe064a3016..5f3043fb5b5 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/node_affinity.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/node_affinity.go
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ func (s *NodeAffinity) CalculateNodeAffinityPriority(pod *api.Pod, nodeNameToInf
 	}
 
 	result := []schedulerapi.HostPriority{}
-	for _, node := range nodes.Items {
+	for i := range nodes.Items {
+		node := &nodes.Items[i]
 		fScore := float64(0)
 		if maxCount > 0 {
 			fScore = 10 * (float64(counts[node.Name]) / float64(maxCount))
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/priorities.go b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/priorities.go
index d761ce96fdb..1602e1b1b58 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/priorities.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/priorities.go
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ func calculateScore(requested int64, capacity int64, node string) int {
 
 // Calculate the resource occupancy on a node.  'node' has information about the resources on the node.
 // 'pods' is a list of pods currently scheduled on the node.
-func calculateResourceOccupancy(pod *api.Pod, node api.Node, nodeInfo *schedulercache.NodeInfo) schedulerapi.HostPriority {
+// TODO: Use Node() from nodeInfo instead of passing it.
+func calculateResourceOccupancy(pod *api.Pod, node *api.Node, nodeInfo *schedulercache.NodeInfo) schedulerapi.HostPriority {
 	totalMilliCPU := nodeInfo.NonZeroRequest().MilliCPU
 	totalMemory := nodeInfo.NonZeroRequest().Memory
 	capacityMilliCPU := node.Status.Allocatable.Cpu().MilliValue()
@@ -84,8 +85,9 @@ func LeastRequestedPriority(pod *api.Pod, nodeNameToInfo map[string]*schedulerca
 		return schedulerapi.HostPriorityList{}, err
 	}
 
-	list := schedulerapi.HostPriorityList{}
-	for _, node := range nodes.Items {
+	list := make(schedulerapi.HostPriorityList, 0, len(nodes.Items))
+	for i := range nodes.Items {
+		node := &nodes.Items[i]
 		list = append(list, calculateResourceOccupancy(pod, node, nodeNameToInfo[node.Name]))
 	}
 	return list, nil
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@ func (n *NodeLabelPrioritizer) CalculateNodeLabelPriority(pod *api.Pod, nodeName
 		labeledNodes[node.Name] = (exists && n.presence) || (!exists && !n.presence)
 	}
 
-	result := []schedulerapi.HostPriority{}
+	result := make(schedulerapi.HostPriorityList, 0, len(nodes.Items))
 	//score int - scale of 0-10
 	// 0 being the lowest priority and 10 being the highest
 	for nodeName, success := range labeledNodes {
@@ -155,7 +157,8 @@ func ImageLocalityPriority(pod *api.Pod, nodeNameToInfo map[string]*schedulercac
 	}
 
 	for _, container := range pod.Spec.Containers {
-		for _, node := range nodes.Items {
+		for i := range nodes.Items {
+			node := &nodes.Items[i]
 			// Check if this container's image is present and get its size.
 			imageSize := checkContainerImageOnNode(node, container)
 			// Add this size to the total result of this node.
@@ -163,7 +166,7 @@ func ImageLocalityPriority(pod *api.Pod, nodeNameToInfo map[string]*schedulercac
 		}
 	}
 
-	result := []schedulerapi.HostPriority{}
+	result := make(schedulerapi.HostPriorityList, 0, len(nodes.Items))
 	// score int - scale of 0-10
 	// 0 being the lowest priority and 10 being the highest.
 	for nodeName, sumSize := range sumSizeMap {
@@ -174,7 +177,7 @@ func ImageLocalityPriority(pod *api.Pod, nodeNameToInfo map[string]*schedulercac
 }
 
 // checkContainerImageOnNode checks if a container image is present on a node and returns its size.
-func checkContainerImageOnNode(node api.Node, container api.Container) int64 {
+func checkContainerImageOnNode(node *api.Node, container api.Container) int64 {
 	for _, image := range node.Status.Images {
 		for _, name := range image.Names {
 			if container.Image == name {
@@ -218,14 +221,16 @@ func BalancedResourceAllocation(pod *api.Pod, nodeNameToInfo map[string]*schedul
 		return schedulerapi.HostPriorityList{}, err
 	}
 
-	list := schedulerapi.HostPriorityList{}
-	for _, node := range nodes.Items {
+	list := make(schedulerapi.HostPriorityList, 0, len(nodes.Items))
+	for i := range nodes.Items {
+		node := &nodes.Items[i]
 		list = append(list, calculateBalancedResourceAllocation(pod, node, nodeNameToInfo[node.Name]))
 	}
 	return list, nil
 }
 
-func calculateBalancedResourceAllocation(pod *api.Pod, node api.Node, nodeInfo *schedulercache.NodeInfo) schedulerapi.HostPriority {
+// TODO: Use Node() from nodeInfo instead of passing it.
+func calculateBalancedResourceAllocation(pod *api.Pod, node *api.Node, nodeInfo *schedulercache.NodeInfo) schedulerapi.HostPriority {
 	totalMilliCPU := nodeInfo.NonZeroRequest().MilliCPU
 	totalMemory := nodeInfo.NonZeroRequest().Memory
 	score := int(0)
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/selector_spreading.go b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/selector_spreading.go
index 25e94954a9d..ae80eaa1348 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/selector_spreading.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/selector_spreading.go
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ func (s *SelectorSpread) CalculateSpreadPriority(pod *api.Pod, nodeNameToInfo ma
 		}
 	}
 
-	result := []schedulerapi.HostPriority{}
+	result := make(schedulerapi.HostPriorityList, 0, len(nodes.Items))
 	//score int - scale of 0-maxPriority
 	// 0 being the lowest priority and maxPriority being the highest
 	for i := range nodes.Items {
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/taint_toleration.go b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/taint_toleration.go
index 3ea7f10f6da..9513f65dede 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/taint_toleration.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/algorithm/priorities/taint_toleration.go
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ func (s *TaintToleration) ComputeTaintTolerationPriority(pod *api.Pod, nodeNameT
 	tolerationList := getAllTolerationPreferNoSchedule(tolerations)
 
 	// calculate the intolerable taints for all the nodes
-	for _, node := range nodes.Items {
+	for i := range nodes.Items {
+		node := &nodes.Items[i]
 		taints, err := api.GetTaintsFromNodeAnnotations(node.Annotations)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ func (s *TaintToleration) ComputeTaintTolerationPriority(pod *api.Pod, nodeNameT
 	// The maximum priority value to give to a node
 	// Priority values range from 0 - maxPriority
 	const maxPriority = 10
-	result := []schedulerapi.HostPriority{}
+	result := make(schedulerapi.HostPriorityList, 0, len(nodes.Items))
 	for _, node := range nodes.Items {
 		fScore := float64(maxPriority)
 		if maxCount > 0 {
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go
index 5bd5286632e..da909e35a50 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory.go
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ func (f *ConfigFactory) responsibleForPod(pod *api.Pod) bool {
 }
 
 func getNodeConditionPredicate() cache.NodeConditionPredicate {
-	return func(node api.Node) bool {
+	return func(node *api.Node) bool {
 		for _, cond := range node.Status.Conditions {
 			// We consider the node for scheduling only when its:
 			// - NodeReady condition status is ConditionTrue,
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory_test.go b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory_test.go
index 7dad6f91718..689a5befc81 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory_test.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/factory/factory_test.go
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ func TestNodeConditionPredicate(t *testing.T) {
 
 	nodeNames := []string{}
 	for _, node := range nodeList.Items {
-		if nodeFunc(node) {
+		if nodeFunc(&node) {
 			nodeNames = append(nodeNames, node.Name)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/generic_scheduler.go b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/generic_scheduler.go
index e188c6a41c4..a2799fad74d 100644
--- a/plugin/pkg/scheduler/generic_scheduler.go
+++ b/plugin/pkg/scheduler/generic_scheduler.go
@@ -135,7 +135,8 @@ func (g *genericScheduler) selectHost(priorityList schedulerapi.HostPriorityList
 // Filters the nodes to find the ones that fit based on the given predicate functions
 // Each node is passed through the predicate functions to determine if it is a fit
 func findNodesThatFit(pod *api.Pod, nodeNameToInfo map[string]*schedulercache.NodeInfo, predicateFuncs map[string]algorithm.FitPredicate, nodes api.NodeList, extenders []algorithm.SchedulerExtender) (api.NodeList, FailedPredicateMap, error) {
-	filtered := []api.Node{}
+	// Create filtered list with enough space to avoid growing it.
+	filtered := make([]api.Node, 0, len(nodes.Items))
 	failedPredicateMap := FailedPredicateMap{}
 
 	if len(predicateFuncs) == 0 {