diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
index 5b37104b3477..e4bdd609188d 100644
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -3221,11 +3221,11 @@ CNode::~CNode()
 
 void CNode::AskFor(const CInv& inv, int64_t doubleRequestDelay)
 {
-    if (vecAskFor.size() > MAPASKFOR_MAX_SZ || setAskFor.size() > SETASKFOR_MAX_SZ) {
+    if (queueAskFor.size() > MAPASKFOR_MAX_SZ || setAskFor.size() > SETASKFOR_MAX_SZ) {
         int64_t nNow = GetTime();
         if(nNow - nLastWarningTime > WARNING_INTERVAL) {
             LogPrintf("CNode::AskFor -- WARNING: inventory message dropped: vecAskFor.size = %d, setAskFor.size = %d, MAPASKFOR_MAX_SZ = %d, SETASKFOR_MAX_SZ = %d, nSkipped = %d, peer=%d\n",
-                      vecAskFor.size(), setAskFor.size(), MAPASKFOR_MAX_SZ, SETASKFOR_MAX_SZ, nNumWarningsSkipped, id);
+                      queueAskFor.size(), setAskFor.size(), MAPASKFOR_MAX_SZ, SETASKFOR_MAX_SZ, nNumWarningsSkipped, id);
             nLastWarningTime = nNow;
             nNumWarningsSkipped = 0;
         }
@@ -3235,10 +3235,10 @@ void CNode::AskFor(const CInv& inv, int64_t doubleRequestDelay)
         return;
     }
     // a peer may not have multiple non-responded queue positions for a single inv item
-    if (!setAskFor.insert(inv.hash).second)
+    if (!setAskFor.emplace(inv.hash).second)
         return;
 
-    // We're using vecAskFor as a priority queue,
+    // We're using queueAskFor as a priority queue,
     // the key is the earliest time the request can be sent
     int64_t nRequestTime;
     auto it = mapAlreadyAskedFor.find(inv.hash);
@@ -3262,16 +3262,17 @@ void CNode::AskFor(const CInv& inv, int64_t doubleRequestDelay)
         mapAlreadyAskedFor.update(it, nRequestTime);
     else
         mapAlreadyAskedFor.insert(std::make_pair(inv.hash, nRequestTime));
-    vecAskFor.emplace_back(nRequestTime, inv);
+
+    queueAskFor.emplace(nRequestTime, inv);
+    setAskForInQueue.emplace(inv.hash);
 }
 
 void CNode::RemoveAskFor(const uint256& hash)
 {
-    if (setAskFor.erase(hash)) {
-        vecAskFor.erase(std::remove_if(vecAskFor.begin(), vecAskFor.end(), [&](const std::pair<int64_t, CInv>& item) {
-            return item.second.hash == hash;
-        }), vecAskFor.end());
-    }
+    setAskFor.erase(hash);
+    // we don't really remove it from queueAskFor as it would be too expensive to rebuild the heap
+    // instead, we're ignoring the entry later as it won't be found in setAskForInQueue anymore
+    setAskForInQueue.erase(hash);
 }
 
 bool CConnman::NodeFullyConnected(const CNode* pnode)
diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
index 5b2cbd658d92..e6d1d9a9b2e7 100644
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include <memory>
 #include <condition_variable>
 #include <unordered_set>
+#include <queue>
 
 #ifndef WIN32
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
@@ -843,7 +844,8 @@ class CNode
     std::vector<CInv> vInventoryOtherToSend;
     CCriticalSection cs_inventory;
     std::unordered_set<uint256, StaticSaltedHasher> setAskFor;
-    std::vector<std::pair<int64_t, CInv>> vecAskFor;
+    std::unordered_set<uint256, StaticSaltedHasher> setAskForInQueue;
+    std::priority_queue<std::pair<int64_t, CInv>, std::vector<std::pair<int64_t, CInv>>, std::greater<>> queueAskFor;
     int64_t nNextInvSend;
     // Used for headers announcements - unfiltered blocks to relay
     // Also protected by cs_inventory
diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
index cc7fc68e3870..a93b04a6d846 100644
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -3964,11 +3964,15 @@ bool PeerLogicValidation::SendMessages(CNode* pto, std::atomic<bool>& interruptM
         //
         // Message: getdata (non-blocks)
         //
-        std::sort(pto->vecAskFor.begin(), pto->vecAskFor.end());
-        auto it = pto->vecAskFor.begin();
-        while (it != pto->vecAskFor.end() && it->first <= nNow)
+        while (!pto->queueAskFor.empty() && pto->queueAskFor.top().first <= nNow)
         {
-            const CInv& inv = it->second;
+            const CInv& inv = pto->queueAskFor.top().second;
+            auto jt = pto->setAskForInQueue.find(inv.hash);
+            if (jt == pto->setAskForInQueue.end()) {
+                pto->queueAskFor.pop();
+                continue;
+            }
+
             if (!AlreadyHave(inv))
             {
                 LogPrint(BCLog::NET, "SendMessages -- GETDATA -- requesting inv = %s peer=%d\n", inv.ToString(), pto->GetId());
@@ -3984,9 +3988,9 @@ bool PeerLogicValidation::SendMessages(CNode* pto, std::atomic<bool>& interruptM
                 LogPrint(BCLog::NET, "SendMessages -- GETDATA -- already have inv = %s peer=%d\n", inv.ToString(), pto->GetId());
                 pto->setAskFor.erase(inv.hash);
             }
-            ++it;
+            pto->queueAskFor.pop();
+            pto->setAskForInQueue.erase(jt);
         }
-        pto->vecAskFor.erase(pto->vecAskFor.begin(), it);
         if (!vGetData.empty()) {
             connman->PushMessage(pto, msgMaker.Make(NetMsgType::GETDATA, vGetData));
             LogPrint(BCLog::NET, "SendMessages -- GETDATA -- pushed size = %lu peer=%d\n", vGetData.size(), pto->GetId());