diff --git a/datalad_next/iter_collections/annexworktree.py b/datalad_next/iter_collections/annexworktree.py
index 58402407a..4763cc6ea 100644
--- a/datalad_next/iter_collections/annexworktree.py
+++ b/datalad_next/iter_collections/annexworktree.py
@@ -117,8 +117,7 @@ def iter_annexworktree(
     # "path"-property (the "path"-property is `item.name` if `item` is a result
     # of `git_ls_files`, and `item['file']`, if item is a result of
     # `git_annex_find`).
-    gaf_store = dict()
-    glf_store = dict()
+    glf_store = []
 
     with \
             run(git_annex_find_cmd, protocol_class=GeneratorAnnexJsonNoStderrProtocol, **common_args) as git_annex_find, \
@@ -131,39 +130,35 @@ def iter_annexworktree(
         # files is a subset of the files in git, i.e. the `git_annex_find`
         # generator yields less or equal results then the `git_ls_files`
         # generator.
-        for gaf_item, glf_item in zip_longest(git_annex_find, git_ls_files):
-            # Store both results (if they exist)
+        gaf_store = {
+            PurePath(PurePosixPath(gaf_item['file'])): gaf_item
+            for gaf_item in git_annex_find
+        }
+        lookup_list = []
+        for glf_item in git_ls_files:
+            gaf_item = gaf_store.get(glf_item.name)
             if gaf_item:
-                gaf_store[PurePath(PurePosixPath(gaf_item['file']))] = gaf_item
-            glf_store[glf_item.name] = glf_item
-
-            # Check the "path"-properties of all `git_ls_files`-items and
-            # check for a matching path in `git_annex_find`-items. If a
-            # matching pair exists, yield a result for an annexed file and
-            # mark the pair for deletion.
-            remove = []
-            for path, glf_item in glf_store.items():
-                gaf_item = gaf_store.get(path)
-                if gaf_item:
-                    remove.append(path)
-                    key_properties = examine_key(gaf_item['key'].encode() + b'\n')
-                    yield AnnexWorktreeItem(
-                        name=glf_item.name,
-                        gitsha=glf_item.gitsha,
-                        gittype=glf_item.gittype,
-                        annexkey=gaf_item['key'],
-                        annexsize=int(gaf_item['bytesize']),
-                        annexobjpath=PurePath(key_properties['objectpath']),
-                    )
-
-            # Delete marked pairs from both item-stores.
-            for path in remove:
-                del glf_store[path]
-                del gaf_store[path]
+                lookup_list.append((glf_item.name, glf_item, gaf_item))
+                examine_key._stdin_queue.put(gaf_item['key'].encode() + b'\n')
+            else:
+                glf_store.append(glf_item)
+
+        for (path, glf_item, gaf_item) in lookup_list:
+            key_properties = next(examine_key._rgen)
+            yield AnnexWorktreeItem(
+                name=glf_item.name,
+                gitsha=glf_item.gitsha,
+                gittype=glf_item.gittype,
+                annexkey=gaf_item['key'],
+                annexsize=int(gaf_item['bytesize']),
+                annexobjpath=PurePath(key_properties['objectpath']),
+            )
+
+            del gaf_store[path]
 
         # Remaining git ls-files results are all unannexed, yield them.
         assert len(gaf_store) == 0
-        for path, glf_item in glf_store.items():
+        for glf_item in glf_store:
             yield AnnexWorktreeItem(
                 name=glf_item.name,
                 gitsha=glf_item.gitsha,