diff --git a/server/jetstream_cluster.go b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
index 170e881a..9ec4dc29 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_cluster.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
@@ -1968,33 +1968,37 @@ func (js *jetStream) monitorStream(mset *stream, sa *streamAssignment, sendSnaps
 	}
 	accName := acc.GetName()
 
-	// Hash of the last snapshot (fixed size in memory).
-	var lastSnap []byte
+	// Used to represent how we can detect a changed state quickly and without representing
+	// a complete and detailed state which could be costly in terms of memory, cpu and GC.
+	// This only entails how many messages, and the first and last sequence of the stream.
+	// This is all that is needed to detect a change, and we can get this from FilteredState()
+	// with and empty filter.
+	var lastState SimpleState
 	var lastSnapTime time.Time
 
-	// Highwayhash key for generating hashes.
-	key := make([]byte, 32)
-	rand.Read(key)
-
 	// Should only to be called from leader.
 	doSnapshot := func() {
 		if mset == nil || isRestore || time.Since(lastSnapTime) < minSnapDelta {
 			return
 		}
 
-		snap := mset.stateSnapshot()
-		ne, nb := n.Size()
-		hash := highwayhash.Sum(snap, key)
+		// Before we actually calculate the detailed state and encode it, let's check the
+		// simple state to detect any changes.
+		curState := mset.store.FilteredState(0, _EMPTY_)
+
 		// If the state hasn't changed but the log has gone way over
 		// the compaction size then we will want to compact anyway.
 		// This shouldn't happen for streams like it can for pull
 		// consumers on idle streams but better to be safe than sorry!
-		if !bytes.Equal(hash[:], lastSnap) || ne >= compactNumMin || nb >= compactSizeMin {
-			if err := n.InstallSnapshot(snap); err == nil {
-				lastSnap, lastSnapTime = hash[:], time.Now()
-			} else if err != errNoSnapAvailable && err != errNodeClosed {
-				s.Warnf("Failed to install snapshot for '%s > %s' [%s]: %v", mset.acc.Name, mset.name(), n.Group(), err)
-			}
+		ne, nb := n.Size()
+		if curState == lastState && ne < compactNumMin && nb < compactSizeMin {
+			return
+		}
+
+		if err := n.InstallSnapshot(mset.stateSnapshot()); err == nil {
+			lastState, lastSnapTime = curState, time.Now()
+		} else if err != errNoSnapAvailable && err != errNodeClosed {
+			s.Warnf("Failed to install snapshot for '%s > %s' [%s]: %v", mset.acc.Name, mset.name(), n.Group(), err)
 		}
 	}