diff --git a/builtin/game/item.lua b/builtin/game/item.lua
index 4f6962e5e..3e810c3f0 100644
--- a/builtin/game/item.lua
+++ b/builtin/game/item.lua
@@ -739,14 +739,17 @@ core.noneitemdef_default = {  -- This is used for the hand and unknown items
 -- get_node implementation
 --
 
+local get_node_raw = core.get_node_raw
+local get_name_from_content_id = core.get_name_from_content_id
+
 function core.get_node(pos)
-	local content, param1, param2 = core.get_node_raw(pos.x, pos.y, pos.z)
-	return {name = core.get_name_from_content_id(content), param1 = param1, param2 = param2}
+	local content, param1, param2 = get_node_raw(pos.x, pos.y, pos.z)
+	return {name = get_name_from_content_id(content), param1 = param1, param2 = param2}
 end
 
 function core.get_node_or_nil(pos)
-	local content, param1, param2, pos_ok = core.get_node_raw(pos.x, pos.y, pos.z)
+	local content, param1, param2, pos_ok = get_node_raw(pos.x, pos.y, pos.z)
 	return pos_ok and
-			{name = core.get_name_from_content_id(content), param1 = param1, param2 = param2}
+			{name = get_name_from_content_id(content), param1 = param1, param2 = param2}
 			or nil
 end
diff --git a/doc/lua_api.md b/doc/lua_api.md
index 7e38e36ee..4cea83a31 100644
--- a/doc/lua_api.md
+++ b/doc/lua_api.md
@@ -6482,10 +6482,10 @@ Environment access
     * Same as `get_node` but returns `nil` for unloaded areas.
     * Note that even loaded areas can contain "ignore" nodes.
 * `core.get_node_raw(x, y, z)`
-    * Low-level API returning numbers, not tables
+    * Same as `get_node` but a faster low-level API
     * Returns `content_id`, `param1`, `param2`, and `pos_ok`
-    * The `content_id` can be mapped to a node name via `core.get_name_from_content_id`
-    * If `pos_ok` is false, the node is not yet loaded and the `content_id` is that of "ignore" nodes
+    * The `content_id` can be mapped to a name using `core.get_name_from_content_id()`
+    * If `pos_ok` is false, the area is unloaded and `content_id == core.CONTENT_IGNORE`
 * `core.get_node_light(pos[, timeofday])`
     * Gets the light value at the given position. Note that the light value
       "inside" the node at the given position is returned, so you usually want
diff --git a/games/devtest/mods/benchmarks/init.lua b/games/devtest/mods/benchmarks/init.lua
index 5f324697b..dca6f6b22 100644
--- a/games/devtest/mods/benchmarks/init.lua
+++ b/games/devtest/mods/benchmarks/init.lua
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_set_node", {
 			((middle_time - start_time)) / 1000,
 			((end_time - middle_time)) / 1000
 		)
+		print(msg)
 		return true, msg
 	end,
 })
@@ -131,14 +132,11 @@ core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_get_node", {
 		local pos_list = get_positions_cube(player:get_pos())
 		local function bench()
 			local start_time = core.get_us_time()
+			local dummy = 0
 			for i=1,#pos_list do
 				local n = core.get_node(pos_list[i])
-				-- Make sure the name lookup is never optimized away.
-				-- Table allocation might still be omitted. But only accessing
-				-- the name of a node is a common pattern anyways.
-				if n.name == "benchmarks:nonexistent_node" then
-					error("should never happen")
-				end
+				-- Make sure the name lookup is not optimized away
+				dummy = dummy + #n.name
 			end
 			return core.get_us_time() - start_time
 		end
@@ -151,11 +149,12 @@ core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_get_node", {
 
 		local msg = string.format("Benchmark results: core.get_node loop 1: %.2f ms",
 				result_us / 1000)
+		print(msg)
 		return true, msg
 	end,
 })
 
-core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_swap_node", {
+core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_get_node_raw", {
 	params = "",
 	description = "Benchmark: Bulk-get 99×99×99 nodes with raw API",
 	func = function(name, param)
@@ -166,15 +165,12 @@ core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_swap_node", {
 		local pos_list = get_positions_cube(player:get_pos())
 		local function bench()
 			local start_time = core.get_us_time()
+			local dummy = 0
 			for i=1,#pos_list do
 				local pos_i = pos_list[i]
 				local nid = core.get_node_raw(pos_i.x, pos_i.y, pos_i.z)
-				-- Make sure the name lookup is never optimized away.
-				-- Table allocation might still be omitted. But only accessing
-				-- the name of a node is a common pattern anyways.
-				if nid == -42 then
-					error("should never happen")
-				end
+				-- Make sure the result is not optimized away
+				dummy = dummy + nid
 			end
 			return core.get_us_time() - start_time
 		end
@@ -187,11 +183,12 @@ core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_swap_node", {
 
 		local msg = string.format("Benchmark results: core.get_node_raw loop 1: %.2f ms",
 				result_us / 1000)
+		print(msg)
 		return true, msg
 	end,
 })
 
-core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_get_node_raw_lookup", {
+core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_get_node_raw2", {
 	params = "",
 	description = "Benchmark: Bulk-get 99×99×99 nodes with raw API and lookup names",
 	func = function(name, param)
@@ -202,16 +199,13 @@ core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_get_node_raw_lookup", {
 		local pos_list = get_positions_cube(player:get_pos())
 		local function bench()
 			local start_time = core.get_us_time()
+			local dummy = 0
 			for i=1,#pos_list do
 				local pos_i = pos_list[i]
 				local nid = core.get_node_raw(pos_i.x, pos_i.y, pos_i.z)
 				local name = core.get_name_from_content_id(nid)
-				-- Make sure the name lookup is never optimized away.
-				-- Table allocation might still be omitted. But only accessing
-				-- the name of a node is a common pattern anyways.
-				if name == "benchmarks:nonexistent_node" then
-					error("should never happen")
-				end
+				-- Make sure the name lookup is not optimized away
+				dummy = dummy + #name
 			end
 			return core.get_us_time() - start_time
 		end
@@ -224,11 +218,12 @@ core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_get_node_raw_lookup", {
 
 		local msg = string.format("Benchmark results: core.get_node_raw+get_name_from_content_id loop 1: %.2f ms",
 				result_us / 1000)
+		print(msg)
 		return true, msg
 	end,
 })
 
-core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_get_node_vmanip", {
+core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_get_node_vm", {
 	params = "",
 	description = "Benchmark: Bulk-get 99×99×99 nodes with voxel manipulator",
 	func = function(name, param)
@@ -242,14 +237,11 @@ core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_get_node_vmanip", {
 			local vm = core.get_voxel_manip(pos:offset(1,1,1), pos:offset(100,100,100))
 			local data = vm:get_data()
 			local mid_time = core.get_us_time()
+			local dummy = 0
 			for i=1,99*99*99 do
 				local nid = data[i]
-				-- Make sure the name lookup is never optimized away.
-				-- Table allocation might still be omitted. But only accessing
-				-- the name of a node is a common pattern anyways.
-				if nid == -42 then
-					error("should never happen")
-				end
+				-- Make sure the table lookup is not optimized away
+				dummy = dummy + nid
 			end
 			return core.get_us_time() - start_time, mid_time - start_time
 		end
@@ -262,6 +254,7 @@ core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_get_node_vmanip", {
 
 		local msg = string.format("Benchmark results: core.get_voxel_vmanip+get_data+loop loop 1: %.2f ms of which get_data() %.2f ms",
 				result_us / 1000, get_data_us / 1000)
+		print(msg)
 		return true, msg
 	end,
 })
@@ -295,6 +288,7 @@ core.register_chatcommand("bench_bulk_swap_node", {
 			((middle_time - start_time)) / 1000,
 			((end_time - middle_time)) / 1000
 		)
+		print(msg)
 		return true, msg
 	end,
 })