diff --git a/lib/bb/cache.py b/lib/bb/cache.py
index d05d341f4..f09716fa7 100644
--- a/lib/bb/cache.py
+++ b/lib/bb/cache.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ from collections import defaultdict
 from collections.abc import Mapping
 import bb.utils
 from bb import PrefixLoggerAdapter
-import re
 import shutil
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("BitBake.Cache")
@@ -404,7 +403,6 @@ class Cache(object):
         self.data_fn = None
         self.cacheclean = True
         self.data_hash = data_hash
-        self.filelist_regex = re.compile(r'(?:(?<=:True)|(?<=:False))\s+')
 
         if self.cachedir in [None, '']:
             bb.fatal("Please ensure CACHE is set to the cache directory for BitBake to use")
@@ -614,7 +612,7 @@ class Cache(object):
                 if not fl:
                     continue
                 # Have to be careful about spaces and colons in filenames
-                flist = self.filelist_regex.split(fl)
+                flist = bb.utils.split_file_checksums(fl)
                 for f in flist:
                     if not f:
                         continue
diff --git a/lib/bb/checksum.py b/lib/bb/checksum.py
index 3fb39a303..8df69bbe3 100644
--- a/lib/bb/checksum.py
+++ b/lib/bb/checksum.py
@@ -11,13 +11,10 @@ import os
 import stat
 import bb.utils
 import logging
-import re
 from bb.cache import MultiProcessCache
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("BitBake.Cache")
 
-filelist_regex = re.compile(r'(?:(?<=:True)|(?<=:False))\s+')
-
 # mtime cache (non-persistent)
 # based upon the assumption that files do not change during bitbake run
 class FileMtimeCache(object):
@@ -112,7 +109,7 @@ class FileChecksumCache(MultiProcessCache):
             return dirchecksums
 
         checksums = []
-        for pth in filelist_regex.split(filelist):
+        for pth in bb.utils.split_file_checksums(filelist):
             if not pth:
                 continue
             pth = pth.strip()
diff --git a/lib/bb/tests/utils.py b/lib/bb/tests/utils.py
index 52b7bf85b..0c3360505 100644
--- a/lib/bb/tests/utils.py
+++ b/lib/bb/tests/utils.py
@@ -703,3 +703,29 @@ class FilemodeTests(unittest.TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             bb.utils.to_filemode("999")
 
+
+class SplitFileChecksums(unittest.TestCase):
+    def check(self, filelist, expected):
+        regex = re.compile(r'(?:(?<=:True)|(?<=:False))\s+')
+        self.assertEqual(regex.split(filelist), expected)
+        self.assertEqual(bb.utils.split_file_checksums(filelist), expected)
+
+    def test_simple(self):
+        self.check("/a:True /b:False", ["/a:True", "/b:False"])
+        self.check("/a:True", ["/a:True"])
+        self.check("", [""])
+        self.check("   ", ["   "])
+
+    def test_whitespace(self):
+        self.check("/a:True\t/b:False\n/c:True  /d:False", ["/a:True", "/b:False", "/c:True", "/d:False"])
+        self.check("/a:True\xa0/b:False\u3000/c:True", ["/a:True", "/b:False", "/c:True"])
+        self.check("  /a:True /b:False  ", ["  /a:True", "/b:False", ""])
+
+    def test_spaces_in_paths(self):
+        self.check("/a b/c:True /d e:False", ["/a b/c:True", "/d e:False"])
+        self.check("/a:True /b c:False /d", ["/a:True", "/b c:False", "/d"])
+
+    def test_suffix_lookalikes(self):
+        self.check("/a:Truex /b:False", ["/a:Truex /b:False"])
+        self.check(":True :False", [":True", ":False"])
+        self.check("/a:True:False /b:False", ["/a:True:False", "/b:False"])
diff --git a/lib/bb/utils.py b/lib/bb/utils.py
index ec6eb2181..f0f24b8de 100644
--- a/lib/bb/utils.py
+++ b/lib/bb/utils.py
@@ -2359,3 +2359,32 @@ def is_path_on_nfs(path):
     import bb.process
     fstype = bb.process.run(['stat', '-f', '-c', '%T', path])[0].strip()
     return fstype == "nfs"
+
+_file_checksums_regex = re.compile(r'(?:(?<=:True)|(?<=:False))\s+')
+
+def split_file_checksums(filelist):
+    """
+    Split a file-checksums value into its ``path:True`` and ``path:False``
+    entries at the whitespace following ``:True`` or ``:False``, since the
+    paths can contain whitespace.
+
+    Arguments:
+
+    -  ``filelist``: the file-checksums string.
+
+    Returns the list of entries. When every whitespace-separated word ends
+    with ``:True`` or ``:False`` (the usual case), this is the same as
+    splitting on whitespace, which is much faster for long values than the
+    regular expression.
+    """
+    words = filelist.split()
+    if words and all(word.endswith((":True", ":False")) for word in words):
+        # Match the regular expression split exactly: leading whitespace stays
+        # with the first entry and trailing whitespace gives an empty entry
+        leading = len(filelist) - len(filelist.lstrip())
+        if leading:
+            words[0] = filelist[:leading] + words[0]
+        if filelist[-1].isspace():
+            words.append("")
+        return words
+    return _file_checksums_regex.split(filelist)