diff --git a/pkg/analysis_server_client/lib/src/protocol/protocol_common.dart b/pkg/analysis_server_client/lib/src/protocol/protocol_common.dart
index 0da011a1315..8bdc1bdc10e 100644
--- a/pkg/analysis_server_client/lib/src/protocol/protocol_common.dart
+++ b/pkg/analysis_server_client/lib/src/protocol/protocol_common.dart
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 import 'dart:convert' hide JsonDecoder;
 
+import 'package:collection/collection.dart' show QueueList;
+
 import 'package:analysis_server_client/src/protocol/protocol_internal.dart';
 
 // ignore_for_file: flutter_style_todos
@@ -3678,7 +3680,7 @@ class SourceFileEdit implements HasToJson {
   List<SourceEdit> edits;
 
   SourceFileEdit(this.file, this.fileStamp, {List<SourceEdit>? edits})
-      : edits = edits ?? <SourceEdit>[];
+      : edits = edits ?? QueueList<SourceEdit>();
 
   factory SourceFileEdit.fromJson(
       JsonDecoder jsonDecoder, String jsonPath, Object? json) {
diff --git a/pkg/analysis_server_client/lib/src/protocol/protocol_internal.dart b/pkg/analysis_server_client/lib/src/protocol/protocol_internal.dart
index e941230ccb7..27c7d668422 100644
--- a/pkg/analysis_server_client/lib/src/protocol/protocol_internal.dart
+++ b/pkg/analysis_server_client/lib/src/protocol/protocol_internal.dart
@@ -45,7 +45,12 @@ void addEditForSource(SourceFileEdit sourceFileEdit, SourceEdit sourceEdit,
       index++;
     }
   }
-  edits.insert(index, sourceEdit);
+  if (index == 0 && edits is Queue) {
+    var q = edits as Queue;
+    q.addFirst(sourceEdit);
+  } else {
+    edits.insert(index, sourceEdit);
+  }
 }
 
 /// Adds [edit] to the [FileEdit] for the given [file].
diff --git a/pkg/analysis_server_client/pubspec.yaml b/pkg/analysis_server_client/pubspec.yaml
index 38755091a24..80895ebc09a 100644
--- a/pkg/analysis_server_client/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pkg/analysis_server_client/pubspec.yaml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ resolution: workspace
 
 # Use 'any' constraints here; we get our versions from the DEPS file.
 dependencies:
+  collection: any
   path: any
   pub_semver: any
 
diff --git a/pkg/analyzer_plugin/lib/protocol/protocol_common.dart b/pkg/analyzer_plugin/lib/protocol/protocol_common.dart
index 6a3cacdfe26..5e9f448d70f 100644
--- a/pkg/analyzer_plugin/lib/protocol/protocol_common.dart
+++ b/pkg/analyzer_plugin/lib/protocol/protocol_common.dart
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 import 'dart:convert' hide JsonDecoder;
 
+import 'package:collection/collection.dart' show QueueList;
+
 import 'package:analyzer_plugin/src/protocol/protocol_internal.dart';
 import 'package:analyzer_plugin/src/utilities/client_uri_converter.dart';
 
@@ -3759,7 +3761,7 @@ class SourceFileEdit implements HasToJson {
   List<SourceEdit> edits;
 
   SourceFileEdit(this.file, this.fileStamp, {List<SourceEdit>? edits})
-      : edits = edits ?? <SourceEdit>[];
+      : edits = edits ?? QueueList<SourceEdit>();
 
   factory SourceFileEdit.fromJson(
       JsonDecoder jsonDecoder, String jsonPath, Object? json,
diff --git a/pkg/analyzer_plugin/lib/src/protocol/protocol_internal.dart b/pkg/analyzer_plugin/lib/src/protocol/protocol_internal.dart
index 0d9e8727e68..ca90d437352 100644
--- a/pkg/analyzer_plugin/lib/src/protocol/protocol_internal.dart
+++ b/pkg/analyzer_plugin/lib/src/protocol/protocol_internal.dart
@@ -78,7 +78,12 @@ void addEditForSource(SourceFileEdit sourceFileEdit, SourceEdit sourceEdit,
           newEdit: sourceEdit, existingEdit: nextEdit);
     }
   }
-  edits.insert(index, sourceEdit);
+  if (index == 0 && edits is Queue) {
+    var q = edits as Queue;
+    q.addFirst(sourceEdit);
+  } else {
+    edits.insert(index, sourceEdit);
+  }
 }
 
 /// Adds [edit] to the [FileEdit] for the given [file].
diff --git a/pkg/analyzer_plugin/tool/spec/codegen_dart_protocol.dart b/pkg/analyzer_plugin/tool/spec/codegen_dart_protocol.dart
index fdb60a04240..c1ab2779506 100644
--- a/pkg/analyzer_plugin/tool/spec/codegen_dart_protocol.dart
+++ b/pkg/analyzer_plugin/tool/spec/codegen_dart_protocol.dart
@@ -54,6 +54,12 @@ class CodegenProtocolVisitor extends DartCodegenVisitor with CodeGenerator {
     'TypeHierarchyItem': ['interfaces', 'mixins', 'subclasses'],
   };
 
+  /// Class members for which the list type should not be the default,
+  /// but QueueList for performance reasons.
+  static const Map<String, List<String>> _useQueueList = {
+    'SourceFileEdit': ['edits'],
+  };
+
   /// The disclaimer added to the documentation comment for each of the classes
   /// that are generated.
   static const String disclaimer =
@@ -461,7 +467,12 @@ class CodegenProtocolVisitor extends DartCodegenVisitor with CodeGenerator {
           // given, the constructor should populate with the empty list.
           var fieldType = field.type;
           if (fieldType is TypeList) {
-            var defaultValue = '<${dartType(fieldType.itemType)}>[]';
+            String defaultValue;
+            if (_useQueueList[className]?.contains(field.name) ?? false) {
+              defaultValue = 'QueueList<${dartType(fieldType.itemType)}>()';
+            } else {
+              defaultValue = '<${dartType(fieldType.itemType)}>[]';
+            }
             initializers.add('${field.name} = ${field.name} ?? $defaultValue');
           } else {
             throw Exception("Don't know how to create default field value.");
diff --git a/pkg/analyzer_plugin/tool/spec/codegen_protocol_common.dart b/pkg/analyzer_plugin/tool/spec/codegen_protocol_common.dart
index 2e00137cef1..e13b31497ff 100644
--- a/pkg/analyzer_plugin/tool/spec/codegen_protocol_common.dart
+++ b/pkg/analyzer_plugin/tool/spec/codegen_protocol_common.dart
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ class CodegenCommonVisitor extends CodegenProtocolVisitor {
   void emitImports() {
     writeln("import 'dart:convert' hide JsonDecoder;");
     writeln();
+    writeln("import 'package:collection/collection.dart' show QueueList;");
+    writeln();
     if (forClient) {
       writeln(
           "import 'package:analysis_server_client/src/protocol/protocol_internal.dart';");