diff --git a/scripts/oss-fuzz/minimize_qtest_trace.py b/scripts/oss-fuzz/minimize_qtest_trace.py
index a28913a2a7452a7b0c80f6cd7dc02b0194d4034b..cacabf26385b451102b96820af396894fef52d15 100755
--- a/scripts/oss-fuzz/minimize_qtest_trace.py
+++ b/scripts/oss-fuzz/minimize_qtest_trace.py
@@ -88,19 +88,28 @@ def minimize_trace(inpath, outpath):
 
     i = 0
     newtrace = trace[:]
-    # For each line
+    remove_step = 1
     while i < len(newtrace):
-        # 1.) Try to remove it completely and reproduce the crash. If it works,
-        # we're done.
-        prior = newtrace[i]
-        print("Trying to remove {}".format(newtrace[i]))
-        # Try to remove the line completely
-        newtrace[i] = ""
+        # 1.) Try to remove lines completely and reproduce the crash.
+        # If it works, we're done.
+        if (i+remove_step) >= len(newtrace):
+            remove_step = 1
+        prior = newtrace[i:i+remove_step]
+        for j in range(i, i+remove_step):
+            newtrace[j] = ""
+        print("Removing {lines} ...".format(lines=prior))
         if check_if_trace_crashes(newtrace, outpath):
-            i += 1
+            i += remove_step
+            # Double the number of lines to remove for next round
+            remove_step *= 2
             continue
-        newtrace[i] = prior
-
+        # Failed to remove multiple IOs, fast recovery
+        if remove_step > 1:
+            for j in range(i, i+remove_step):
+                newtrace[j] = prior[j-i]
+            remove_step = 1
+            continue
+        newtrace[i] = prior[0] # remove_step = 1
         # 2.) Try to replace write{bwlq} commands with a write addr, len
         # command. Since this can require swapping endianness, try both LE and
         # BE options. We do this, so we can "trim" the writes in (3)
@@ -121,7 +130,7 @@ def minimize_trace(inpath, outpath):
                 if(check_if_trace_crashes(newtrace, outpath)):
                     break
             else:
-                newtrace[i] = prior
+                newtrace[i] = prior[0]
 
         # 3.) If it is a qtest write command: write addr len data, try to split
         # it into two separate write commands. If splitting the write down the
@@ -154,7 +163,7 @@ def minimize_trace(inpath, outpath):
                 if check_if_trace_crashes(newtrace, outpath):
                     i -= 1
                 else:
-                    newtrace[i] = prior
+                    newtrace[i] = prior[0]
                     del newtrace[i+1]
         i += 1
     check_if_trace_crashes(newtrace, outpath)