diff --git a/src/algorithms/sets/longest-common-subsequence/__test__/longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive.test.js b/src/algorithms/sets/longest-common-subsequence/__test__/longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive.test.js
index 3d5c9d802a..1046e3c5d0 100644
--- a/src/algorithms/sets/longest-common-subsequence/__test__/longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive.test.js
+++ b/src/algorithms/sets/longest-common-subsequence/__test__/longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive.test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,27 @@
 import longestCommonSubsequence from '../longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive';
 
 describe('longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive', () => {
+  it('should distinguish memoized suffixes containing colons', () => {
+    expect(longestCommonSubsequence('::a:a', 'aa:::')).toBe(':::');
+    expect(longestCommonSubsequence('aa:::', '::a:a')).toBe(':::');
+  });
+
+  it('should reuse empty subsequences instead of expanding them repeatedly', () => {
+    const substring = jest.spyOn(String.prototype, 'substring');
+    let result;
+    let calls;
+    try {
+      result = longestCommonSubsequence('a'.repeat(8), 'b'.repeat(8));
+      calls = substring.mock.calls.length;
+    } finally {
+      substring.mockRestore();
+    }
+
+    expect(result).toBe('');
+    // There are 8 * 8 non-empty suffix pairs, with two branches per pair.
+    expect(calls).toBeLessThanOrEqual(2 * 8 * 8);
+  });
+
   it('should find longest common substring between two strings', () => {
     expect(longestCommonSubsequence('', '')).toBe('');
     expect(longestCommonSubsequence('ABC', '')).toBe('');
diff --git a/src/algorithms/sets/longest-common-subsequence/longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive.js b/src/algorithms/sets/longest-common-subsequence/longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive.js
index 580ba8c72f..5c40fb621c 100644
--- a/src/algorithms/sets/longest-common-subsequence/longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive.js
+++ b/src/algorithms/sets/longest-common-subsequence/longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  *
  * @param {string} string1
  * @param {string} string2
- * @return {number}
+ * @return {string}
  */
 export default function longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive(string1, string2) {
   /**
@@ -16,10 +16,14 @@ export default function longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive(string1, string2) {
   const lcs = (s1, s2, memo = {}) => {
     if (!s1 || !s2) return '';
 
-    if (memo[`${s1}:${s2}`]) return memo[`${s1}:${s2}`];
+    // Each call uses suffixes of the original inputs. Their lengths uniquely
+    // identify the pair, even when the input strings contain the separator.
+    const key = `${s1.length}:${s2.length}`;
+    if (memo[key] !== undefined) return memo[key];
 
     if (s1[0] === s2[0]) {
-      return s1[0] + lcs(s1.substring(1), s2.substring(1), memo);
+      memo[key] = s1[0] + lcs(s1.substring(1), s2.substring(1), memo);
+      return memo[key];
     }
 
     const nextLcs1 = lcs(s1.substring(1), s2, memo);
@@ -27,7 +31,7 @@ export default function longestCommonSubsequenceRecursive(string1, string2) {
 
     const nextLongest = nextLcs1.length >= nextLcs2.length ? nextLcs1 : nextLcs2;
 
-    memo[`${s1}:${s2}`] = nextLongest;
+    memo[key] = nextLongest;
 
     return nextLongest;
   };