diff --git a/src/Analyser/MutatingScope.php b/src/Analyser/MutatingScope.php
index 8bdf7894e6..3a9ef63cc1 100644
--- a/src/Analyser/MutatingScope.php
+++ b/src/Analyser/MutatingScope.php
@@ -917,8 +917,12 @@ public function getScopeNativeType(Expr $expr): Type
 
 	private function getNodeKey(Expr $node): string
 	{
-		$key = $this->exprPrinter->printExpr($node);
+		// perf optimize for the most common path
+		if ($node instanceof Variable && !$node->name instanceof Expr) {
+			return '$' . $node->name;
+		}
 
+		$key = $this->exprPrinter->printExpr($node);
 		$attributes = $node->getAttributes();
 		if (
 			$node instanceof Node\FunctionLike