diff --git a/.jules/bolt.md b/.jules/bolt.md
index fb3e8f1..8df63ee 100644
--- a/.jules/bolt.md
+++ b/.jules/bolt.md
@@ -2,3 +2,6 @@
 ## 2026-04-08 - [Performance: Defer Allocation during Traversal]
 **Learning:** During DAG traversals, creating owned variants of identifiers (like `file.to_path_buf()`) *before* checking `visited` HashSets results in heap allocations (O(E)) for every edge instead of every visited node (O(V)). By moving the `&PathBuf` allocation strictly *after* all HashSet `contains` checks using the borrowed reference (`&Path`), we drastically reduce memory churn.
 **Action:** Always check `HashSet::contains` with a borrowed reference *before* creating the owned version required by `HashSet::insert`, especially in performance-critical graph traversal paths.
+## 2024-05-23 - [Performance: Avoid redundant `to_path_buf` calls in Tarjan's SCC]
+**Learning:** In `TarjanState` during graph traversal for finding cycles, calling `.to_path_buf()` on borrowed `&Path` values repeatedly within loops to query HashSets and HashMaps (e.g., `state.indices.get(&v.to_path_buf())`) leads to unnecessary O(E) heap allocations. Since these collections accept borrowed references (e.g., `&Path`), using the borrowed reference directly (e.g., `state.indices.get(v)`) eliminates these allocations.
+**Action:** In graph algorithms like Tarjan's SCC and BFS/DFS, avoid `.to_path_buf()` and `.clone()` when checking membership (`contains`, `get`, `get_mut`) in `RapidSet` or `RapidMap`. Only allocate when transferring ownership (e.g., inserting).
diff --git a/crates/flow/src/incremental/invalidation.rs b/crates/flow/src/incremental/invalidation.rs
index da9ac9c..eac784f 100644
--- a/crates/flow/src/incremental/invalidation.rs
+++ b/crates/flow/src/incremental/invalidation.rs
@@ -358,19 +358,19 @@ impl InvalidationDetector {
 
                 // Update lowlink
                 let w_lowlink = *state.lowlinks.get(dep).unwrap();
-                let v_lowlink = state.lowlinks.get_mut(&v.to_path_buf()).unwrap();
+                let v_lowlink = state.lowlinks.get_mut(v).unwrap();
                 *v_lowlink = (*v_lowlink).min(w_lowlink);
             } else if state.on_stack.contains(dep) {
                 // Successor is on stack (part of current SCC)
                 let w_index = *state.indices.get(dep).unwrap();
-                let v_lowlink = state.lowlinks.get_mut(&v.to_path_buf()).unwrap();
+                let v_lowlink = state.lowlinks.get_mut(v).unwrap();
                 *v_lowlink = (*v_lowlink).min(w_index);
             }
         }
 
         // If v is a root node, pop the stack to create an SCC
-        let v_index = *state.indices.get(&v.to_path_buf()).unwrap();
-        let v_lowlink = *state.lowlinks.get(&v.to_path_buf()).unwrap();
+        let v_index = *state.indices.get(v).unwrap();
+        let v_lowlink = *state.lowlinks.get(v).unwrap();
 
         if v_lowlink == v_index {
             let mut scc = Vec::new();
diff --git a/crates/rule-engine/src/check_var.rs b/crates/rule-engine/src/check_var.rs
index 9e40105..17d6fa7 100644
--- a/crates/rule-engine/src/check_var.rs
+++ b/crates/rule-engine/src/check_var.rs
@@ -104,9 +104,9 @@ fn get_vars_from_rules<'r>(rule: &'r Rule, utils: &'r RuleRegistration) -> Rapid
     vars
 }
 
-fn check_var_in_constraints<'r>(
+fn check_var_in_constraints(
     mut vars: RapidSet<String>,
-    constraints: &'r RapidMap<thread_ast_engine::meta_var::MetaVariableID, Rule>,
+    constraints: &RapidMap<thread_ast_engine::meta_var::MetaVariableID, Rule>,
 ) -> RResult<RapidSet<String>> {
     for rule in constraints.values() {
         for var in rule.defined_vars() {
@@ -125,9 +125,9 @@ fn check_var_in_constraints<'r>(
     Ok(vars)
 }
 
-fn check_var_in_transform<'r>(
+fn check_var_in_transform(
     mut vars: RapidSet<String>,
-    transform: &'r Option<Transform>,
+    transform: &Option<Transform>,
 ) -> RResult<RapidSet<String>> {
     let Some(transform) = transform else {
         return Ok(vars);