diff --git a/crates/flow/src/incremental/invalidation.rs b/crates/flow/src/incremental/invalidation.rs
index da9ac9c..3dd8c25 100644
--- a/crates/flow/src/incremental/invalidation.rs
+++ b/crates/flow/src/incremental/invalidation.rs
@@ -342,11 +342,13 @@ impl InvalidationDetector {
     fn tarjan_dfs(&self, v: &Path, state: &mut TarjanState, sccs: &mut Vec<Vec<PathBuf>>) {
         // Initialize node
         let index = state.index_counter;
-        state.indices.insert(v.to_path_buf(), index);
-        state.lowlinks.insert(v.to_path_buf(), index);
+        // ⚡ Bolt Optimization: Compute owned PathBuf once for insertion to avoid redundant O(E) allocations
+        let v_buf = v.to_path_buf();
+        state.indices.insert(v_buf.clone(), index);
+        state.lowlinks.insert(v_buf.clone(), index);
         state.index_counter += 1;
-        state.stack.push(v.to_path_buf());
-        state.on_stack.insert(v.to_path_buf());
+        state.stack.push(v_buf.clone());
+        state.on_stack.insert(v_buf);
 
         // Visit all successors (dependencies)
         let dependencies = self.graph.get_dependencies(v);
@@ -358,19 +360,22 @@ impl InvalidationDetector {
 
                 // Update lowlink
                 let w_lowlink = *state.lowlinks.get(dep).unwrap();
-                let v_lowlink = state.lowlinks.get_mut(&v.to_path_buf()).unwrap();
+                // ⚡ Bolt Optimization: Use borrowed `&Path` reference `v` for map lookup instead of allocating
+                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();
+                // ⚡ Bolt Optimization: Use borrowed `&Path` reference `v` for map lookup instead of allocating
+                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();
+        // ⚡ Bolt Optimization: Use borrowed `&Path` reference `v` for map lookup instead of allocating
+        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);