diff --git a/src/Analyser/NodeScopeResolver.php b/src/Analyser/NodeScopeResolver.php
index ebb599d056..275ebd2acd 100644
--- a/src/Analyser/NodeScopeResolver.php
+++ b/src/Analyser/NodeScopeResolver.php
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 use ArrayAccess;
 use Closure;
 use IteratorAggregate;
-use Override;
 use PhpParser\Comment\Doc;
 use PhpParser\Modifiers;
 use PhpParser\Node;
@@ -49,7 +48,6 @@
 use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\While_;
 use PhpParser\NodeFinder;
 use PhpParser\NodeTraverser;
-use PhpParser\NodeVisitorAbstract;
 use PHPStan\Analyser\ExprHandler\AssignHandler;
 use PHPStan\Analyser\ExprHandler\Helper\ImplicitToStringCallHelper;
 use PHPStan\Analyser\ExprHandler\Helper\MethodThrowPointHelper;
@@ -73,7 +71,6 @@
 use PHPStan\Node\ClassPropertyNode;
 use PHPStan\Node\ClassStatementsGatherer;
 use PHPStan\Node\ClosureReturnStatementsNode;
-use PHPStan\Node\DeepNodeCloner;
 use PHPStan\Node\DoWhileLoopConditionNode;
 use PHPStan\Node\ExecutionEndNode;
 use PHPStan\Node\Expr\ExistingArrayDimFetch;
@@ -259,7 +256,6 @@ public function __construct(
 		#[AutowiredExtensions(of: StaticMethodParameterClosureTypeExtension::class)]
 		private readonly ExtensionsCollection $staticMethodParameterClosureTypeExtensions,
 		private readonly ScopeFactory $scopeFactory,
-		private readonly DeepNodeCloner $deepNodeCloner,
 		#[AutowiredParameter]
 		private readonly bool $polluteScopeWithLoopInitialAssignments,
 		#[AutowiredParameter]
@@ -2406,25 +2402,21 @@ public function processStmtNode(
 						));
 					}
 
-					$clonedVar = $this->deepNodeCloner->cloneNode($var->var);
-					$traverser = new NodeTraverser();
-					$traverser->addVisitor(new class () extends NodeVisitorAbstract {
-
-						#[Override]
-						public function leaveNode(Node $node): ?ExistingArrayDimFetch
-						{
-							if (!$node instanceof ArrayDimFetch || $node->dim === null) {
-								return null;
-							}
-
-							return new ExistingArrayDimFetch($node->var, $node->dim);
+					// wrap the already-processed chain in ExistingArrayDimFetch nodes
+					// referencing the original sub-expressions - the unset statement's
+					// own walk already processed them, and the assign target
+					// preparation prices the chain without re-walking it
+					$buildExistingChain = static function (Expr $node) use (&$buildExistingChain): Expr {
+						if (!$node instanceof ArrayDimFetch || $node->dim === null) {
+							return $node;
 						}
 
-					});
-
-					/** @var Expr $clonedVar */
-					[$clonedVar] = $traverser->traverse([$clonedVar]);
-					$scope = $this->processVirtualAssign($scope, $storage, $stmt, $clonedVar, new UnsetOffsetExpr($var->var, $var->dim), $nodeCallback)->getScope();
+						return new ExistingArrayDimFetch(
+							$buildExistingChain($node->var),
+							$node->dim,
+						);
+					};
+					$scope = $this->processVirtualAssign($scope, $storage, $stmt, $buildExistingChain($var->var), new UnsetOffsetExpr($var->var, $var->dim), $nodeCallback)->getScope();
 				} elseif ($var instanceof PropertyFetch) {
 					$scope = $scope->invalidateExpression($var);
 					$impurePoints[] = new ImpurePoint(
diff --git a/src/Node/DeepNodeCloner.php b/src/Node/DeepNodeCloner.php
deleted file mode 100644
index 8372bfd018..0000000000
--- a/src/Node/DeepNodeCloner.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-<?php declare(strict_types = 1);
-
-namespace PHPStan\Node;
-
-use PhpParser\Node;
-use PhpParser\NodeTraverser;
-use PhpParser\NodeVisitor\CloningVisitor;
-use PHPStan\DependencyInjection\AutowiredService;
-
-#[AutowiredService]
-final class DeepNodeCloner
-{
-
-	/**
-	 * @template T of Node
-	 * @param T $node
-	 * @return T
-	 */
-	public function cloneNode(Node $node): Node
-	{
-		$traverser = new NodeTraverser(new CloningVisitor());
-
-		[$clonedNode] = $traverser->traverse([$node]);
-
-		/** @var T */
-		return $clonedNode;
-	}
-
-}
diff --git a/src/Testing/RuleTestCase.php b/src/Testing/RuleTestCase.php
index 04f550f51b..d070726072 100644
--- a/src/Testing/RuleTestCase.php
+++ b/src/Testing/RuleTestCase.php
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 use PHPStan\File\FileHelper;
 use PHPStan\File\FileReader;
 use PHPStan\Fixable\Patcher;
-use PHPStan\Node\DeepNodeCloner;
 use PHPStan\PhpDoc\PhpDocInheritanceResolver;
 use PHPStan\Reflection\ClassReflectionFactory;
 use PHPStan\Reflection\InitializerExprTypeResolver;
@@ -122,7 +121,6 @@ protected function createNodeScopeResolver(): NodeScopeResolver
 			self::getContainer()->getExtensionsCollection(MethodParameterClosureTypeExtension::class),
 			self::getContainer()->getExtensionsCollection(StaticMethodParameterClosureTypeExtension::class),
 			self::createScopeFactory($reflectionProvider, $typeSpecifier),
-			self::getContainer()->getByType(DeepNodeCloner::class),
 			$this->shouldPolluteScopeWithLoopInitialAssignments(),
 			$this->shouldPolluteScopeWithAlwaysIterableForeach(),
 			self::getContainer()->getParameter('polluteScopeWithBlock'),
diff --git a/src/Testing/TypeInferenceTestCase.php b/src/Testing/TypeInferenceTestCase.php
index 13e9a907da..f19adc7dbe 100644
--- a/src/Testing/TypeInferenceTestCase.php
+++ b/src/Testing/TypeInferenceTestCase.php
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 use PHPStan\Analyser\ScopeContext;
 use PHPStan\File\FileHelper;
 use PHPStan\File\SystemAgnosticSimpleRelativePathHelper;
-use PHPStan\Node\DeepNodeCloner;
 use PHPStan\Node\InClassNode;
 use PHPStan\PhpDoc\PhpDocInheritanceResolver;
 use PHPStan\PhpDoc\TypeStringResolver;
@@ -97,7 +96,6 @@ protected static function createNodeScopeResolver(): NodeScopeResolver
 			$container->getExtensionsCollection(MethodParameterClosureTypeExtension::class),
 			$container->getExtensionsCollection(StaticMethodParameterClosureTypeExtension::class),
 			self::createScopeFactory($reflectionProvider, $typeSpecifier),
-			self::getContainer()->getByType(DeepNodeCloner::class),
 			$container->getParameter('polluteScopeWithLoopInitialAssignments'),
 			$container->getParameter('polluteScopeWithAlwaysIterableForeach'),
 			$container->getParameter('polluteScopeWithBlock'),
diff --git a/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/AnalyserTest.php b/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/AnalyserTest.php
index 04417b7ab9..586aa79133 100644
--- a/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/AnalyserTest.php
+++ b/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/AnalyserTest.php
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 use PHPStan\Dependency\ExportedNodeResolver;
 use PHPStan\Dependency\PackageDependencyResolver;
 use PHPStan\DependencyInjection\DirectExtensionsCollection;
-use PHPStan\Node\DeepNodeCloner;
 use PHPStan\Node\Printer\ExprPrinter;
 use PHPStan\Node\Printer\Printer;
 use PHPStan\Parser\RichParser;
@@ -838,7 +837,6 @@ private function createAnalyser(): Analyser
 			$container->getExtensionsCollection(MethodParameterClosureTypeExtension::class),
 			$container->getExtensionsCollection(StaticMethodParameterClosureTypeExtension::class),
 			self::createScopeFactory($reflectionProvider, $typeSpecifier),
-			$container->getByType(DeepNodeCloner::class),
 			false,
 			true,
 			true,
diff --git a/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/Fiber/FiberNodeScopeResolverRuleTest.php b/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/Fiber/FiberNodeScopeResolverRuleTest.php
index c9732b873d..88d4aae93e 100644
--- a/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/Fiber/FiberNodeScopeResolverRuleTest.php
+++ b/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/Fiber/FiberNodeScopeResolverRuleTest.php
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 use PHPStan\Analyser\Scope;
 use PHPStan\DependencyInjection\DirectExtensionsCollection;
 use PHPStan\File\FileHelper;
-use PHPStan\Node\DeepNodeCloner;
 use PHPStan\PhpDoc\PhpDocInheritanceResolver;
 use PHPStan\Reflection\ClassReflectionFactory;
 use PHPStan\Reflection\InitializerExprTypeResolver;
@@ -142,7 +141,6 @@ protected function createNodeScopeResolver(): NodeScopeResolver
 			self::getContainer()->getExtensionsCollection(MethodParameterClosureTypeExtension::class),
 			self::getContainer()->getExtensionsCollection(StaticMethodParameterClosureTypeExtension::class),
 			self::createScopeFactory($reflectionProvider, $typeSpecifier),
-			self::getContainer()->getByType(DeepNodeCloner::class),
 			$this->shouldPolluteScopeWithLoopInitialAssignments(),
 			$this->shouldPolluteScopeWithAlwaysIterableForeach(),
 			self::getContainer()->getParameter('polluteScopeWithBlock'),
diff --git a/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/Fiber/FiberNodeScopeResolverTest.php b/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/Fiber/FiberNodeScopeResolverTest.php
index 00038bbc18..bfaac47349 100644
--- a/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/Fiber/FiberNodeScopeResolverTest.php
+++ b/tests/PHPStan/Analyser/Fiber/FiberNodeScopeResolverTest.php
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 use PHPStan\Analyser\ExprHandler\Helper\ImplicitToStringCallHelper;
 use PHPStan\Analyser\NodeScopeResolver;
 use PHPStan\File\FileHelper;
-use PHPStan\Node\DeepNodeCloner;
 use PHPStan\PhpDoc\PhpDocInheritanceResolver;
 use PHPStan\Reflection\ClassReflectionFactory;
 use PHPStan\Reflection\InitializerExprTypeResolver;
@@ -75,7 +74,6 @@ protected static function createNodeScopeResolver(): NodeScopeResolver
 			$container->getExtensionsCollection(MethodParameterClosureTypeExtension::class),
 			$container->getExtensionsCollection(StaticMethodParameterClosureTypeExtension::class),
 			self::createScopeFactory($reflectionProvider, $typeSpecifier),
-			$container->getByType(DeepNodeCloner::class),
 			$container->getParameter('polluteScopeWithLoopInitialAssignments'),
 			$container->getParameter('polluteScopeWithAlwaysIterableForeach'),
 			$container->getParameter('polluteScopeWithBlock'),