diff --git a/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSemanticCalls.ts b/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSemanticCalls.ts
index 47544f5208..1879fa47b6 100644
--- a/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSemanticCalls.ts
+++ b/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSemanticCalls.ts
@@ -335,7 +335,8 @@ const collectCapture = (
     owner.bodyScopeId === null
   )
     return;
-  if (semanticIdentifierRole(node, parent, context.ancestors) === null) return;
+  if (semanticIdentifierRole(node, parent, () => context.ancestors) === null)
+    return;
   const binding = resolveSemanticBindingState(state, node, node.name);
   if (
     binding === undefined ||
diff --git a/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSemanticProjection.test.ts b/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSemanticProjection.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e9d42d776a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSemanticProjection.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import * as t from "@babel/types";
+import { expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { semanticIdentifierRole } from "./javascriptSemanticProjection.js";
+import { traverseJavaScriptAst } from "./javascriptSemanticTraversal.js";
+import { parseJavaScriptSource } from "./javascriptSourceParser.js";
+
+const rolesFor = (source: string) => {
+  const parsed = parseJavaScriptSource(source);
+  if (parsed === null) throw new Error("Expected parsed source");
+  const references: { name: string; role: string }[] = [];
+  let snapshots = 0;
+  traverseJavaScriptAst(parsed.program, {
+    enter(node, parent, readAncestors) {
+      if (!t.isIdentifier(node) || parent === null) return;
+      const role = semanticIdentifierRole(node, parent, () => {
+        snapshots++;
+        return readAncestors();
+      });
+      if (role !== null) references.push({ name: node.name, role });
+    },
+  });
+  return { references, snapshots };
+};
+
+it.each([256, 512])(
+  "classifies a %s-member chain without copying or scanning its ancestry",
+  (depth) => {
+    expect(rolesFor(`object${".property".repeat(depth)};`)).toEqual({
+      references: [{ name: "object", role: "read" }],
+      snapshots: 0,
+    });
+  },
+);
+
+it("retains optional and computed member reads without ancestor snapshots", () => {
+  expect(
+    rolesFor("object.property; object[key]; object?.property; object?.[key];"),
+  ).toEqual({
+    references: [
+      { name: "object", role: "read" },
+      { name: "object", role: "read" },
+      { name: "key", role: "read" },
+      { name: "object", role: "read" },
+      { name: "object", role: "read" },
+      { name: "key", role: "read" },
+    ],
+    snapshots: 0,
+  });
+});
+
+it("still reads ancestry to distinguish bound patterns from default-value reads", () => {
+  const result = rolesFor(
+    "const {key: value = compute()} = object; ({key: target} = source);",
+  );
+  expect(result.references).toEqual([
+    { name: "compute", role: "read" },
+    { name: "object", role: "read" },
+    { name: "target", role: "write" },
+    { name: "source", role: "read" },
+  ]);
+  expect(result.snapshots).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+});
+
+it("keeps member receivers and computed keys as reads in assignment patterns and updates", () => {
+  expect(
+    rolesFor("({field: object[key]} = source); object[key]++;").references,
+  ).toEqual([
+    { name: "object", role: "read" },
+    { name: "key", role: "read" },
+    { name: "source", role: "read" },
+    { name: "object", role: "read" },
+    { name: "key", role: "read" },
+  ]);
+});
diff --git a/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSemanticProjection.ts b/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSemanticProjection.ts
index b30de20651..da6264f77c 100644
--- a/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSemanticProjection.ts
+++ b/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSemanticProjection.ts
@@ -180,8 +180,9 @@ export function* collectSemanticReferencesSteps(
         (name !== undefined && node.name !== name)
       )
         return;
-      const ancestors = readAncestors();
-      const role = semanticIdentifierRole(node, parent, ancestors);
+      let ancestors: readonly t.Node[] | undefined;
+      const ancestry = () => (ancestors ??= readAncestors());
+      const role = semanticIdentifierRole(node, parent, ancestry);
       if (role === null) return;
       // A compound assignment or update reads before it writes; emit both so
       // reference consumers see the read they actually execute.
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ export function* collectSemanticReferencesSteps(
         role === "write" &&
         semanticReadsBeforeWrite(
           node,
-          semanticWrappedWriteSite(node, parent, ancestors) ?? parent,
+          semanticWrappedWriteSite(node, parent, ancestry()) ?? parent,
         )
           ? (["read", "write"] as const)
           : ([role] as const);
@@ -631,8 +632,12 @@ export const semanticReadsBeforeWrite = (
 export const semanticIdentifierRole = (
   node: t.Identifier,
   parent: t.Node,
-  ancestors: readonly t.Node[],
+  readAncestors: () => readonly t.Node[],
 ): JavaScriptSemanticReference["role"] | null => {
+  // Member identifiers are either object/computed-key reads or fixed property
+  // names. None is a bound destructuring slot, so no ancestor snapshot is needed.
+  if (t.isMemberExpression(parent) || t.isOptionalMemberExpression(parent))
+    return semanticReferenceRole(node, parent);
   if (
     t.isObjectProperty(parent) &&
     parent.key === node &&
@@ -640,6 +645,7 @@ export const semanticIdentifierRole = (
     parent.value !== node
   )
     return null;
+  const ancestors = readAncestors();
   const patternAncestor = enclosingPatternAncestor(node, parent, ancestors);
   if (patternAncestor !== null) {
     if (isPatternOwnerDeclaration(patternAncestor)) return null;