diff --git a/bench/node_comparator_short_circuit_bench.php b/bench/node_comparator_short_circuit_bench.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..06a5bba3ada
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bench/node_comparator_short_circuit_bench.php
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * Benchmark for NodeComparator::areNodesEqual() short-circuits.
+ *
+ * areNodesEqual() is called heavily on the traversal hot path, most often on pairs that are not
+ * equal. Previously every single-node pair paid a double printWithoutComments() round-trip
+ * (comment removal + printer) even when the answer was trivially false. The change adds two cheap
+ * bail-outs before the print: a null operand, and two single nodes of a different class.
+ *
+ * This bench runs a realistic blend: null pairs and different-class pairs (the cases the
+ * short-circuit now skips) mixed with same-class equal/unequal pairs (unchanged - still printed).
+ *
+ * Run on both branches to compare:
+ *   php bench/node_comparator_short_circuit_bench.php
+ *
+ * Reports CPU time (user+sys); CPU is the reliable metric, wall is noisy under concurrent load.
+ */
+
+use PhpParser\Node\Expr\Variable;
+use PhpParser\Node\Identifier;
+use PhpParser\Node\Scalar\LNumber;
+use PhpParser\Node\Scalar\String_;
+use Rector\DependencyInjection\LazyContainerFactory;
+use Rector\PhpParser\Comparing\NodeComparator;
+
+require __DIR__ . '/../vendor/autoload.php';
+
+const REPEAT = 200000;
+
+$rectorConfig = (new LazyContainerFactory())->create();
+
+/** @var NodeComparator $nodeComparator */
+$nodeComparator = $rectorConfig->make(NodeComparator::class);
+
+// realistic blend of pairs; most are unequal, the common hot-path case
+$pairs = [
+    // null operand - newly short-circuited
+    [new Variable('value'), null],
+    [null, new String_('name')],
+    // different class single nodes - newly short-circuited
+    [new Variable('value'), new String_('value')],
+    [new Identifier('foo'), new LNumber(1)],
+    [new String_('a'), new Variable('a')],
+    // same class, unequal - unchanged (still printed)
+    [new Variable('first'), new Variable('second')],
+    [new String_('alpha'), new String_('beta')],
+    // same class, equal - unchanged (still printed)
+    [new Variable('same'), new Variable('same')],
+    [new Identifier('id'), new Identifier('id')],
+];
+
+$cpuSeconds = static function (): float {
+    $usage = getrusage();
+    return $usage['ru_utime.tv_sec'] + $usage['ru_utime.tv_usec'] / 1_000_000
+        + $usage['ru_stime.tv_sec'] + $usage['ru_stime.tv_usec'] / 1_000_000;
+};
+
+$run = static function () use ($nodeComparator, $pairs): void {
+    foreach ($pairs as [$first, $second]) {
+        $nodeComparator->areNodesEqual($first, $second);
+    }
+};
+
+// warm up
+$run();
+
+$wallStart = microtime(true);
+$cpuStart = $cpuSeconds();
+
+for ($repeat = 0; $repeat < REPEAT; ++$repeat) {
+    $run();
+}
+
+$cpu = $cpuSeconds() - $cpuStart;
+$wall = microtime(true) - $wallStart;
+
+$totalCalls = REPEAT * count($pairs);
+
+printf('pairs: %d, repeats: %d, calls: %d%s', count($pairs), REPEAT, $totalCalls, PHP_EOL);
+printf('CPU:  %.4f s  (%.4f us/call)%s', $cpu, $cpu / $totalCalls * 1_000_000, PHP_EOL);
+printf('wall: %.4f s%s', $wall, PHP_EOL);
diff --git a/src/PhpParser/Comparing/NodeComparator.php b/src/PhpParser/Comparing/NodeComparator.php
index b944e1da94c..918117e680d 100644
--- a/src/PhpParser/Comparing/NodeComparator.php
+++ b/src/PhpParser/Comparing/NodeComparator.php
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ public function printWithoutComments(Node|array|null $node): string
      */
     public function areNodesEqual(Node|array|null $firstNode, Node|array|null $secondNode): bool
     {
+        if ($firstNode === null || $secondNode === null) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         if ($firstNode instanceof Node && ! $secondNode instanceof Node) {
             return false;
         }
@@ -47,6 +51,10 @@ public function areNodesEqual(Node|array|null $firstNode, Node|array|null $secon
         }
 
         if (! is_array($secondNode)) {
+            if ($firstNode::class !== $secondNode::class) {
+                return false;
+            }
+
             return $this->printWithoutComments($firstNode) === $this->printWithoutComments($secondNode);
         }