diff --git a/libs/script/src/optimize.c b/libs/script/src/optimize.c
index 709b99162..ff88ba7f3 100644
--- a/libs/script/src/optimize.c
+++ b/libs/script/src/optimize.c
@@ -1,7 +1,36 @@
+#include "core_diag.h"
 #include "script_eval.h"
 #include "script_optimize.h"
 
-static ScriptExpr opt_static_eval_rewriter(void* ctx, ScriptDoc* doc, const ScriptExpr e) {
+#include "doc_internal.h"
+
+static bool expr_is_intrinsic(ScriptDoc* doc, const ScriptExpr e, const ScriptIntrinsic intr) {
+  if (expr_kind(doc, e) != ScriptExprKind_Intrinsic) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const ScriptExprIntrinsic* data = &expr_data(doc, e)->intrinsic;
+  return data->intrinsic == intr;
+}
+
+static bool expr_is_mem_load(ScriptDoc* doc, const ScriptExpr e, const StringHash key) {
+  if (expr_kind(doc, e) != ScriptExprKind_MemLoad) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const ScriptExprMemLoad* data = &expr_data(doc, e)->mem_load;
+  return data->key == key;
+}
+
+static ScriptExpr expr_intrinsic_arg(ScriptDoc* doc, const ScriptExpr e, const u32 argIndex) {
+  diag_assert(expr_kind(doc, e) == ScriptExprKind_Intrinsic);
+  diag_assert(argIndex < script_intrinsic_arg_count(expr_data(doc, e)->intrinsic.intrinsic));
+  return expr_set_data(doc, expr_data(doc, e)->intrinsic.argSet)[argIndex];
+}
+
+/**
+ * Pre-evaluate static expressions.
+ * Example: '1 + 2' -> '3'.
+ */
+static ScriptExpr rewriter_static_eval(void* ctx, ScriptDoc* doc, const ScriptExpr e) {
   (void)ctx;
   if (script_expr_kind(doc, e) == ScriptExprKind_Value) {
     return e; // Already a value; no need to pre-evaluate.
@@ -15,10 +44,37 @@ static ScriptExpr opt_static_eval_rewriter(void* ctx, ScriptDoc* doc, const Scri
   return e; // Not possible to pre-evaluate.
 }
 
-ScriptExpr script_optimize(ScriptDoc* doc, ScriptExpr e) {
-
-  // Pre-evaluate static expressions.
-  e = script_expr_rewrite(doc, e, null, opt_static_eval_rewriter);
+/**
+ * Rewrite null-coalescing memory stores to avoid re-storing the same value.
+ * Example: '$a = $a ?? 42' -> '$a ?? ($a = 42)'
+ * Example: '$a ??= 42'     -> '$a ?? ($a = 42)'
+ */
+static ScriptExpr rewriter_null_coalescing_store(void* ctx, ScriptDoc* doc, const ScriptExpr e) {
+  (void)ctx;
+  switch (script_expr_kind(doc, e)) {
+  case ScriptExprKind_MemStore: {
+    const ScriptRange storeRange = script_expr_range(doc, e);
+    const ScriptExpr  storeVal   = expr_data(doc, e)->mem_store.val;
+    const StringHash  storeKey   = expr_data(doc, e)->mem_store.key;
+    if (!expr_is_intrinsic(doc, storeVal, ScriptIntrinsic_NullCoalescing)) {
+      return e; // Not a null-coalescing store.
+    }
+    if (!expr_is_mem_load(doc, expr_intrinsic_arg(doc, storeVal, 0), storeKey)) {
+      return e; // Not a null-coalescing store.
+    }
+    const ScriptExpr newArgs[] = {
+        script_add_mem_load(doc, storeRange, storeKey),
+        script_add_mem_store(doc, storeRange, storeKey, expr_intrinsic_arg(doc, storeVal, 1)),
+    };
+    return script_add_intrinsic(doc, storeRange, ScriptIntrinsic_NullCoalescing, newArgs);
+  }
+  default:
+    return e; // Not a null-coalescing store.
+  }
+}
 
+ScriptExpr script_optimize(ScriptDoc* doc, ScriptExpr e) {
+  e = script_expr_rewrite(doc, e, null, rewriter_null_coalescing_store);
+  e = script_expr_rewrite(doc, e, null, rewriter_static_eval);
   return e;
 }