diff --git a/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/ClassMethod/RemoveUnusedPrivateMethodRector/Fixture/used_via_self_reflection.php.inc b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/ClassMethod/RemoveUnusedPrivateMethodRector/Fixture/used_via_self_reflection.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bf1d0f7bae7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/ClassMethod/RemoveUnusedPrivateMethodRector/Fixture/used_via_self_reflection.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\DeadCode\Rector\ClassMethod\RemoveUnusedPrivateMethodRector\Fixture;
+
+// real-world false positive (spiral/framework ReflectionFileTest::deadend):
+// the method body is read back via new ReflectionFile(__FILE__) and its
+// function invocations are asserted - so it is "used" only at runtime via
+// self-reflection, which static analysis cannot see.
+final class UsedViaSelfReflection
+{
+    public function testInvocations(): void
+    {
+        $reflection = new ReflectionFile(__FILE__);
+        foreach ($reflection->getInvocations() as $invocation) {
+            // asserts test_function_a / test_function_b are found
+        }
+    }
+
+    private function deadend(): void
+    {
+        $a = $b = null;
+        test_function_a($this, $a + $b);
+        test_function_b("string", 123);
+    }
+}
+
+?>
+-----
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\DeadCode\Rector\ClassMethod\RemoveUnusedPrivateMethodRector\Fixture;
+
+// real-world false positive (spiral/framework ReflectionFileTest::deadend):
+// the method body is read back via new ReflectionFile(__FILE__) and its
+// function invocations are asserted - so it is "used" only at runtime via
+// self-reflection, which static analysis cannot see.
+final class UsedViaSelfReflection
+{
+    public function testInvocations(): void
+    {
+        $reflection = new ReflectionFile(__FILE__);
+        foreach ($reflection->getInvocations() as $invocation) {
+            // asserts test_function_a / test_function_b are found
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+?>
diff --git a/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector/Fixture/skip_class_exists_after_eval.php.inc b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector/Fixture/skip_class_exists_after_eval.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4393f6882c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector/Fixture/skip_class_exists_after_eval.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\DeadCode\Rector\If_\RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector\Fixture;
+
+class SkipClassExistsAfterEval
+{
+    public function compile(string $class, string $compiled): object
+    {
+        if (! \class_exists($class)) {
+            // the class is defined dynamically here, PHPStan does not see it
+            eval('?>' . $compiled);
+        }
+
+        return new $class();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector/Fixture/skip_function_exists_enum.php.inc b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector/Fixture/skip_function_exists_enum.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eebd1676338
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector/Fixture/skip_function_exists_enum.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\DeadCode\Rector\If_\RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector\Fixture;
+
+class SkipFunctionExistsEnum
+{
+    /**
+     * @param array<string> $enums
+     */
+    public function expand(array $enums): array
+    {
+        $cases = [];
+        foreach ($enums as $enum) {
+            if (is_string($enum) && function_exists('enum_exists') && enum_exists($enum)) {
+                foreach ($enum::cases() as $case) {
+                    $cases[] = $case;
+                }
+            } else {
+                $cases[] = $enum;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return $cases;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector/Fixture/skip_interface_exists_in_loop.php.inc b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector/Fixture/skip_interface_exists_in_loop.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..30f48844d83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector/Fixture/skip_interface_exists_in_loop.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\DeadCode\Rector\If_\RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector\Fixture;
+
+class SkipInterfaceExistsInLoop
+{
+    /**
+     * @param string[] $dependencies
+     */
+    public function check(array $dependencies): void
+    {
+        foreach ($dependencies as $dep) {
+            if (! \class_exists($dep, true) && ! \interface_exists($dep, true)) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            echo $dep;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rules/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector.php b/rules/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector.php
index b17a1b2678e..95b2025c8e9 100644
--- a/rules/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector.php
+++ b/rules/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector.php
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\ArrayDimFetch;
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\Assign;
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\BinaryOp\BooleanAnd;
+use PhpParser\Node\Expr\FuncCall;
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\MethodCall;
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\PropertyFetch;
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\StaticCall;
@@ -34,6 +35,25 @@
  */
 final class RemoveAlwaysTrueIfConditionRector extends AbstractRector
 {
+    /**
+     * Functions that depend on runtime state (autoloading, eval(), loaded extensions).
+     * PHPStan may narrow their result to a constant true, but it can change at runtime,
+     * so the condition must not be treated as always true.
+     *
+     * @var string[]
+     */
+    private const array RUNTIME_STATE_FUNCTIONS = [
+        'class_exists',
+        'interface_exists',
+        'trait_exists',
+        'enum_exists',
+        'function_exists',
+        'method_exists',
+        'property_exists',
+        'defined',
+        'extension_loaded',
+    ];
+
     public function __construct(
         private readonly ExprAnalyzer $exprAnalyzer,
         private readonly BetterNodeFinder $betterNodeFinder,
@@ -170,7 +190,7 @@ private function shouldSkipFromVariable(Expr $expr): bool
 
     private function shouldSkipExpr(Expr $expr): bool
     {
-        return (bool) $this->betterNodeFinder->findInstancesOf(
+        $hasNonStaticNode = (bool) $this->betterNodeFinder->findInstancesOf(
             $expr,
             [
                 PropertyFetch::class,
@@ -180,6 +200,20 @@ private function shouldSkipExpr(Expr $expr): bool
                 StaticCall::class,
             ]
         );
+
+        if ($hasNonStaticNode) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        /** @var FuncCall[] $funcCalls */
+        $funcCalls = $this->betterNodeFinder->findInstancesOf($expr, [FuncCall::class]);
+        foreach ($funcCalls as $funcCall) {
+            if ($this->isNames($funcCall, self::RUNTIME_STATE_FUNCTIONS)) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
     }
 
     private function refactorIfWithBooleanAnd(If_ $if): ?If_