diff --git a/internal/cbm/lsp/ruby_lsp.c b/internal/cbm/lsp/ruby_lsp.c
index 6c89ac01f..2464a6891 100644
--- a/internal/cbm/lsp/ruby_lsp.c
+++ b/internal/cbm/lsp/ruby_lsp.c
@@ -114,10 +114,52 @@ static char *ruby_node_text(RubyLSPContext *ctx, TSNode node) {
     return cbm_node_text(ctx->arena, node, ctx->source);
 }
 
+/* Byte length of a node's source text (0 for an empty node). */
+static size_t ruby_node_len(TSNode node) {
+    uint32_t start = ts_node_start_byte(node);
+    uint32_t end = ts_node_end_byte(node);
+    return end > start ? (size_t)(end - start) : 0;
+}
+
+/* One step left along a constant path. `*cur` is a scope_resolution whose
+ * own segment has been taken; on success `*seg` is the next segment to its
+ * left and `*cur` the node to continue from. The path ends at a missing
+ * scope (`::Foo`), at a scope that is not a constant path (`expr::Foo`),
+ * and at an empty segment. A plain `constant` has no scope field, so it is
+ * always the last segment. */
+static bool ruby_const_step(TSNode *cur, TSNode *seg) {
+    TSNode scope = ts_node_child_by_field_name(*cur, "scope", 5);
+    if (ts_node_is_null(scope))
+        return false;
+    const char *k = ts_node_type(scope);
+    if (strcmp(k, "constant") == 0) {
+        if (ruby_node_len(scope) == 0)
+            return false;
+        *seg = scope;
+        *cur = scope;
+        return true;
+    }
+    if (strcmp(k, "scope_resolution") != 0)
+        return false;
+    TSNode name = ts_node_child_by_field_name(scope, "name", 4);
+    if (ts_node_is_null(name) || ruby_node_len(name) == 0)
+        return false;
+    *seg = name;
+    *cur = scope;
+    return true;
+}
+
 /* Convert a constant expression node (constant | scope_resolution) into a
  * dotted path ("Foo", "A.B.C"). Returns NULL for anything else. A leading
  * "::Foo" (scope_resolution without a scope) yields "Foo" — the resolver's
- * table probe covers the top-level meaning. */
+ * table probe covers the top-level meaning. A scope that is not itself a
+ * constant path (`expr::Foo`) contributes nothing.
+ *
+ * `A::B::C` nests to the LEFT (scope_resolution(scope_resolution(A, B), C)),
+ * so the path is read from the outermost node along the `scope` fields: one
+ * pass measures the segments, a second copies them right to left into one
+ * buffer. No recursion and no re-formatting of a growing prefix, so neither
+ * stack depth nor bytes grow faster than the path itself. */
 static const char *ruby_const_path(RubyLSPContext *ctx, TSNode node) {
     if (ts_node_is_null(node))
         return NULL;
@@ -126,19 +168,32 @@ static const char *ruby_const_path(RubyLSPContext *ctx, TSNode node) {
         return ruby_node_text(ctx, node);
     if (strcmp(k, "scope_resolution") != 0)
         return NULL;
-    TSNode scope = ts_node_child_by_field_name(node, "scope", 5);
     TSNode name = ts_node_child_by_field_name(node, "name", 4);
-    if (ts_node_is_null(name))
+    if (ts_node_is_null(name) || ruby_node_len(name) == 0)
         return NULL;
-    char *nm = ruby_node_text(ctx, name);
-    if (!nm || !nm[0])
+
+    size_t total = 0;
+    TSNode cur = node;
+    TSNode seg = name;
+    do {
+        total += ruby_node_len(seg) + 1; /* segment + its '.' (or the NUL) */
+    } while (ruby_const_step(&cur, &seg));
+
+    char *out = (char *)cbm_arena_alloc(ctx->arena, total);
+    if (!out)
         return NULL;
-    if (ts_node_is_null(scope))
-        return nm; /* ::Foo */
-    const char *sp = ruby_const_path(ctx, scope);
-    if (!sp || !sp[0])
-        return nm;
-    return cbm_arena_sprintf(ctx->arena, "%s.%s", sp, nm);
+    size_t pos = total - 1;
+    out[pos] = '\0';
+    cur = node;
+    seg = name;
+    do {
+        size_t len = ruby_node_len(seg);
+        pos -= len;
+        memcpy(out + pos, ctx->source + ts_node_start_byte(seg), len);
+        if (pos > 0)
+            out[--pos] = '.';
+    } while (ruby_const_step(&cur, &seg));
+    return out;
 }
 
 /* Join two dotted path fragments; either side may be empty/NULL. */
diff --git a/tests/test_ruby_lsp.c b/tests/test_ruby_lsp.c
index 1e2b2c85e..4aa00b9f8 100644
--- a/tests/test_ruby_lsp.c
+++ b/tests/test_ruby_lsp.c
@@ -1430,6 +1430,74 @@ TEST(rubylsp_mixin_walk_visits_each_module_once) {
     PASS();
 }
 
+/* `class Probe; def run; S0::S1::...::S<n-1>.new; end; end` */
+static char *rubylsp_deep_const_src(int n) {
+    size_t cap = (size_t)n * 12 + 128;
+    char *src = (char *)malloc(cap);
+    if (!src)
+        return NULL;
+    size_t off = (size_t)snprintf(src, cap, "class Probe\n  def run\n    ");
+    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
+        off += (size_t)snprintf(src + off, cap - off, i ? "::S%d" : "S%d", i);
+    (void)snprintf(src + off, cap - off, ".new\n  end\nend\n");
+    return src;
+}
+
+static size_t rubylsp_deep_const_bytes(int n) {
+    char *src = rubylsp_deep_const_src(n);
+    if (!src)
+        return 0;
+    size_t bytes = 0;
+    (void)rubylsp_counted_work(src, &bytes);
+    free(src);
+    return bytes;
+}
+
+/* Review ask (b): a constant path is built in one pass. Recursing once per
+ * `::` and re-formatting the growing prefix at every level costs one stack
+ * frame per segment and quadratic bytes; the loop has no recursion and
+ * writes the path once. The positive control pins the exact class QN for a
+ * deep path and for a leading `::`. */
+TEST(rubylsp_const_path_is_linear) {
+    size_t b_n = rubylsp_deep_const_bytes(800);
+    size_t b_2n = rubylsp_deep_const_bytes(1600);
+    printf("  const path arena bytes: n=800 %zu, n=1600 %zu\n", b_n, b_2n);
+    ASSERT(b_n > 0);
+    ASSERT(b_2n <= 3 * b_n);
+
+    const char *src = "module L0\n"
+                      "  module L1\n"
+                      "    module L2\n"
+                      "      module L3\n"
+                      "        module L4\n"
+                      "          class Leaf\n"
+                      "          end\n"
+                      "        end\n"
+                      "      end\n"
+                      "    end\n"
+                      "  end\n"
+                      "end\n"
+                      "class Top\n"
+                      "  class Inner\n"
+                      "  end\n"
+                      "end\n"
+                      "class Caller\n"
+                      "  def deep\n"
+                      "    L0::L1::L2::L3::L4::Leaf.new\n"
+                      "  end\n"
+                      "  def rooted\n"
+                      "    ::Top::Inner.new\n"
+                      "  end\n"
+                      "end\n";
+    CBMFileResult *r = extract_ruby(src);
+    ASSERT(r);
+    ASSERT(require_resolved_exact(r, "test.main.Caller.deep", "test.main.L0.L1.L2.L3.L4.Leaf") >=
+           0);
+    ASSERT(require_resolved_exact(r, "test.main.Caller.rooted", "test.main.Top.Inner") >= 0);
+    cbm_free_result(r);
+    PASS();
+}
+
 /* ── suite ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
 void suite_ruby_lsp(void) {
@@ -1467,4 +1535,5 @@ void suite_ruby_lsp(void) {
     RUN_TEST(rubylsp_dynamic_dispatch_family_no_edge);
     RUN_TEST(rubylsp_self_rebinding_blocks_no_edge);
     RUN_TEST(rubylsp_mixin_walk_visits_each_module_once);
+    RUN_TEST(rubylsp_const_path_is_linear);
 }