diff --git a/crates/uplc/src/optimize/shrinker.rs b/crates/uplc/src/optimize/shrinker.rs
index e0a754cc..4aa13546 100644
--- a/crates/uplc/src/optimize/shrinker.rs
+++ b/crates/uplc/src/optimize/shrinker.rs
@@ -35,17 +35,17 @@ impl Scope {
     pub fn push(&self, path: ScopePath) -> Self {
         let mut new_scope = self.scope.clone();
         new_scope.push(path);
-        Scope { scope: new_scope }
+        Self { scope: new_scope }
     }
 
     pub fn pop(&self) -> Self {
         let mut new_scope = self.scope.clone();
         new_scope.pop();
-        Scope { scope: new_scope }
+        Self { scope: new_scope }
     }
 
     pub fn common_ancestor(&self, other: &Scope) -> Self {
-        Scope {
+        Self {
             scope: self
                 .scope
                 .iter()
@@ -90,6 +90,51 @@ impl Default for IdGen {
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(PartialEq, PartialOrd, Default, Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct VarLookup {
+    found: bool,
+    occurrences: isize,
+    delays: isize,
+}
+
+impl VarLookup {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            found: false,
+            occurrences: 0,
+            delays: 0,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn new_found() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            found: true,
+            occurrences: 1,
+            delays: 0,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn combine(self, other: Self) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            found: self.found || other.found,
+            occurrences: self.occurrences + other.occurrences,
+            delays: self.delays + other.delays,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn delay_if_found(self, delay_amount: isize) -> Self {
+        if self.found {
+            Self {
+                found: self.found,
+                occurrences: self.occurrences,
+                delays: self.delays + delay_amount,
+            }
+        } else {
+            self
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl DefaultFunction {
     pub fn is_order_agnostic_builtin(self) -> bool {
         matches!(
@@ -606,7 +651,7 @@ pub struct CurriedBuiltin {
 
 impl CurriedBuiltin {
     pub fn merge_node_by_path(self, path: BuiltinArgs) -> Self {
-        CurriedBuiltin {
+        Self {
             func: self.func,
             args: self.args.merge_node_by_path(path),
         }
@@ -808,25 +853,7 @@ impl Program<Name> {
         let mut lambda_applied_ids = vec![];
         let mut identity_applied_ids = vec![];
         // TODO: Remove extra traversals
-        self.traverse_uplc_with(&mut |_id, term, _arg_stack, _scope| {
-            // Since this one just inlines single occurrences. It's probably not needed
-            if let Term::Apply { function, argument } = term {
-                let func = Rc::make_mut(function);
-
-                if let Term::Lambda {
-                    parameter_name,
-                    body,
-                } = func
-                {
-                    if let Term::Var(name) = body.as_ref() {
-                        if name.as_ref() == parameter_name.as_ref() {
-                            *term = argument.as_ref().clone();
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        })
-        .traverse_uplc_with(&mut |id, term, mut arg_stack, _scope| {
+        self.traverse_uplc_with(&mut |id, term, mut arg_stack, _scope| {
             match term {
                 Term::Apply { function, .. } => {
                     // We are applying some arg so now we unwrap the id of the applied arg
@@ -858,7 +885,7 @@ impl Program<Name> {
                                     replace_identity_usage(body.as_ref(), parameter_name.clone());
                                 // Have to check if the body still has any occurrences of the parameter
                                 // After attempting replacement
-                                if var_occurrences(body.as_ref(), parameter_name.clone()) > 0 {
+                                if var_occurrences(body.as_ref(), parameter_name.clone()).found {
                                     let body = Rc::make_mut(body);
                                     *body = temp_term;
                                 } else {
@@ -881,9 +908,8 @@ impl Program<Name> {
                 let id = id.unwrap();
 
                 if lambda_applied_ids.contains(&id) {
-                    let func = Rc::make_mut(function);
                     // we inlined the arg so now remove the apply and arg from the program
-                    *term = func.clone();
+                    *term = function.as_ref().clone();
                 }
             }
             Term::Lambda {
@@ -893,11 +919,10 @@ impl Program<Name> {
                 // pops stack here no matter what
                 if let Some((arg_id, arg_term)) = arg_stack.pop() {
                     let body = Rc::make_mut(body);
-                    let occurrences = var_occurrences(body, parameter_name.clone());
-                    let delays = delayed_execution(body);
+                    let var_lookup = var_occurrences(body, parameter_name.clone());
 
-                    if occurrences == 1
-                        && (delays == 0
+                    if var_lookup.occurrences == 1
+                        && (var_lookup.delays == 0
                             || matches!(
                                 &arg_term,
                                 Term::Var(_)
@@ -913,7 +938,7 @@ impl Program<Name> {
                         *term = body.clone();
 
                     // This will strip out unused terms that can't throw an error by themselves
-                    } else if occurrences == 0
+                    } else if !var_lookup.found
                         && matches!(
                             arg_term,
                             Term::Var(_)
@@ -1082,7 +1107,7 @@ impl Program<Name> {
             IndexMap::new();
         let mut final_ids: IndexMap<Vec<usize>, ()> = IndexMap::new();
 
-        let a = self.traverse_uplc_with(&mut |_id, term, arg_stack, scope| match term {
+        let step_a = self.traverse_uplc_with(&mut |_id, term, arg_stack, scope| match term {
             Term::Builtin(func) => {
                 if func.can_curry_builtin() && arg_stack.len() == func.arity() {
                     let is_order_agnostic = func.is_order_agnostic_builtin();
@@ -1191,7 +1216,7 @@ impl Program<Name> {
                 }
             });
 
-        let mut b = a.traverse_uplc_with(&mut |id, term, arg_stack, scope| match term {
+        let mut step_b = step_a.traverse_uplc_with(&mut |id, term, arg_stack, scope| match term {
             Term::Builtin(func) => {
                 if func.can_curry_builtin() {
                     let Some(curried_builtin) =
@@ -1255,7 +1280,9 @@ impl Program<Name> {
                                 .join("_")
                         );
 
-                        *term = term.clone().lambda(name).apply(val);
+                        if var_occurrences(term, Name::text(&name).into()).found {
+                            *term = term.clone().lambda(name).apply(val);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -1273,7 +1300,9 @@ impl Program<Name> {
                                 .join("_")
                         );
 
-                        *term = term.clone().lambda(name).apply(val);
+                        if var_occurrences(term, Name::text(&name).into()).found {
+                            *term = term.clone().lambda(name).apply(val);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -1281,68 +1310,49 @@ impl Program<Name> {
 
         let mut interner = Interner::new();
 
-        interner.program(&mut b);
+        interner.program(&mut step_b);
 
-        b
+        step_b
     }
 }
 
-fn var_occurrences(term: &Term<Name>, search_for: Rc<Name>) -> usize {
+fn var_occurrences(term: &Term<Name>, search_for: Rc<Name>) -> VarLookup {
     match term {
         Term::Var(name) => {
-            if name.as_ref() == search_for.as_ref() {
-                1
+            if name.text == search_for.text && name.unique == search_for.unique {
+                VarLookup::new_found()
             } else {
-                0
+                VarLookup::new()
             }
         }
-        Term::Delay(body) => var_occurrences(body.as_ref(), search_for),
+        Term::Delay(body) => var_occurrences(body.as_ref(), search_for).delay_if_found(1),
         Term::Lambda {
             parameter_name,
             body,
         } => {
-            if parameter_name.clone() != search_for {
-                var_occurrences(body.as_ref(), search_for)
+            if parameter_name.text != search_for.text || parameter_name.unique != search_for.unique
+            {
+                var_occurrences(body.as_ref(), search_for).delay_if_found(1)
             } else {
-                0
+                VarLookup::new()
             }
         }
         Term::Apply { function, argument } => {
             var_occurrences(function.as_ref(), search_for.clone())
-                + var_occurrences(argument.as_ref(), search_for)
+                .delay_if_found(-1)
+                .combine(var_occurrences(argument.as_ref(), search_for))
         }
-        Term::Force(x) => var_occurrences(x.as_ref(), search_for),
+        Term::Force(x) => var_occurrences(x.as_ref(), search_for).delay_if_found(-1),
         Term::Case { .. } => todo!(),
         Term::Constr { .. } => todo!(),
-        _ => 0,
-    }
-}
-
-fn delayed_execution(term: &Term<Name>) -> usize {
-    match term {
-        Term::Delay(body) => 1 + delayed_execution(body.as_ref()),
-        Term::Lambda { body, .. } => 1 + delayed_execution(body.as_ref()),
-        Term::Apply { function, argument } => {
-            delayed_execution(function.as_ref()) + delayed_execution(argument.as_ref())
-        }
-        Term::Force(x) => delayed_execution(x.as_ref()),
-        Term::Case { constr, branches } => {
-            1 + delayed_execution(constr.as_ref())
-                + branches
-                    .iter()
-                    .fold(0, |acc, branch| acc + delayed_execution(branch))
-        }
-        Term::Constr { fields, .. } => fields
-            .iter()
-            .fold(0, |acc, field| acc + delayed_execution(field)),
-        _ => 0,
+        _ => VarLookup::new(),
     }
 }
 
 fn substitute_var(term: &Term<Name>, original: Rc<Name>, replace_with: &Term<Name>) -> Term<Name> {
     match term {
         Term::Var(name) => {
-            if name.as_ref() == original.as_ref() {
+            if name.text == original.text && name.unique == original.unique {
                 replace_with.clone()
             } else {
                 Term::Var(name.clone())
@@ -1355,10 +1365,10 @@ fn substitute_var(term: &Term<Name>, original: Rc<Name>, replace_with: &Term<Nam
             parameter_name,
             body,
         } => {
-            if parameter_name.as_ref() != original.as_ref() {
+            if parameter_name.text != original.text || parameter_name.unique != original.unique {
                 Term::Lambda {
                     parameter_name: parameter_name.clone(),
-                    body: Rc::new(substitute_var(body.as_ref(), original, replace_with)),
+                    body: substitute_var(body.as_ref(), original, replace_with).into(),
                 }
             } else {
                 Term::Lambda {
@@ -1368,14 +1378,10 @@ fn substitute_var(term: &Term<Name>, original: Rc<Name>, replace_with: &Term<Nam
             }
         }
         Term::Apply { function, argument } => Term::Apply {
-            function: Rc::new(substitute_var(
-                function.as_ref(),
-                original.clone(),
-                replace_with,
-            )),
-            argument: Rc::new(substitute_var(argument.as_ref(), original, replace_with)),
+            function: substitute_var(function.as_ref(), original.clone(), replace_with).into(),
+            argument: substitute_var(argument.as_ref(), original, replace_with).into(),
         },
-        Term::Force(f) => Term::Force(Rc::new(substitute_var(f.as_ref(), original, replace_with))),
+        Term::Force(f) => Term::Force(substitute_var(f.as_ref(), original, replace_with).into()),
         Term::Case { .. } => todo!(),
         Term::Constr { .. } => todo!(),
         x => x.clone(),
@@ -1389,7 +1395,7 @@ fn replace_identity_usage(term: &Term<Name>, original: Rc<Name>) -> Term<Name> {
             parameter_name,
             body,
         } => {
-            if parameter_name.as_ref() != original.as_ref() {
+            if parameter_name.text != original.text || parameter_name.unique != original.unique {
                 Term::Lambda {
                     parameter_name: parameter_name.clone(),
                     body: Rc::new(replace_identity_usage(body.as_ref(), original)),
@@ -1412,7 +1418,7 @@ fn replace_identity_usage(term: &Term<Name>, original: Rc<Name>) -> Term<Name> {
                 };
             };
 
-            if name.as_ref() == original.as_ref() {
+            if name.text == original.text && name.unique == original.unique {
                 arg
             } else {
                 Term::Apply {