diff --git a/cel/folding.go b/cel/folding.go
index d1ea6b19..3bf35d1f 100644
--- a/cel/folding.go
+++ b/cel/folding.go
@@ -506,26 +506,84 @@ func (opt *constantFoldingOptimizer) constantExprMatcher(ctx *OptimizerContext,
 		if isNestedComprehension(e) {
 			return false
 		}
-		vars := map[string]bool{}
-		constantExprs := true
-		visitor := ast.NewExprVisitor(func(e ast.Expr) {
-			if e.Kind() == ast.ComprehensionKind {
-				nested := e.AsComprehension()
-				vars[nested.AccuVar()] = true
-				vars[nested.IterVar()] = true
+		return opt.constantComprehension(ctx, a, e.AsComprehension(), map[string]bool{})
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
+// constantComprehension reports whether a comprehension subtree can be folded into a constant,
+// honoring CEL variable scoping: iteration ranges and accumulator initializers are evaluated in
+// the enclosing scope, while loop conditions, loop steps, and results may also reference the
+// iteration and accumulator variables.
+func (opt *constantFoldingOptimizer) constantComprehension(ctx *OptimizerContext, a *ast.AST, compre ast.ComprehensionExpr, vars map[string]bool) bool {
+	if !opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, compre.IterRange(), vars) ||
+		!opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, compre.AccuInit(), vars) {
+		return false
+	}
+	inner := map[string]bool{}
+	for k := range vars {
+		inner[k] = true
+	}
+	inner[compre.AccuVar()] = true
+	inner[compre.IterVar()] = true
+	if compre.HasIterVar2() {
+		inner[compre.IterVar2()] = true
+	}
+	return opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, compre.LoopCondition(), inner) &&
+		opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, compre.LoopStep(), inner) &&
+		opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, compre.Result(), inner)
+}
+
+// constantScopedExpr reports whether an expression references only the given in-scope variables
+// and contains no late-bound function calls, recursing into nested comprehensions with their
+// own iteration and accumulator variables.
+func (opt *constantFoldingOptimizer) constantScopedExpr(ctx *OptimizerContext, a *ast.AST, e ast.Expr, vars map[string]bool) bool {
+	switch e.Kind() {
+	case ast.ComprehensionKind:
+		return opt.constantComprehension(ctx, a, e.AsComprehension(), vars)
+	case ast.IdentKind:
+		return vars[e.AsIdent()]
+	case ast.CallKind:
+		if isLateBoundFunctionCall(ctx, a, e) {
+			return false
+		}
+		call := e.AsCall()
+		if call.IsMemberFunction() && !opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, call.Target(), vars) {
+			return false
+		}
+		for _, arg := range call.Args() {
+			if !opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, arg, vars) {
+				return false
 			}
-			if e.Kind() == ast.IdentKind && !vars[e.AsIdent()] {
-				constantExprs = false
+		}
+		return true
+	case ast.ListKind:
+		for _, elem := range e.AsList().Elements() {
+			if !opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, elem, vars) {
+				return false
 			}
-			// Late-bound function calls cannot be folded.
-			if e.Kind() == ast.CallKind && isLateBoundFunctionCall(ctx, a, e) {
-				constantExprs = false
+		}
+		return true
+	case ast.MapKind:
+		for _, entry := range e.AsMap().Entries() {
+			me := entry.AsMapEntry()
+			if !opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, me.Key(), vars) || !opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, me.Value(), vars) {
+				return false
 			}
-		})
-		ast.PreOrderVisit(e, visitor)
-		return constantExprs
+		}
+		return true
+	case ast.StructKind:
+		for _, field := range e.AsStruct().Fields() {
+			if !opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, field.AsStructField().Value(), vars) {
+				return false
+			}
+		}
+		return true
+	case ast.SelectKind:
+		return opt.constantScopedExpr(ctx, a, e.AsSelect().Operand(), vars)
 	default:
-		return false
+		return true
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/cel/folding_test.go b/cel/folding_test.go
index 08d5f517..2bdb1dcb 100644
--- a/cel/folding_test.go
+++ b/cel/folding_test.go
@@ -326,6 +326,10 @@ func TestConstantFoldingOptimizer(t *testing.T) {
 				"o": &proto3pb.TestAllTypes{RepeatedInt32: []int32{1, 2, 3}},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			expr:   `[(x - 1 > 3) ? (x - 1) : 5].exists(x, x - 1 > 3)`,
+			folded: `[(x - 1 > 3) ? (x - 1) : 5].exists(x, x - 1 > 3)`,
+		},
 	}
 	e, err := NewEnv(
 		OptionalTypes(),