diff --git a/changelog.d/9106-for-head-counter-keeps-init-slot.md b/changelog.d/9106-for-head-counter-keeps-init-slot.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bd4470ca64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/9106-for-head-counter-keeps-init-slot.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+### Fixed
+
+- Classic `for` heads shaped `for (let i = 0, len = arr.length; i < len; i++)` regained their versioned packed-loop fast clones: when hoisting the tail declarators around a literal-initialized counter is provably unobservable, the counter stays in the loop's own init slot the counted-loop matchers key on, while order-observable heads keep the #9062 source-order lowering.
diff --git a/crates/perry-hir/src/lower/for_multi_decl_tests.rs b/crates/perry-hir/src/lower/for_multi_decl_tests.rs
index 32845b9132..924971f89a 100644
--- a/crates/perry-hir/src/lower/for_multi_decl_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/perry-hir/src/lower/for_multi_decl_tests.rs
@@ -79,3 +79,58 @@ fn function_classic_for_lexical_declarators_lower_in_source_order() {
         .expect("run should lower");
     assert_source_ordered_prelude(&function.body);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn safe_counter_head_keeps_the_for_init_slot() {
+    // #9106: `let i = 0, len = arr.length` — a literal-initialized counter
+    // that no tail declarator mentions. Hoisting the tail around it is
+    // unobservable, so the counter stays in `For::init` (the versioned
+    // counted-loop matchers key their admission on it) and only the tail
+    // moves to the loop-scoped prelude.
+    let hir = lower(
+        "function run(arr: number[]) { let sum = 0; for (let i = 0, len = arr.length; i < len; i++) { sum += arr[i]; } return sum; }",
+    );
+    let function = hir
+        .functions
+        .iter()
+        .find(|function| function.name == "run")
+        .expect("run should lower");
+    let for_index = function
+        .body
+        .iter()
+        .position(|stmt| matches!(stmt, Stmt::For { .. }))
+        .expect("classic for should be present");
+    let len_id = function.body[..for_index]
+        .iter()
+        .find_map(|stmt| match stmt {
+            Stmt::Let { id, name, .. } if name == "len" => Some(*id),
+            _ => None,
+        })
+        .expect("tail binding should be hoisted into the prelude");
+    assert!(
+        hir.classic_for_lexical_bindings.contains(&len_id),
+        "hoisted tail binding keeps per-iteration capture semantics"
+    );
+    let crate::ir::Stmt::For {
+        init: Some(init), ..
+    } = &function.body[for_index]
+    else {
+        panic!(
+            "counter must stay in For::init: {:#?}",
+            function.body[for_index]
+        );
+    };
+    let counter_id = match init.as_ref() {
+        Stmt::Let {
+            id,
+            name,
+            init: Some(crate::ir::Expr::Integer(0)),
+            ..
+        } if name == "i" => *id,
+        other => panic!("counter Let expected in For::init, got {other:#?}"),
+    };
+    assert!(
+        !hir.classic_for_lexical_bindings.contains(&counter_id),
+        "the init-slot counter is handled by the For machinery, not the prelude set"
+    );
+}
diff --git a/crates/perry-hir/src/lower/stmt.rs b/crates/perry-hir/src/lower/stmt.rs
index d348b2da36..e0a0802be2 100644
--- a/crates/perry-hir/src/lower/stmt.rs
+++ b/crates/perry-hir/src/lower/stmt.rs
@@ -1575,13 +1575,22 @@ pub(crate) fn lower_stmt(
                             // head into the loop-scoped prelude in source order,
                             // registering each binding before the next
                             // initializer is lowered.
-                            let has_multiple_decls = var_decl.decls.len() > 1;
-                            for decl in
-                                var_decl
-                                    .decls
-                                    .iter()
-                                    .skip(if has_multiple_decls { 0 } else { 1 })
-                            {
+                            //
+                            // #9106 carve-out: when hoisting the tail around a
+                            // literal-initialized first declarator is provably
+                            // unobservable, keep that declarator in `For::init`
+                            // — the versioned counted-loop matchers key their
+                            // counter on it (`for (let i = 0, len = arr.length;
+                            // i < len; i++)`).
+                            let first_decl_keeps_init_slot = var_decl.decls.len() == 1
+                                || crate::lower_decl::for_head_first_decl_keeps_init_slot(
+                                    &var_decl.decls,
+                                );
+                            for decl in var_decl.decls.iter().skip(if first_decl_keeps_init_slot {
+                                1
+                            } else {
+                                0
+                            }) {
                                 if let Some(init_ast) = decl.init.as_ref() {
                                     module.init.extend(predeclare_implicit_assignment_targets(
                                         ctx, init_ast,
@@ -1629,7 +1638,7 @@ pub(crate) fn lower_stmt(
                                     init: init_expr,
                                 });
                             }
-                            if has_multiple_decls {
+                            if !first_decl_keeps_init_slot {
                                 None
                             } else if let Some(decl) = var_decl.decls.first() {
                                 if let Some(init_ast) = decl.init.as_ref() {
diff --git a/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/body_stmt.rs b/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/body_stmt.rs
index c15cd696b1..56e955f02d 100644
--- a/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/body_stmt.rs
+++ b/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/body_stmt.rs
@@ -732,13 +732,22 @@ pub fn lower_body_stmt(ctx: &mut LoweringContext, stmt: &ast::Stmt) -> Result<Ve
                             // head into the loop-scoped prelude in source order,
                             // registering each binding before the next
                             // initializer is lowered.
-                            let has_multiple_decls = var_decl.decls.len() > 1;
-                            for decl in
-                                var_decl
-                                    .decls
-                                    .iter()
-                                    .skip(if has_multiple_decls { 0 } else { 1 })
-                            {
+                            //
+                            // #9106 carve-out: when hoisting the tail around a
+                            // literal-initialized first declarator is provably
+                            // unobservable, keep that declarator in `For::init`
+                            // — the versioned counted-loop matchers key their
+                            // counter on it (`for (let i = 0, len = arr.length;
+                            // i < len; i++)`).
+                            let first_decl_keeps_init_slot = var_decl.decls.len() == 1
+                                || crate::lower_decl::for_head_first_decl_keeps_init_slot(
+                                    &var_decl.decls,
+                                );
+                            for decl in var_decl.decls.iter().skip(if first_decl_keeps_init_slot {
+                                1
+                            } else {
+                                0
+                            }) {
                                 if let Some(init_ast) = decl.init.as_ref() {
                                     result.extend(predeclare_implicit_assignment_targets(
                                         ctx, init_ast,
@@ -788,7 +797,7 @@ pub fn lower_body_stmt(ctx: &mut LoweringContext, stmt: &ast::Stmt) -> Result<Ve
                                     init: init_expr,
                                 });
                             }
-                            if has_multiple_decls {
+                            if !first_decl_keeps_init_slot {
                                 None
                             } else if let Some(decl) = var_decl.decls.first() {
                                 if let Some(init_ast) = decl.init.as_ref() {
diff --git a/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/helpers.rs b/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/helpers.rs
index da116e8b32..a5734fff31 100644
--- a/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/helpers.rs
+++ b/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/helpers.rs
@@ -762,3 +762,55 @@ pub(crate) fn lower_well_known_computed_method(
     // Other well-known on a class: not yet implemented — drop.
     Ok(Some(WellKnownComputedMethod::Unsupported))
 }
+
+/// #9106: whether a multi-declarator lexical `for` head may keep its FIRST
+/// declarator in the loop's own `For::init` slot while the remaining
+/// declarators are hoisted into the loop-scoped prelude.
+///
+/// The prelude runs before `For::init`, so that split evaluates the tail
+/// declarators before the first one — the reordering #9062 removed to
+/// preserve source-order semantics. The reorder is provably unobservable
+/// when:
+/// - the first declarator is a plain identifier binding,
+/// - its initializer is a pure literal (no reads, no writes, no effects, a
+///   value independent of the tail declarators), and
+/// - no tail declarator mentions the first binding's name anywhere in its
+///   pattern or initializer, so neither the value nor the TDZ state of the
+///   first binding can be observed early and no closure can capture it.
+///
+/// Keeping the counter's `let i = 0` in `For::init` is what the versioned
+/// counted-loop matchers key on (`for (let i = 0, len = arr.length; i < len;
+/// i++)` — the wolf-ecs scan idiom), so this carve-out restores their fast
+/// clones for the classic shape while every order-observable head stays on
+/// the #9062 prelude path.
+pub fn for_head_first_decl_keeps_init_slot(decls: &[ast::VarDeclarator]) -> bool {
+    use swc_ecma_visit::{Visit, VisitWith};
+    let Some((first, tail)) = decls.split_first() else {
+        return false;
+    };
+    let ast::Pat::Ident(first_ident) = &first.name else {
+        return false;
+    };
+    if !matches!(first.init.as_deref(), Some(ast::Expr::Lit(_))) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    struct Mentions<'a> {
+        sym: &'a str,
+        found: bool,
+    }
+    impl Visit for Mentions<'_> {
+        fn visit_ident(&mut self, ident: &ast::Ident) {
+            if ident.sym.as_ref() == self.sym {
+                self.found = true;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    let mut mentions = Mentions {
+        sym: first_ident.id.sym.as_ref(),
+        found: false,
+    };
+    for decl in tail {
+        decl.visit_with(&mut mentions);
+    }
+    !mentions.found
+}
diff --git a/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/mod.rs b/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/mod.rs
index 3b4ad692c1..31c8011879 100644
--- a/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/perry-hir/src/lower_decl/mod.rs
@@ -55,10 +55,10 @@ pub(crate) use enum_decl::{compute_enum_members, lower_enum_decl};
 pub(crate) use fn_decl::lower_fn_decl;
 pub(crate) use helpers::{
     append_synthetic_arguments_param, body_has_use_strict, body_uses_arguments,
-    build_default_param_stmts, collect_let_decls_in_stmt, is_inspect_custom_key,
-    is_symbol_iterator_key, lower_well_known_computed_method, mapped_argument_parameter_ids,
-    params_are_simple_arguments_list, params_use_arguments, symbol_well_known_key,
-    with_static_member_context, WellKnownComputedMethod,
+    build_default_param_stmts, collect_let_decls_in_stmt, for_head_first_decl_keeps_init_slot,
+    is_inspect_custom_key, is_symbol_iterator_key, lower_well_known_computed_method,
+    mapped_argument_parameter_ids, params_are_simple_arguments_list, params_use_arguments,
+    symbol_well_known_key, with_static_member_context, WellKnownComputedMethod,
 };
 pub(crate) use interface_decl::lower_interface_decl;
 pub(crate) use private_members::{