diff --git a/src/Type/TypeCombinator.php b/src/Type/TypeCombinator.php
index dba57c908a2..cd08b5615f0 100644
--- a/src/Type/TypeCombinator.php
+++ b/src/Type/TypeCombinator.php
@@ -80,10 +80,11 @@ public static function clearCache(): void
 
 	public static function addNull(Type $type): Type
 	{
-		$nullType = new NullType();
-
-		if ($nullType->isSuperTypeOf($type)->no()) {
-			return self::union($type, $nullType);
+		// asking the type itself is both cheaper than NullType::isSuperTypeOf()
+		// (UnionType memoizes isNull(), isSubTypeOf() recomputes) and right for
+		// `never`, of which null is a supertype without never containing it.
+		if ($type->isNull()->no()) {
+			return self::union($type, new NullType());
 		}
 
 		return $type;
diff --git a/tests/PHPStan/Type/TypeCombinatorTest.php b/tests/PHPStan/Type/TypeCombinatorTest.php
index 3f6b1db98ab..ad6dfe96a33 100644
--- a/tests/PHPStan/Type/TypeCombinatorTest.php
+++ b/tests/PHPStan/Type/TypeCombinatorTest.php
@@ -92,6 +92,16 @@ public static function dataAddNull(): array
 				NullType::class,
 				'null',
 			],
+			[
+				new NeverType(),
+				NullType::class,
+				'null',
+			],
+			[
+				new NeverType(true),
+				NullType::class,
+				'null',
+			],
 			[
 				new VoidType(),
 				UnionType::class,