diff --git a/codeflash/code_utils/instrument_existing_tests.py b/codeflash/code_utils/instrument_existing_tests.py
index db08f8afc..7e7940ddd 100644
--- a/codeflash/code_utils/instrument_existing_tests.py
+++ b/codeflash/code_utils/instrument_existing_tests.py
@@ -351,16 +351,24 @@ def visit_FunctionDef(self, node: ast.FunctionDef) -> ast.FunctionDef:
     def _process_test_function(
         self, node: ast.AsyncFunctionDef | ast.FunctionDef
     ) -> ast.AsyncFunctionDef | ast.FunctionDef:
-        if self.test_framework == "unittest" and not any(
-            isinstance(d, ast.Call) and isinstance(d.func, ast.Name) and d.func.id == "timeout_decorator.timeout"
-            for d in node.decorator_list
-        ):
-            timeout_decorator = ast.Call(
-                func=ast.Name(id="timeout_decorator.timeout", ctx=ast.Load()),
-                args=[ast.Constant(value=15)],
-                keywords=[],
-            )
-            node.decorator_list.append(timeout_decorator)
+        # Optimize the search for decorator presence
+        if self.test_framework == "unittest":
+            found_timeout = False
+            for d in node.decorator_list:
+                # Avoid isinstance(d.func, ast.Name) if d is not ast.Call
+                if isinstance(d, ast.Call):
+                    f = d.func
+                    # Avoid attribute lookup if f is not ast.Name
+                    if isinstance(f, ast.Name) and f.id == "timeout_decorator.timeout":
+                        found_timeout = True
+                        break
+            if not found_timeout:
+                timeout_decorator = ast.Call(
+                    func=ast.Name(id="timeout_decorator.timeout", ctx=ast.Load()),
+                    args=[ast.Constant(value=15)],
+                    keywords=[],
+                )
+                node.decorator_list.append(timeout_decorator)
 
         # Initialize counter for this test function
         if node.name not in self.async_call_counter:
@@ -368,8 +376,9 @@ def _process_test_function(
 
         new_body = []
 
+        # Optimize ast.walk calls inside _instrument_statement, by scanning only relevant nodes
         for _i, stmt in enumerate(node.body):
-            transformed_stmt, added_env_assignment = self._instrument_statement(stmt, node.name)
+            transformed_stmt, added_env_assignment = self._optimized_instrument_statement(stmt)
 
             if added_env_assignment:
                 current_call_index = self.async_call_counter[node.name]
@@ -423,6 +432,26 @@ def _call_in_positions(self, call_node: ast.Call) -> bool:
 
         return node_in_call_position(call_node, self.call_positions)
 
+    # Optimized version: only walk child nodes for Await
+    def _optimized_instrument_statement(self, stmt: ast.stmt) -> tuple[ast.stmt, bool]:
+        # Stack-based DFS, manual for relevant Await nodes
+        stack = [stmt]
+        while stack:
+            node = stack.pop()
+            # Favor direct ast.Await detection
+            if isinstance(node, ast.Await):
+                val = node.value
+                if isinstance(val, ast.Call) and self._is_target_call(val) and self._call_in_positions(val):
+                    return stmt, True
+            # Use _fields instead of ast.walk for less allocations
+            for fname in getattr(node, "_fields", ()):
+                child = getattr(node, fname, None)
+                if isinstance(child, list):
+                    stack.extend(child)
+                elif isinstance(child, ast.AST):
+                    stack.append(child)
+        return stmt, False
+
 
 class FunctionImportedAsVisitor(ast.NodeVisitor):
     """Checks if a function has been imported as an alias. We only care about the alias then.