diff --git a/mypy/constant_fold.py b/mypy/constant_fold.py
index 4582b2a7396d..7a5f207bb820 100644
--- a/mypy/constant_fold.py
+++ b/mypy/constant_fold.py
@@ -8,13 +8,17 @@
 from typing import Final, Union
 
 from mypy.nodes import (
+    CallExpr,
     ComplexExpr,
     Expression,
     FloatExpr,
     IntExpr,
+    ListExpr,
+    MemberExpr,
     NameExpr,
     OpExpr,
     StrExpr,
+    TupleExpr,
     UnaryExpr,
     Var,
 )
@@ -73,6 +77,22 @@ def constant_fold_expr(expr: Expression, cur_mod_id: str) -> ConstantValue | Non
         value = constant_fold_expr(expr.expr, cur_mod_id)
         if value is not None:
             return constant_fold_unary_op(expr.op, value)
+    # --- partial str.join support in preparation for f-string constant folding ---
+    elif (
+        isinstance(expr, CallExpr)
+        and isinstance(callee := expr.callee, MemberExpr)
+        and isinstance(folded_callee := constant_fold_expr(callee.expr, cur_mod_id), str)
+        and callee.name == "join"
+        and len(args := expr.args) == 1
+        and isinstance(arg := args[0], (ListExpr, TupleExpr))
+    ):
+        folded_items = []
+        for item in arg.items:
+            val = constant_fold_expr(item, cur_mod_id)
+            if not isinstance(val, str):
+                return None
+            folded_items.append(val)
+        return folded_callee.join(folded_items)
     return None
 
 
diff --git a/mypyc/irbuild/ast_helpers.py b/mypyc/irbuild/ast_helpers.py
index 3b0f50514594..4a9bc5baddef 100644
--- a/mypyc/irbuild/ast_helpers.py
+++ b/mypyc/irbuild/ast_helpers.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from mypy.nodes import (
     LDEF,
     BytesExpr,
+    CallExpr,
     ComparisonExpr,
     Expression,
     FloatExpr,
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ def is_borrow_friendly_expr(self: IRBuilder, expr: Expression) -> bool:
         # Literals are immortal and can always be borrowed
         return True
     if (
-        isinstance(expr, (UnaryExpr, OpExpr, NameExpr, MemberExpr))
+        isinstance(expr, (UnaryExpr, OpExpr, NameExpr, MemberExpr, CallExpr))
         and constant_fold_expr(self, expr) is not None
     ):
         # Literal expressions are similar to literals
diff --git a/mypyc/irbuild/constant_fold.py b/mypyc/irbuild/constant_fold.py
index b1133f95b18e..33a73bcaf327 100644
--- a/mypyc/irbuild/constant_fold.py
+++ b/mypyc/irbuild/constant_fold.py
@@ -10,22 +10,28 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Final, Union
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Final, Union, overload
 
+from mypy.checkexpr import try_getting_literal
 from mypy.constant_fold import constant_fold_binary_op, constant_fold_unary_op
 from mypy.nodes import (
     BytesExpr,
+    CallExpr,
     ComplexExpr,
     Expression,
     FloatExpr,
     IntExpr,
+    ListExpr,
     MemberExpr,
     NameExpr,
     OpExpr,
     StrExpr,
+    TupleExpr,
     UnaryExpr,
     Var,
 )
+from mypy.types import LiteralType, TupleType, get_proper_type
+from mypyc.irbuild.builder import IRBuilder
 from mypyc.irbuild.util import bytes_from_str
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -74,6 +80,48 @@ def constant_fold_expr(builder: IRBuilder, expr: Expression) -> ConstantValue |
         value = constant_fold_expr(builder, expr.expr)
         if value is not None and not isinstance(value, bytes):
             return constant_fold_unary_op(expr.op, value)
+    # we can also constant fold some common methods of builtin types
+    elif isinstance(expr, CallExpr) and isinstance(callee := expr.callee, MemberExpr):
+        folded_callee = constant_fold_expr(builder, callee.expr)
+
+        # builtins.str methods
+        if isinstance(folded_callee, str):
+            # str.join
+            if callee.name == "join" and len(args := expr.args) == 1:
+                arg = args[0]
+                if isinstance(arg, (ListExpr, TupleExpr)):
+                    folded_items = constant_fold_container_expr(builder, arg)
+                    if folded_items is not None and all(
+                        isinstance(item, str) for item in folded_items
+                    ):
+                        return folded_callee.join(folded_items)  # type: ignore [arg-type]
+                if expr_type := builder.types.get(arg):
+                    proper_type = get_proper_type(expr_type)
+                    if isinstance(proper_type, TupleType):
+                        values: list[str] = []
+                        for item_type in map(try_getting_literal, proper_type.items):
+                            if not (
+                                isinstance(item_type, LiteralType)
+                                and isinstance(item_type.value, str)
+                            ):
+                                return None
+                            values.append(item_type.value)
+                        return folded_callee.join(values)
+
+        # builtins.bytes methods
+        elif isinstance(folded_callee, bytes):
+            # bytes.join
+            if (
+                callee.name == "join"
+                and len(args := expr.args) == 1
+                # TODO extend this to work with rtuples comprised of known literal values
+                and isinstance(arg := args[0], (ListExpr, TupleExpr))
+            ):
+                folded_items = constant_fold_container_expr(builder, arg)
+                if folded_items is not None and all(
+                    isinstance(item, bytes) for item in folded_items
+                ):
+                    return folded_callee.join(folded_items)  # type: ignore [arg-type]
     return None
 
 
@@ -95,3 +143,25 @@ def constant_fold_binary_op_extended(
         return left * right
 
     return None
+
+
+@overload
+def constant_fold_container_expr(
+    builder: IRBuilder, expr: ListExpr
+) -> list[ConstantValue] | None: ...
+@overload
+def constant_fold_container_expr(
+    builder: IRBuilder, expr: TupleExpr
+) -> tuple[ConstantValue, ...] | None: ...
+def constant_fold_container_expr(
+    builder: IRBuilder, expr: ListExpr | TupleExpr
+) -> list[ConstantValue] | tuple[ConstantValue, ...] | None:
+    folded_items = [constant_fold_expr(builder, item_expr) for item_expr in expr.items]
+    if None in folded_items:
+        return None
+    if isinstance(expr, ListExpr):
+        return folded_items  # type: ignore [return-value]
+    elif isinstance(expr, TupleExpr):
+        return tuple(folded_items)  # type: ignore [arg-type]
+    else:
+        raise NotImplementedError(type(expr), expr)
diff --git a/mypyc/irbuild/expression.py b/mypyc/irbuild/expression.py
index 59ecc4ac2c5c..b9ed40c994d1 100644
--- a/mypyc/irbuild/expression.py
+++ b/mypyc/irbuild/expression.py
@@ -324,6 +324,10 @@ def transform_call_expr(builder: IRBuilder, expr: CallExpr) -> Value:
         # A call to a NewType type is a no-op at runtime.
         return builder.accept(expr.args[0])
 
+    folded = try_constant_fold(builder, expr)
+    if folded is not None:
+        return folded
+
     if isinstance(callee, IndexExpr) and isinstance(callee.analyzed, TypeApplication):
         callee = callee.analyzed.expr  # Unwrap type application
 
diff --git a/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-bytes.test b/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-bytes.test
index 8cfefe03ae22..a253eeaaed66 100644
--- a/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-bytes.test
+++ b/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-bytes.test
@@ -217,3 +217,25 @@ L2:
 L3:
     keep_alive y
     return r2
+
+[case testBytesJoinConstantFold]
+from typing import Final
+
+# TODO: this is not currently supported but probably should be
+constant: Final = b"constant"
+
+def fold_tuple() -> bytes:
+    return b" ".join((b"constant", b"folded"))
+def fold_list() -> bytes:
+    return b" ".join([b"constant", b"folded"])
+[out]
+def fold_tuple():
+    r0 :: bytes
+L0:
+    r0 = b'constant folded'
+    return r0
+def fold_list():
+    r0 :: bytes
+L0:
+    r0 = b'constant folded'
+    return r0
diff --git a/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-str.test b/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-str.test
index 3fa39819498d..1ff3caeb7e59 100644
--- a/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-str.test
+++ b/mypyc/test-data/irbuild-str.test
@@ -740,3 +740,32 @@ L2:
 L3:
     keep_alive x
     return r2
+
+[case testStrJoinConstantFold]
+from typing import Final
+
+constant: Final = "constant"
+tuple_of_literals = "tuple", "of", "literals"
+
+def fold_tuple() -> str:
+    return " ".join((constant, "folded"))
+def fold_tuple_var() -> str:
+    return " ".join(tuple_of_literals)
+def fold_list() -> str:
+    return " ".join([constant, "folded"])
+[out]
+def fold_tuple():
+    r0 :: str
+L0:
+    r0 = 'constant folded'
+    return r0
+def fold_tuple_var():
+    r0 :: str
+L0:
+    r0 = 'tuple of literals'
+    return r0
+def fold_list():
+    r0 :: str
+L0:
+    r0 = 'constant folded'
+    return r0
diff --git a/test-data/unit/check-final.test b/test-data/unit/check-final.test
index e3fc4614fc06..8221288816e9 100644
--- a/test-data/unit/check-final.test
+++ b/test-data/unit/check-final.test
@@ -1336,3 +1336,32 @@ class S9(S2, S4):  # E: Class "S9" has incompatible disjoint bases
     pass
 
 [builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]
+
+[case testFinalJoin]
+from typing import Final
+
+
+hello: Final = "hello"
+x: Final = " ".join((hello,"my","name","is","joe"))
+y: Final = " ".join([hello,"joe","my","name","is","moe"])
+
+reveal_type(x)  # N: Revealed type is "Literal['hello my name is joe']?"
+reveal_type(y)  # N: Revealed type is "Literal['hello joe my name is moe']?"
+
+delimiter: Final = ","
+headers: Final = delimiter.join(("name", "age"))
+joe: Final = delimiter.join(["joe", "24"])
+jack: Final = delimiter.join(("jack", "77"))
+jill: Final = delimiter.join(["jill", "30"])
+lines: Final = "\n".join((headers, joe, jack, jill))
+
+reveal_type(headers)  # N: Revealed type is "Literal['name,age']?"
+reveal_type(lines)  # N: Revealed type is "Literal['name,age\njoe,24\njack,77\njill,30']?"
+
+# TODO: implement me
+constant_fold_not_yet_supported: Final = "you", "cant", "fold", "this", "yet"
+z: Final = " ".join(constant_fold_not_yet_supported)
+
+reveal_type(z)  # N: Revealed type is "builtins.str"
+[builtins fixtures/f_string.pyi]
+[out]
diff --git a/test-data/unit/fixtures/f_string.pyi b/test-data/unit/fixtures/f_string.pyi
index 328c666b7ece..83f36e04c731 100644
--- a/test-data/unit/fixtures/f_string.pyi
+++ b/test-data/unit/fixtures/f_string.pyi
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class bool(int): pass
 class str:
     def __add__(self, s: str) -> str: pass
     def format(self, *args) -> str: pass
-    def join(self, l: List[str]) -> str: pass
+    def join(self, l: Iterable[str]) -> str: pass
 
 
 class dict: pass