diff --git a/src/coreclr/jit/importer.cpp b/src/coreclr/jit/importer.cpp
index 53e510410b3a0b..58b0ba68e29853 100644
--- a/src/coreclr/jit/importer.cpp
+++ b/src/coreclr/jit/importer.cpp
@@ -1890,12 +1890,15 @@ GenTree* Compiler::impRuntimeLookupToTree(CORINFO_RESOLVED_TOKEN* pResolvedToken
     // Call the helper
     // - Setup argNode with the pointer to the signature returned by the lookup
     GenTree* argNode = gtNewIconEmbHndNode(pRuntimeLookup->signature, nullptr, GTF_ICON_GLOBAL_PTR, compileTimeHandle);
-
     GenTreeCall* helperCall = gtNewHelperCallNode(pRuntimeLookup->helper, TYP_I_IMPL, ctxTree, argNode);
 
+    // handleForNullCheck is used for both nullcheck and as a return value. The tree is a bit verbose so we'd better
+    // save it to a local to make IR smaller. Although, the local leads to undesired size regression in MinOpts
+    GenTree* handleForResult =
+        opts.OptimizationEnabled() ? fgInsertCommaFormTemp(&handleForNullCheck) : gtCloneExpr(handleForNullCheck);
+
     // Check for null and possibly call helper
-    GenTree* nullCheck       = gtNewOperNode(GT_NE, TYP_INT, handleForNullCheck, gtNewIconNode(0, TYP_I_IMPL));
-    GenTree* handleForResult = gtCloneExpr(handleForNullCheck);
+    GenTree* nullCheck = gtNewOperNode(GT_NE, TYP_INT, handleForNullCheck, gtNewIconNode(0, TYP_I_IMPL));
 
     GenTree* result = nullptr;