From 99b21b8365dba608742a759972369ab421b18d68 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: TristonianJones <tswadell@google.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2026 18:47:06 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Fold list concat expressions together

---
 cel/folding.go      | 27 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 cel/folding_test.go | 14 +++++++++++++-
 2 files changed, 39 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/cel/folding.go b/cel/folding.go
index 5525f080..e3459034 100644
--- a/cel/folding.go
+++ b/cel/folding.go
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ func evaluateExpr(ctx *OptimizerContext, a *ast.AST, navigableExpr ast.Navigable
 	}
 	prg, err := ctx.Program(subAST)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, errCannotFold
 	}
 	// Folding will not attempt to call async functions which are all marked as late-bound,
 	// but the presence of such functions requires the use of `ConcurrentEval` in order to
@@ -244,6 +244,26 @@ func maybePruneBranches(ctx *OptimizerContext, a *ast.AST, expr ast.NavigableExp
 				}
 			}
 		}
+	case operators.Add:
+		if len(args) == 2 && args[0].Kind() == ast.ListKind && args[1].Kind() == ast.ListKind {
+			leftList := args[0].AsList()
+			rightList := args[1].AsList()
+
+			elems := make([]ast.Expr, 0, leftList.Size()+rightList.Size())
+			elems = append(elems, leftList.Elements()...)
+			elems = append(elems, rightList.Elements()...)
+
+			optIndices := make([]int32, 0, len(leftList.OptionalIndices())+len(rightList.OptionalIndices()))
+			optIndices = append(optIndices, leftList.OptionalIndices()...)
+			offset := int32(leftList.Size())
+			for _, idx := range rightList.OptionalIndices() {
+				optIndices = append(optIndices, offset+idx)
+			}
+
+			combinedList := ctx.NewList(elems, optIndices)
+			ctx.UpdateExpr(expr, combinedList)
+			return true
+		}
 	}
 	return false
 }
@@ -630,6 +650,11 @@ func constantCallMatcher(e ast.NavigableExpr) bool {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	if fnName == operators.Add {
+		if len(children) == 2 && children[0].Kind() == ast.ListKind && children[1].Kind() == ast.ListKind {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
 	// convert all other calls with constant arguments
 	for _, child := range children {
 		if !constantMatcher(child) {
diff --git a/cel/folding_test.go b/cel/folding_test.go
index 56dd789d..06684fce 100644
--- a/cel/folding_test.go
+++ b/cel/folding_test.go
@@ -45,6 +45,18 @@ func TestConstantFoldingOptimizer(t *testing.T) {
 			expr:   `[1, 1 + 2, 1 + (2 + 3)]`,
 			folded: `[1, 3, 6]`,
 		},
+		{
+			expr:   `[1, 2] + [3, 4]`,
+			folded: `[1, 2, 3, 4]`,
+		},
+		{
+			expr:   `[x, 1] + [2, y]`,
+			folded: `[x, 1, 2, y]`,
+		},
+		{
+			expr:   `[1] + [x] + [2]`,
+			folded: `[1, x, 2]`,
+		},
 		{
 			expr:   `6 in [1, 1 + 2, 1 + (2 + 3)]`,
 			folded: `true`,
@@ -516,7 +528,7 @@ func TestConstantFoldingOptimizer(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			expr:   `[1] + [x]`,
-			folded: `[1] + [x]`,
+			folded: `[1, x]`,
 		},
 
 		{

From fe8eedb01f81f15dbee991d38a309828f5fbe7df Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: TristonianJones <tswadell@google.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2026 09:38:13 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Test cases for optional tracking

---
 cel/folding_test.go | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 20 insertions(+)

diff --git a/cel/folding_test.go b/cel/folding_test.go
index 06684fce..8a292cb7 100644
--- a/cel/folding_test.go
+++ b/cel/folding_test.go
@@ -49,14 +49,34 @@ func TestConstantFoldingOptimizer(t *testing.T) {
 			expr:   `[1, 2] + [3, 4]`,
 			folded: `[1, 2, 3, 4]`,
 		},
+		{
+			expr:   `[1, ?optional.of(2)] + [3, 4]`,
+			folded: `[1, 2, 3, 4]`,
+		},
+		{
+			expr:   `[1, ?optional.none()] + [2]`,
+			folded: `[1, 2]`,
+		},
 		{
 			expr:   `[x, 1] + [2, y]`,
 			folded: `[x, 1, 2, y]`,
 		},
+		{
+			expr:   `[x, ?optional.of(1)] + [?optional.of(2), y]`,
+			folded: `[x, 1, 2, y]`,
+		},
 		{
 			expr:   `[1] + [x] + [2]`,
 			folded: `[1, x, 2]`,
 		},
+		{
+			expr:   `[1] + [?x] + [2]`,
+			folded: `[1, ?x, 2]`,
+		},
+		{
+			expr:   `[?x, 1] + [2, ?y]`,
+			folded: `[?x, 1, 2, ?y]`,
+		},
 		{
 			expr:   `6 in [1, 1 + 2, 1 + (2 + 3)]`,
 			folded: `true`,