diff --git a/tests/test_main.py b/tests/test_main.py
index 8309a71..5d4f83b 100644
--- a/tests/test_main.py
+++ b/tests/test_main.py
@@ -925,11 +925,10 @@ def check_filename(self, filename, check_names):
                     if is_literal(node):
                         continue
 
-                    if len(values) == 0 and is_deadcode(node):
-                        continue
 
                     if isinstance(node,ast.Name) and node.id=="__debug__":
                         continue
+
                 else:
                     # x (is/is not) None
                     none_comparison = (
@@ -1008,8 +1007,6 @@ def check_filename(self, filename, check_names):
                         # "%50s"%(a,) is missing an BUILD_STRING instruction which normally maps to BinOp
                         continue
 
-                    if len(values)==0 and is_deadcode(node):
-                        continue
 
                     if (
                         isinstance(node, ast.Name)
@@ -1018,6 +1015,7 @@ def check_filename(self, filename, check_names):
                     ):
                         continue
 
+
                 if sys.version_info >= (3, 12):
                     if (
                         isinstance(node, ast.Call)
@@ -1051,6 +1049,11 @@ def check_filename(self, filename, check_names):
                         # `not not x` is optimized to a single TO_BOOL
                         continue
 
+
+                # the deadcode check has to be the last check because it is expensive
+                if len(values)==0 and is_deadcode(node):
+                    continue
+
                 if sys.version_info >= (3, 10):
                     correct = len(values) >= 1
                 elif sys.version_info >= (3, 9) and in_finally(node):