diff --git a/src/libcmd/repl.cc b/src/libcmd/repl.cc
index e6a8d41e2..281e1f6f0 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/repl.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/repl.cc
@@ -140,16 +140,13 @@ static std::ostream & showDebugTrace(std::ostream & out, const PosTable & positi
         out << ANSI_RED "error: " << ANSI_NORMAL;
     out << dt.hint.str() << "\n";
 
-    // prefer direct pos, but if noPos then try the expr.
-    auto pos = dt.pos
-        ? dt.pos
-        : positions[dt.expr.getPos() ? dt.expr.getPos() : noPos];
+    auto pos = dt.getPos(positions);
 
     if (pos) {
-        out << *pos;
-        if (auto loc = pos->getCodeLines()) {
+        out << pos;
+        if (auto loc = pos.getCodeLines()) {
             out << "\n";
-            printCodeLines(out, "", *pos, *loc);
+            printCodeLines(out, "", pos, *loc);
             out << "\n";
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval-error.cc b/src/libexpr/eval-error.cc
index cdb0b4772..b9742d3ea 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval-error.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval-error.cc
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ EvalErrorBuilder<T> & EvalErrorBuilder<T>::withFrame(const Env & env, const Expr
     // TODO: check compatibility with nested debugger calls.
     // TODO: What side-effects??
     error.state.debugTraces.push_front(DebugTrace{
-        .pos = error.state.positions[expr.getPos()],
+        .pos = expr.getPos(),
         .expr = expr,
         .env = env,
         .hint = HintFmt("Fake frame for debugging purposes"),
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 53edc9d4e..369c49672 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -771,18 +771,26 @@ void EvalState::runDebugRepl(const Error * error, const Env & env, const Expr &
     if (!debugRepl || inDebugger)
         return;
 
-    auto dts =
-        error && expr.getPos()
-        ? std::make_unique<DebugTraceStacker>(
-            *this,
-            DebugTrace {
-                .pos = error->info().pos ? error->info().pos : positions[expr.getPos()],
+    auto dts = [&]() -> std::unique_ptr<DebugTraceStacker> {
+        if (error && expr.getPos()) {
+            auto trace = DebugTrace{
+                .pos = [&]() -> std::variant<Pos, PosIdx> {
+                    if (error->info().pos) {
+                        if (auto * pos = error->info().pos.get())
+                            return *pos;
+                        return noPos;
+                    }
+                    return expr.getPos();
+                }(),
                 .expr = expr,
                 .env = env,
                 .hint = error->info().msg,
-                .isError = true
-            })
-        : nullptr;
+                .isError = true};
+
+            return std::make_unique<DebugTraceStacker>(*this, std::move(trace));
+        }
+        return nullptr;
+    }();
 
     if (error)
     {
@@ -827,7 +835,7 @@ static std::unique_ptr<DebugTraceStacker> makeDebugTraceStacker(
     EvalState & state,
     Expr & expr,
     Env & env,
-    std::shared_ptr<Pos> && pos,
+    std::variant<Pos, PosIdx> pos,
     const Args & ... formatArgs)
 {
     return std::make_unique<DebugTraceStacker>(state,
@@ -1104,7 +1112,7 @@ void EvalState::evalFile(const SourcePath & path, Value & v, bool mustBeTrivial)
                 *this,
                 *e,
                 this->baseEnv,
-                e->getPos() ? std::make_shared<Pos>(positions[e->getPos()]) : nullptr,
+                e->getPos(),
                 "while evaluating the file '%1%':", resolvedPath.to_string())
             : nullptr;
 
@@ -1330,9 +1338,7 @@ void ExprLet::eval(EvalState & state, Env & env, Value & v)
             state,
             *this,
             env2,
-            getPos()
-                ? std::make_shared<Pos>(state.positions[getPos()])
-                : nullptr,
+            getPos(),
             "while evaluating a '%1%' expression",
             "let"
         )
@@ -1401,7 +1407,7 @@ void ExprSelect::eval(EvalState & state, Env & env, Value & v)
                 state,
                 *this,
                 env,
-                state.positions[getPos()],
+                getPos(),
                 "while evaluating the attribute '%1%'",
                 showAttrPath(state, env, attrPath))
             : nullptr;
@@ -1602,7 +1608,7 @@ void EvalState::callFunction(Value & fun, std::span<Value *> args, Value & vRes,
             try {
                 auto dts = debugRepl
                     ? makeDebugTraceStacker(
-                        *this, *lambda.body, env2, positions[lambda.pos],
+                        *this, *lambda.body, env2, lambda.pos,
                         "while calling %s",
                         lambda.name
                         ? concatStrings("'", symbols[lambda.name], "'")
@@ -1737,9 +1743,7 @@ void ExprCall::eval(EvalState & state, Env & env, Value & v)
             state,
             *this,
             env,
-            getPos()
-                ? std::make_shared<Pos>(state.positions[getPos()])
-                : nullptr,
+            getPos(),
             "while calling a function"
         )
         : nullptr;
@@ -2123,7 +2127,7 @@ void EvalState::forceValueDeep(Value & v)
                 try {
                     // If the value is a thunk, we're evaling. Otherwise no trace necessary.
                     auto dts = debugRepl && i.value->isThunk()
-                        ? makeDebugTraceStacker(*this, *i.value->payload.thunk.expr, *i.value->payload.thunk.env, positions[i.pos],
+                        ? makeDebugTraceStacker(*this, *i.value->payload.thunk.expr, *i.value->payload.thunk.env, i.pos,
                             "while evaluating the attribute '%1%'", symbols[i.name])
                         : nullptr;
 
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.hh b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
index 032b53681..d57da35d1 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.hh
@@ -171,11 +171,28 @@ struct RegexCache;
 std::shared_ptr<RegexCache> makeRegexCache();
 
 struct DebugTrace {
-    std::shared_ptr<Pos> pos;
+    /* WARNING: Converting PosIdx -> Pos should be done with extra care. This is
+       due to the fact that operator[] of PosTable is incredibly expensive. */
+    std::variant<Pos, PosIdx> pos;
     const Expr & expr;
     const Env & env;
     HintFmt hint;
     bool isError;
+
+    Pos getPos(const PosTable & table) const
+    {
+        return std::visit(
+            overloaded{
+                [&](PosIdx idx) {
+                    // Prefer direct pos, but if noPos then try the expr.
+                    if (!idx)
+                        idx = expr.getPos();
+                    return table[idx];
+                },
+                [&](Pos pos) { return pos; },
+            },
+            pos);
+    }
 };
 
 class EvalState : public std::enable_shared_from_this<EvalState>