diff --git a/src/renamer.zig b/src/renamer.zig
index 09ef18e3b6..82e7254cd5 100644
--- a/src/renamer.zig
+++ b/src/renamer.zig
@@ -272,13 +272,14 @@ pub const MinifyRenamer = struct {
             var slots = this.slots.getPtr(ns);
             sorted.clearRetainingCapacity();
             try sorted.ensureUnusedCapacity(slots.items.len);
-            sorted.items.len = slots.items.len;
 
-            for (sorted.items, slots.items, 0..) |*elem, slot, i| {
-                elem.* = SlotAndCount{
+            for (slots.items, 0..) |slot, i| {
+                // Skip symbols with zero use count - they're never used and don't need a minified name
+                if (slot.count == 0) continue;
+                sorted.appendAssumeCapacity(SlotAndCount{
                     .slot = @as(u32, @intCast(i)),
                     .count = slot.count,
-                };
+                });
             }
             std.sort.pdq(SlotAndCount, sorted.items, {}, SlotAndCount.lessThan);
 
diff --git a/test/bundler/bundler_minify.test.ts b/test/bundler/bundler_minify.test.ts
index 0865d9a372..720d9018b7 100644
--- a/test/bundler/bundler_minify.test.ts
+++ b/test/bundler/bundler_minify.test.ts
@@ -1135,4 +1135,36 @@ describe("bundler", () => {
       );
     },
   });
+  // Regression test for: https://github.com/oxc-project/oxc/pull/18183
+  // When symbols have zero use count, we skip them during renaming.
+  // This tests that when nested scopes are tree-shaken, their pre-allocated
+  // symbol slots (which have count=0) are skipped during name assignment.
+  itBundled("minify/SkipUnusedSymbolSlots", {
+    files: {
+      "/entry.js": /* js */ `
+        // Create nested scopes with many symbols that will be tree-shaken
+        function unused() {
+          var a = 1, b = 2, c = 3;
+          function inner() {
+            var x = 1, y = 2, z = 3, w = 4, v = 5;
+            return x + y + z + w + v;
+          }
+          return a + b + c + inner();
+        }
+        // This function is used and should get short minified names
+        function used() { return 42; }
+        console.log(used());
+      `,
+    },
+    minifyIdentifiers: true,
+    minifyWhitespace: true,
+    minifySyntax: true,
+    onAfterBundle(api) {
+      const code = api.readFile("/out.js").trim();
+      // The unused function and its nested scopes are tree-shaken.
+      // The optimization ensures we don't waste time generating names for
+      // the pre-allocated slots that were never used.
+      expect(code).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`"function j(){return 42}console.log(j());"`);
+    },
+  });
 });