diff --git a/src/V3AstNodeExpr.h b/src/V3AstNodeExpr.h
index 4d33a0aa0..7d4a3842d 100644
--- a/src/V3AstNodeExpr.h
+++ b/src/V3AstNodeExpr.h
@@ -2352,7 +2352,7 @@ class AstSFormatF final : public AstNodeExpr {
     // @astgen op1 := exprsp : List[AstNodeExpr]
     // @astgen op2 := scopeNamep : Optional[AstScopeName]
     string m_text;
-    const bool m_hidden;  // Under display, etc
+    bool m_hidden;  // Under display, etc
     bool m_exprFormat
         = false;  // Runtime Node* format, false = text() format code, false = possibly r
     bool m_optionalFormat
@@ -2411,6 +2411,7 @@ public:
         return false;
     }
     bool hidden() const { return m_hidden; }
+    void hidden(bool flag) { m_hidden = flag; }
     bool exprFormat() const { return m_exprFormat; }
     void exprFormat(bool flag) { m_exprFormat = flag; }
     bool optionalFormat() const { return m_optionalFormat; }
diff --git a/src/V3AstNodeStmt.h b/src/V3AstNodeStmt.h
index e7214e3f2..336da7bae 100644
--- a/src/V3AstNodeStmt.h
+++ b/src/V3AstNodeStmt.h
@@ -1137,6 +1137,12 @@ public:
         fmtp(newp);
         this->lhsp(lhsp);
     }
+    AstSFormat(FileLine* fl, AstSFormatF* fmtp, AstNodeExpr* lhsp)
+        : ASTGEN_SUPER_SFormat(fl) {
+        this->fmtp(fmtp);
+        this->lhsp(lhsp);
+        fmtp->hidden(true);
+    }
     ASTGEN_MEMBERS_AstSFormat;
     const char* broken() const override {
         BROKEN_RTN(!fmtp());
diff --git a/src/V3Const.cpp b/src/V3Const.cpp
index 43df3fac9..de2e1d64f 100644
--- a/src/V3Const.cpp
+++ b/src/V3Const.cpp
@@ -2233,6 +2233,22 @@ class ConstVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
         return true;
     }
 
+    bool replaceAssignSFormatF(AstNodeAssign* nodep) {
+        // Rewrite 'x = sformatf(...)' into 'sformat(x, ...)', which is more efficient
+        // at the call site as it does not need to check if 'x' needs to be freed first.
+        // This is a somewhat common pattern after lowering assertions.
+        if (!VN_IS(nodep, Assign)) return false;
+        AstVarRef* const lhsp = VN_CAST(nodep->lhsp(), VarRef);
+        if (!lhsp) return false;
+        AstSFormatF* const fmtp = VN_CAST(nodep->rhsp(), SFormatF);
+        if (!fmtp) return false;
+        lhsp->unlinkFrBack();
+        fmtp->unlinkFrBack();
+        nodep->replaceWith(new AstSFormat{nodep->fileline(), fmtp, lhsp});
+        VL_DO_DANGLING(pushDeletep(nodep), nodep);
+        return true;
+    }
+
     bool varNotReferenced(AstNode* nodep, AstVar* varp, int level = 0) {
         // Return true if varp never referenced under node.
         // Return false if referenced, or tree too deep to be worth it, or side effects
@@ -2607,6 +2623,8 @@ class ConstVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
             }
         } else if (m_doV && replaceAssignMultiSel(nodep)) {
             return true;
+        } else if (replaceAssignSFormatF(nodep)) {
+            return true;
         }
         return false;
     }
@@ -3822,6 +3840,25 @@ class ConstVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
             return;
         }
     }
+    void visit(AstSFormat* nodep) override {
+        iterateChildren(nodep);
+        if (!m_doNConst) return;
+        if (m_doNConst) {
+            // If it's a constant string written to a string variable, inline it as an assignment
+            AstSFormatF* const fmtp = nodep->fmtp();
+            AstNodeExpr* const lhsp = nodep->lhsp();
+            AstBasicDType* const basicp = VN_CAST(lhsp->dtypep()->skipRefp(), BasicDType);
+            if (basicp && basicp->isString() && !fmtp->exprsp()
+                && fmtp->text().find('%') == string::npos) {
+                AstConst* const strp
+                    = new AstConst{fmtp->fileline(), AstConst::String{}, fmtp->text()};
+                lhsp->unlinkFrBack();
+                nodep->replaceWith(new AstAssign{nodep->fileline(), lhsp, strp});
+                VL_DO_DANGLING(pushDeletep(nodep), nodep);
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+    }
     void visit(AstNodeFTask* nodep) override {
         VL_RESTORER(m_underRecFunc);
         if (nodep->recursive()) m_underRecFunc = true;