diff --git a/src/Application/ApplicationFileProcessor.php b/src/Application/ApplicationFileProcessor.php
index 932593d032f..98f75c0d14e 100644
--- a/src/Application/ApplicationFileProcessor.php
+++ b/src/Application/ApplicationFileProcessor.php
@@ -173,7 +173,11 @@ private function processFile(File $file, Configuration $configuration): FileProc
         if ($fileProcessResult->getSystemErrors() !== []) {
             $this->changedFilesDetector->invalidateFile($file->getFilePath());
         } elseif (! $configuration->isDryRun() || ! $fileProcessResult->getFileDiff() instanceof FileDiff) {
-            $this->changedFilesDetector->cacheFile($file->getFilePath());
+            // a file clean under a subset of rules is not necessarily clean under all rules,
+            // caching it would hide its pending changes from the next full run
+            if ($configuration->getOnlyRule() === null && $configuration->getOnlySuffix() === null) {
+                $this->changedFilesDetector->cacheFile($file->getFilePath());
+            }
         }
 
         return $fileProcessResult;
diff --git a/src/Caching/Detector/ChangedFilesDetector.php b/src/Caching/Detector/ChangedFilesDetector.php
index 46718bab661..b5d7b7225f1 100644
--- a/src/Caching/Detector/ChangedFilesDetector.php
+++ b/src/Caching/Detector/ChangedFilesDetector.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 use Rector\Caching\Cache;
 use Rector\Caching\Config\FileHashComputer;
 use Rector\Caching\Enum\CacheKey;
+use Rector\Caching\FileDependencyCollector;
 use Rector\Util\FileHasher;
 
 /**
@@ -24,7 +25,8 @@ final class ChangedFilesDetector
     public function __construct(
         private readonly FileHashComputer $fileHashComputer,
         private readonly Cache $cache,
-        private readonly FileHasher $fileHasher
+        private readonly FileHasher $fileHasher,
+        private readonly FileDependencyCollector $fileDependencyCollector
     ) {
     }
 
@@ -36,9 +38,26 @@ public function cacheFile(string $filePath): void
             return;
         }
 
-        $hash = $this->hashFile($filePath);
+        // a failed capture means a possibly incomplete set, skip caching so the file is reprocessed
+        $dependencyHashes = $this->fileDependencyCollector->getDependencyFileHashes($filePath);
+        if ($dependencyHashes === null) {
+            return;
+        }
 
-        $this->cache->save($filePathCacheKey, CacheKey::FILE_HASH_KEY, $hash);
+        // the file may have just been written, recompute its hash fresh
+        // rather than trusting a memo entry from the pre-write filter pass
+        $this->fileDependencyCollector->forgetContentHash($filePath);
+        $ownHash = $this->fileDependencyCollector->contentHash($filePath);
+        if ($ownHash === null) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // store the own content hash plus one per dependency, so a dependency change
+        // invalidates this file even when its own content is unchanged
+        $this->cache->save($filePathCacheKey, CacheKey::FILE_HASH_KEY, [
+            'hash' => $ownHash,
+            'deps' => $dependencyHashes,
+        ]);
     }
 
     public function addCacheableFile(string $filePath): void
@@ -52,13 +71,27 @@ public function hasFileChanged(string $filePath): bool
         $fileInfoCacheKey = $this->getFilePathCacheKey($filePath);
         $cachedValue = $this->cache->load($fileInfoCacheKey, CacheKey::FILE_HASH_KEY);
 
-        if ($cachedValue !== null) {
-            $currentFileHash = $this->hashFile($filePath);
-            return $currentFileHash !== $cachedValue;
+        // no value to compare against → be defensive and assume changed
+        if ($cachedValue === null) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        // legacy string entry → own-hash comparison only, rewritten in the new format on next cacheFile()
+        if (is_string($cachedValue)) {
+            return $this->fileDependencyCollector->contentHash($filePath) !== $cachedValue;
         }
 
-        // we don't have a value to compare against. Be defensive and assume its changed
-        return true;
+        if (! is_array($cachedValue)) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        // own content changed
+        if (($cachedValue['hash'] ?? null) !== $this->fileDependencyCollector->contentHash($filePath)) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        // any recorded dependency changed
+        return $this->fileDependencyCollector->hasAnyChangedDependency($cachedValue['deps'] ?? []);
     }
 
     public function invalidateFile(string $filePath): void
@@ -98,11 +131,6 @@ private function getFilePathCacheKey(string $filePath): string
         return $this->fileHasher->hash($this->resolvePath($filePath));
     }
 
-    private function hashFile(string $filePath): string
-    {
-        return $this->fileHasher->hashFiles([$this->resolvePath($filePath)]);
-    }
-
     private function storeConfigurationDataHash(string $filePath, string $configurationHash): void
     {
         $key = CacheKey::CONFIGURATION_HASH_KEY . '_' . $this->getFilePathCacheKey($filePath);
diff --git a/src/Caching/FileDependencyCollector.php b/src/Caching/FileDependencyCollector.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..79dde5a2071
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Caching/FileDependencyCollector.php
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Rector\Caching;
+
+use Rector\Contract\DependencyInjection\ResettableInterface;
+use Rector\Util\FileHasher;
+
+/**
+ * Collects the files each processed file depends on, as surfaced by PHPStan's
+ * DependencyResolver during scope resolution, and provides memoized content hashes
+ * for dependency validation by the unchanged-files cache.
+ */
+final class FileDependencyCollector implements ResettableInterface
+{
+    /**
+     * @var array<string, array<string, true>>
+     */
+    private array $dependenciesByFile = [];
+
+    /**
+     * files whose capture threw, their possibly partial set must never be cached
+     *
+     * @var array<string, true>
+     */
+    private array $failedFiles = [];
+
+    /**
+     * keyed by the given path, so memo hits skip realpath() as well
+     *
+     * @var array<string, string|null>
+     */
+    private array $contentHashMemo = [];
+
+    /**
+     * a function's signature dependencies are identical at every call site
+     *
+     * @var array<string, string[]>
+     */
+    private array $functionDependencyFilesMemo = [];
+
+    public function __construct(
+        private readonly FileHasher $fileHasher,
+    ) {
+    }
+
+    public function record(string $filePath, string $dependencyFilePath): void
+    {
+        if ($filePath === $dependencyFilePath) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $this->dependenciesByFile[$filePath][$dependencyFilePath] = true;
+    }
+
+    public function markFailed(string $filePath): void
+    {
+        $this->failedFiles[$filePath] = true;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return string[]|null
+     */
+    public function getMemoizedFunctionDependencyFiles(string $functionKey): ?array
+    {
+        return $this->functionDependencyFilesMemo[$functionKey] ?? null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param string[] $dependencyFiles
+     */
+    public function memoizeFunctionDependencyFiles(string $functionKey, array $dependencyFiles): void
+    {
+        $this->functionDependencyFilesMemo[$functionKey] = $dependencyFiles;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return array<string, string>|null null when capture failed and the set cannot be trusted
+     */
+    public function getDependencyFileHashes(string $filePath): ?array
+    {
+        if (isset($this->failedFiles[$filePath])) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        $dependencyHashes = [];
+        foreach (array_keys($this->dependenciesByFile[$filePath] ?? []) as $dependencyFile) {
+            $dependencyHash = $this->contentHash($dependencyFile);
+            if ($dependencyHash !== null) {
+                $dependencyHashes[$dependencyFile] = $dependencyHash;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return $dependencyHashes;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param array<string, string> $recordedDependencyHashes
+     */
+    public function hasAnyChangedDependency(array $recordedDependencyHashes): bool
+    {
+        foreach ($recordedDependencyHashes as $dependencyFile => $recordedHash) {
+            if ($this->contentHash($dependencyFile) !== $recordedHash) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * null when the file does not exist, e.g. a deleted dependency, which callers treat as changed
+     */
+    public function contentHash(string $filePath): ?string
+    {
+        if (array_key_exists($filePath, $this->contentHashMemo)) {
+            return $this->contentHashMemo[$filePath];
+        }
+
+        $resolvedPath = $this->resolvePath($filePath);
+        if (! is_file($resolvedPath)) {
+            return $this->contentHashMemo[$filePath] = null;
+        }
+
+        return $this->contentHashMemo[$filePath] = $this->fileHasher->hashFiles([$resolvedPath]);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * drop a memoized hash, e.g. after the file has been written mid-run
+     */
+    public function forgetContentHash(string $filePath): void
+    {
+        unset($this->contentHashMemo[$filePath]);
+    }
+
+    public function reset(): void
+    {
+        $this->dependenciesByFile = [];
+        $this->failedFiles = [];
+        $this->contentHashMemo = [];
+        $this->functionDependencyFilesMemo = [];
+    }
+
+    private function resolvePath(string $filePath): string
+    {
+        $realPath = realpath($filePath);
+        if ($realPath === false) {
+            return $filePath;
+        }
+
+        return $realPath;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/DependencyInjection/LazyContainerFactory.php b/src/DependencyInjection/LazyContainerFactory.php
index 04d7da27c22..b74f6de1971 100644
--- a/src/DependencyInjection/LazyContainerFactory.php
+++ b/src/DependencyInjection/LazyContainerFactory.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 use PhpParser\Lexer;
 use PHPStan\Analyser\NodeScopeResolver;
 use PHPStan\Analyser\ScopeFactory;
+use PHPStan\Dependency\DependencyResolver;
 use PHPStan\Parser\Parser;
 use PHPStan\PhpDoc\TypeNodeResolver;
 use PHPStan\PhpDocParser\ParserConfig;
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@
 use Rector\Caching\CacheFactory;
 use Rector\Caching\Config\FileHashComputer;
 use Rector\Caching\Contract\CacheMetaExtensionInterface;
+use Rector\Caching\FileDependencyCollector;
 use Rector\ChangesReporting\Contract\Output\OutputFormatterInterface;
 use Rector\ChangesReporting\Output\ConsoleOutputFormatter;
 use Rector\ChangesReporting\Output\GitHubOutputFormatter;
@@ -347,6 +349,7 @@ final class LazyContainerFactory
         TypeNodeResolver::class,
         NodeScopeResolver::class,
         ReflectionProvider::class,
+        DependencyResolver::class,
     ];
 
     /**
@@ -452,6 +455,7 @@ public function create(): RectorConfig
 
         $rectorConfig->singleton(FileProcessor::class);
         $rectorConfig->singleton(PostFileProcessor::class);
+        $rectorConfig->singleton(FileDependencyCollector::class);
 
         $rectorConfig->when(RectorNodeTraverser::class)
             ->needs('$rectors')
@@ -476,6 +480,7 @@ static function (Container $container): DynamicSourceLocatorProvider {
         // resettable
         $rectorConfig->tag(DynamicSourceLocatorProvider::class, ResettableInterface::class);
         $rectorConfig->tag(RenamedClassesDataCollector::class, ResettableInterface::class);
+        $rectorConfig->tag(FileDependencyCollector::class, ResettableInterface::class);
 
         // caching
         $rectorConfig->singleton(Cache::class, static function (Container $container): Cache {
diff --git a/src/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/PHPStanNodeScopeResolver.php b/src/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/PHPStanNodeScopeResolver.php
index d66d08bd15d..ae742b0c1bf 100644
--- a/src/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/PHPStanNodeScopeResolver.php
+++ b/src/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/PHPStanNodeScopeResolver.php
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@
 use PHPStan\Analyser\NodeScopeResolver;
 use PHPStan\Analyser\ScopeContext;
 use PHPStan\Analyser\UndefinedVariableException;
+use PHPStan\Dependency\DependencyResolver;
 use PHPStan\Node\FunctionCallableNode;
 use PHPStan\Node\InstantiationCallableNode;
 use PHPStan\Node\MethodCallableNode;
@@ -102,12 +103,14 @@
 use PHPStan\ShouldNotHappenException;
 use PHPStan\Type\ObjectType;
 use PHPStan\Type\TypeCombinator;
+use Rector\Caching\FileDependencyCollector;
 use Rector\Contract\PhpParser\DecoratingNodeVisitorInterface;
 use Rector\NodeAnalyzer\ClassAnalyzer;
 use Rector\NodeNameResolver\NodeNameResolver;
 use Rector\NodeTypeResolver\Node\AttributeKey;
 use Rector\PhpParser\Node\FileNode;
 use Rector\Util\Reflection\PrivatesAccessor;
+use Throwable;
 use Webmozart\Assert\Assert;
 
 /**
@@ -130,7 +133,9 @@ public function __construct(
         private ScopeFactory $scopeFactory,
         private PrivatesAccessor $privatesAccessor,
         private NodeNameResolver $nodeNameResolver,
-        private ClassAnalyzer $classAnalyzer
+        private ClassAnalyzer $classAnalyzer,
+        private DependencyResolver $dependencyResolver,
+        private FileDependencyCollector $fileDependencyCollector
     ) {
         // @todo make use of immutable, to avoid tedious traversing
         $this->nodeTraverser = new NodeTraverser(...$decoratingNodeVisitors);
@@ -162,6 +167,10 @@ public function processNodes(
                 $mutatingScope = $mutatingScope->toMutatingScope();
             }
 
+            // capture the files this file depends on, so the unchanged-files cache
+            // invalidates when a dependency changes, see captureNodeDependencies()
+            $this->captureNodeDependencies($node, $mutatingScope, $filePath);
+
             // the class reflection is resolved AFTER entering to class node
             // so we need to get it from the first after this one
             if ($node instanceof Class_ || $node instanceof Interface_ || $node instanceof Enum_) {
@@ -730,4 +739,53 @@ private function processTrait(Trait_ $trait, MutatingScope $mutatingScope, calla
         $this->nodeScopeResolverProcessNodes($trait->stmts, $traitScope, $nodeCallback);
         $this->decorateNodeAttrGroups($trait, $traitScope, $nodeCallback);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Record the dependency files PHPStan surfaces for this node, with a memo per
+     * function call as signature dependencies are identical at every call site.
+     * The memo key is the resolved function name, so two calls only share an entry
+     * when they resolve to the same function.
+     */
+    private function captureNodeDependencies(Node $node, MutatingScope $mutatingScope, string $filePath): void
+    {
+        $functionMemoKey = null;
+        if ($node instanceof FuncCall) {
+            $functionName = $this->nodeNameResolver->getName($node);
+            if (is_string($functionName)) {
+                $functionMemoKey = strtolower($functionName);
+            }
+        }
+
+        $memoizedFiles = $functionMemoKey !== null
+            ? $this->fileDependencyCollector->getMemoizedFunctionDependencyFiles($functionMemoKey)
+            : null;
+
+        if ($memoizedFiles !== null) {
+            foreach ($memoizedFiles as $memoizedFile) {
+                $this->fileDependencyCollector->record($filePath, $memoizedFile);
+            }
+
+            return;
+        }
+
+        try {
+            $nodeDependencies = $this->dependencyResolver->resolveDependencies($node, $mutatingScope);
+            $dependencyFiles = [];
+            foreach ($nodeDependencies->getReflections() as $dependencyReflection) {
+                $dependencyFile = $dependencyReflection->getFileName();
+                if ($dependencyFile !== null) {
+                    $dependencyFiles[] = $dependencyFile;
+                    $this->fileDependencyCollector->record($filePath, $dependencyFile);
+                }
+            }
+
+            if ($functionMemoKey !== null) {
+                $this->fileDependencyCollector->memoizeFunctionDependencyFiles($functionMemoKey, $dependencyFiles);
+            }
+        } catch (Throwable) {
+            // a failed capture leaves a possibly partial dependency set, mark the file
+            // so it is never cached with it and gets reprocessed on every run instead
+            $this->fileDependencyCollector->markFailed($filePath);
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Caching/Detector/ChangedFilesDetectorTest.php b/tests/Caching/Detector/ChangedFilesDetectorTest.php
index dfc95a3176a..a3022a470de 100644
--- a/tests/Caching/Detector/ChangedFilesDetectorTest.php
+++ b/tests/Caching/Detector/ChangedFilesDetectorTest.php
@@ -5,17 +5,22 @@
 namespace Rector\Tests\Caching\Detector;
 
 use Rector\Caching\Detector\ChangedFilesDetector;
+use Rector\Caching\FileDependencyCollector;
 use Rector\Testing\PHPUnit\AbstractLazyTestCase;
 
 final class ChangedFilesDetectorTest extends AbstractLazyTestCase
 {
     private ChangedFilesDetector $changedFilesDetector;
 
+    private FileDependencyCollector $fileDependencyCollector;
+
     protected function setUp(): void
     {
         parent::setUp();
 
         $this->changedFilesDetector = $this->make(ChangedFilesDetector::class);
+        $this->fileDependencyCollector = $this->make(FileDependencyCollector::class);
+        $this->fileDependencyCollector->reset();
     }
 
     protected function tearDown(): void
@@ -37,6 +42,44 @@ public function testHasFileChanged(): void
         $this->assertTrue($this->changedFilesDetector->hasFileChanged($filePath));
     }
 
+    public function testDependencyChangeInvalidatesFile(): void
+    {
+        $filePath = __DIR__ . '/Source/file.php';
+        $dependencyFilePath = sys_get_temp_dir() . '/rector_changed_files_detector_dependency_test.php';
+        file_put_contents($dependencyFilePath, "<?php\n\nclass DetectorDependencyFixture\n{\n}\n");
+
+        $this->fileDependencyCollector->record($filePath, $dependencyFilePath);
+        $this->changedFilesDetector->addCacheableFile($filePath);
+        $this->changedFilesDetector->cacheFile($filePath);
+
+        // simulate a fresh process run with unchanged files
+        $this->fileDependencyCollector->reset();
+        $this->assertFalse($this->changedFilesDetector->hasFileChanged($filePath));
+
+        // a dependency change must invalidate the file, even though its own content is unchanged
+        file_put_contents(
+            $dependencyFilePath,
+            "<?php\n\nclass DetectorDependencyFixture\n{\n    public function added(): int\n    {\n        return 1;\n    }\n}\n"
+        );
+        $this->fileDependencyCollector->reset();
+        $this->assertTrue($this->changedFilesDetector->hasFileChanged($filePath));
+
+        unlink($dependencyFilePath);
+    }
+
+    public function testFailedDependencyCapturePreventsCaching(): void
+    {
+        $filePath = __DIR__ . '/Source/file.php';
+
+        // a failed capture means the dependency set may be incomplete → never cache
+        $this->fileDependencyCollector->markFailed($filePath);
+        $this->changedFilesDetector->addCacheableFile($filePath);
+        $this->changedFilesDetector->cacheFile($filePath);
+
+        $this->fileDependencyCollector->reset();
+        $this->assertTrue($this->changedFilesDetector->hasFileChanged($filePath));
+    }
+
     public function provideConfigFilePath(): string
     {
         return __DIR__ . '/config.php';