diff --git a/src/reflect/type.go b/src/reflect/type.go
index a1a618ad598f4..9a2e41f0b24e1 100644
--- a/src/reflect/type.go
+++ b/src/reflect/type.go
@@ -2920,5 +2920,9 @@ func addTypeBits(bv *bitVector, offset uintptr, t *abi.Type) {
 
 // TypeFor returns the [Type] that represents the type argument T.
 func TypeFor[T any]() Type {
-	return TypeOf((*T)(nil)).Elem()
+	var v T
+	if t := TypeOf(v); t != nil {
+		return t // optimize for T being a non-interface kind
+	}
+	return TypeOf((*T)(nil)).Elem() // only for an interface kind
 }
diff --git a/src/reflect/type_test.go b/src/reflect/type_test.go
index 4ba4536d66eec..200ecf6eca66b 100644
--- a/src/reflect/type_test.go
+++ b/src/reflect/type_test.go
@@ -103,3 +103,17 @@ func TestIsRegularMemory(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+var sinkType reflect.Type
+
+func BenchmarkTypeForString(b *testing.B) {
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		sinkType = reflect.TypeFor[string]()
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkTypeForError(b *testing.B) {
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		sinkType = reflect.TypeFor[error]()
+	}
+}