diff --git a/packages/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/PHPStanNodeScopeResolver.php b/packages/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/PHPStanNodeScopeResolver.php
index 7a1e60ae49d..46cbd921b40 100644
--- a/packages/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/PHPStanNodeScopeResolver.php
+++ b/packages/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/PHPStanNodeScopeResolver.php
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@
 use Rector\Core\Contract\PhpParser\Node\StmtsAwareInterface;
 use Rector\Core\Exception\ShouldNotHappenException;
 use Rector\Core\NodeAnalyzer\ClassAnalyzer;
+use Rector\Core\PhpParser\Node\CustomNode\FileWithoutNamespace;
+use Rector\Core\PhpParser\NodeTraverser\FileWithoutNamespaceNodeTraverser;
 use Rector\Core\Util\Reflection\PrivatesAccessor;
 use Rector\NodeNameResolver\NodeNameResolver;
 use Rector\NodeTypeResolver\Node\AttributeKey;
@@ -79,7 +81,8 @@ public function __construct(
         private readonly ScopeFactory $scopeFactory,
         private readonly PrivatesAccessor $privatesAccessor,
         private readonly NodeNameResolver $nodeNameResolver,
-        private readonly ClassAnalyzer $classAnalyzer
+        private readonly ClassAnalyzer $classAnalyzer,
+        private readonly FileWithoutNamespaceNodeTraverser $fileWithoutNamespaceNodeTraverser
     ) {
         $this->nodeTraverser = new NodeTraverser();
 
@@ -107,6 +110,14 @@ public function processNodes(
         Assert::allIsInstanceOf($stmts, Stmt::class);
         $this->nodeTraverser->traverse($stmts);
 
+        if (! $isScopeRefreshing) {
+            $stmts = $this->fileWithoutNamespaceNodeTraverser->traverse($stmts);
+
+            if (count($stmts) === 1 && $stmts[0] instanceof FileWithoutNamespace) {
+                $stmts = $stmts[0]->stmts;
+            }
+        }
+
         $scope = $formerMutatingScope ?? $this->scopeFactory->createFromFile($filePath);
 
         // skip chain method calls, performance issue: https://github.com/phpstan/phpstan/issues/254
diff --git a/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/FuncCall/NullToStrictStringFuncCallArgRector/Fixture/after_exit.php.inc b/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/FuncCall/NullToStrictStringFuncCallArgRector/Fixture/after_exit.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7bbbda63b41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/FuncCall/NullToStrictStringFuncCallArgRector/Fixture/after_exit.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<?php
+
+// no namespace on purpose to cover crash on FileWithoutNamespace
+exit();
+
+// this part is needed to produce crash
+echo 'some statement';
+
+function run2()
+{
+    preg_split('#a#', null);
+}
+
+?>
+-----
+<?php
+
+// no namespace on purpose to cover crash on FileWithoutNamespace
+exit();
+
+// this part is needed to produce crash
+echo 'some statement';
+
+function run2()
+{
+    preg_split('#a#', '');
+}
+
+?>
diff --git a/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/FuncCall/NullToStrictStringFuncCallArgRector/Fixture/after_exit_namespaced.php.inc b/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/FuncCall/NullToStrictStringFuncCallArgRector/Fixture/after_exit_namespaced.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..58ab4c04dff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/FuncCall/NullToStrictStringFuncCallArgRector/Fixture/after_exit_namespaced.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\Php80\Rector\FuncCall\NullToStrictStringFuncCallArgRector\Fixture;
+
+exit();
+
+echo 'some statement';
+
+function run2()
+{
+    preg_split('#a#', null);
+}
+
+?>
+-----
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\Php80\Rector\FuncCall\NullToStrictStringFuncCallArgRector\Fixture;
+
+exit();
+
+echo 'some statement';
+
+function run2()
+{
+    preg_split('#a#', '');
+}
+
+?>
diff --git a/src/Kernel/RectorKernel.php b/src/Kernel/RectorKernel.php
index 6606667f967..b4fedc0c050 100644
--- a/src/Kernel/RectorKernel.php
+++ b/src/Kernel/RectorKernel.php
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ final class RectorKernel
     /**
      * @var string
      */
-    private const CACHE_KEY = 'v54';
+    private const CACHE_KEY = 'v55';
 
     private ContainerInterface|null $container = null;