# UNDF: UNDF-2026-000000104
--- a/internal/chart/v3/util/dependencies.go
+++ b/internal/chart/v3/util/dependencies.go
@@ -144,18 +144,22 @@ func processDependencyEnabled(c *chart.Chart, v map[string]any, path string) err
 	}

 	var chartDependencies []*chart.Chart
-	// If any dependency is not a part of Chart.yaml
-	// then this should be added to chartDependencies.
-	// However, if the dependency is already specified in Chart.yaml
-	// we should not add it, as it would be processed from Chart.yaml anyway.
-
-Loop:
-	for _, existing := range c.Dependencies() {
-		for _, req := range c.Metadata.Dependencies {
-			if existing.Name() == req.Name && IsCompatibleRange(req.Version, existing.Metadata.Version) {
-				continue Loop
-			}
+	// Index metadata deps by name for O(1) lookup — avoids O(existing × metaDeps).
+	metaDepByName := make(map[string]*chart.Dependency, len(c.Metadata.Dependencies))
+	for _, req := range c.Metadata.Dependencies {
+		if req != nil {
+			metaDepByName[req.Name] = req
 		}
-		chartDependencies = append(chartDependencies, existing)
+	}
+	// Keep loaded charts that are NOT described in Chart.yaml (extra deps).
+	for _, existing := range c.Dependencies() {
+		if req, found := metaDepByName[existing.Name()]; found {
+			if IsCompatibleRange(req.Version, existing.Metadata.Version) {
+				continue // covered by Chart.yaml processing below
+			}
+		}
+		chartDependencies = append(chartDependencies, existing)
 	}

+	// Index loaded deps by name for O(1) alias resolution — avoids O(metaDeps × charts).
+	chartsByName := make(map[string]*chart.Chart, len(c.Dependencies()))
+	for _, ch := range c.Dependencies() {
+		if ch != nil {
+			chartsByName[ch.Name()] = ch
+		}
+	}
 	for _, req := range c.Metadata.Dependencies {
 		if req == nil {
 			continue
 		}
-		if chartDependency := getAliasDependency(c.Dependencies(), req); chartDependency != nil {
-			chartDependencies = append(chartDependencies, chartDependency)
+		// getAliasDependency still used for version-range check and alias copy;
+		// pre-built map avoids the O(charts) linear scan inside it.
+		if ch, ok := chartsByName[req.Name]; ok {
+			if chartDependency := getAliasDependency([]*chart.Chart{ch}, req); chartDependency != nil {
+				chartDependencies = append(chartDependencies, chartDependency)
+			}
 		}
 		if req.Alias != "" {
 			req.Name = req.Alias