diff --git a/codeflash/languages/java/remove_asserts.py b/codeflash/languages/java/remove_asserts.py
index a5a5986c9..15379fa23 100644
--- a/codeflash/languages/java/remove_asserts.py
+++ b/codeflash/languages/java/remove_asserts.py
@@ -988,9 +988,12 @@ def _infer_type_from_assertion_args(self, original_text: str, method: str) -> st
         # If the first arg is a string literal, check if there are 3+ args — if so, the real expected
         # value is the second argument, not the message string.
         if expected.startswith('"') and method in ("assertEquals", "assertNotEquals"):
-            all_args = self._split_top_level_args(args_str)
-            if len(all_args) >= 3:
-                expected = all_args[1].strip()
+            # Use a lightweight scan that stops once we confirm there are >=3 top-level args and
+            # extracts the second argument, avoiding the full split.
+            second = self._second_arg_if_message(args_str)
+            if second is not None:
+                expected = second.strip()
+
 
         return self._type_from_literal(expected)
 
@@ -1195,41 +1198,144 @@ def _extract_first_arg(self, args_str: str) -> str | None:
         if i >= n:
             return None
 
+
+        start = i
         depth = 0
         in_string = False
         string_char = ""
-        cur: list[str] = []
 
         while i < n:
             ch = args_str[i]
 
             if in_string:
-                cur.append(ch)
                 if ch == "\\" and i + 1 < n:
-                    i += 1
-                    cur.append(args_str[i])
-                elif ch == string_char:
+                    # Skip escaped character
+                    i += 2
+                    continue
+                if ch == string_char:
                     in_string = False
-            elif ch in ('"', "'"):
+                i += 1
+                continue
+
+            if ch in ('"', "'"):
                 in_string = True
                 string_char = ch
-                cur.append(ch)
+                i += 1
             elif ch in ("(", "<", "[", "{"):
                 depth += 1
-                cur.append(ch)
+                i += 1
             elif ch in (")", ">", "]", "}"):
                 depth -= 1
-                cur.append(ch)
+                i += 1
             elif ch == "," and depth == 0:
+                # end just before comma
+                end = i
                 break
             else:
-                cur.append(ch)
-            i += 1
+                i += 1
+        else:
+            # reached end without a top-level comma
+            end = i
 
         # Trim trailing whitespace from the extracted argument
-        if not cur:
+        if start >= end:
+            return None
+        return args_str[start:end].rstrip()
+
+    def _second_arg_if_message(self, args_str: str) -> str | None:
+        """If the first top-level arg is a string message and there are >=3 top-level args,
+        return the second top-level arg. Otherwise return None.
+
+        This performs a short-circuit parse that counts top-level commas and extracts
+        only as much as needed (stops after finding the second top-level comma).
+        """
+        n = len(args_str)
+        i = 0
+
+        # skip leading whitespace
+        while i < n and args_str[i].isspace():
+            i += 1
+        if i >= n:
+            return None
+
+        depth = 0
+        in_string = False
+        string_char = ""
+
+        # Find first top-level comma (end of first arg)
+        first_comma = -1
+        while i < n:
+            ch = args_str[i]
+            if in_string:
+                if ch == "\\" and i + 1 < n:
+                    i += 2
+                    continue
+                if ch == string_char:
+                    in_string = False
+                i += 1
+                continue
+
+            if ch in ('"', "'"):
+                in_string = True
+                string_char = ch
+                i += 1
+            elif ch in ("(", "<", "[", "{"):
+                depth += 1
+                i += 1
+            elif ch in (")", ">", "]", "}"):
+                depth -= 1
+                i += 1
+            elif ch == "," and depth == 0:
+                first_comma = i
+                i += 1
+                break
+            else:
+                i += 1
+
+        if first_comma == -1:
+            # only one argument
             return None
-        return "".join(cur).rstrip()
+
+        # Now find second top-level comma (i currently at char after first comma)
+        depth = 0
+        in_string = False
+        string_char = ""
+        second_comma = -1
+        while i < n:
+            ch = args_str[i]
+            if in_string:
+                if ch == "\\" and i + 1 < n:
+                    i += 2
+                    continue
+                if ch == string_char:
+                    in_string = False
+                i += 1
+                continue
+
+            if ch in ('"', "'"):
+                in_string = True
+                string_char = ch
+                i += 1
+            elif ch in ("(", "<", "[", "{"):
+                depth += 1
+                i += 1
+            elif ch in (")", ">", "]", "}"):
+                depth -= 1
+                i += 1
+            elif ch == "," and depth == 0:
+                second_comma = i
+                break
+            else:
+                i += 1
+
+        if second_comma == -1:
+            # fewer than 3 args
+            return None
+
+        # Extract second arg between first_comma and second_comma
+        start = first_comma + 1
+        end = second_comma
+        return args_str[start:end]
 
 
 def transform_java_assertions(