diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/lowerer.ts b/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/lowerer.ts
index 15c0ef993..9065e691e 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/lowerer.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/frontend/lowering/lowerer.ts
@@ -13145,6 +13145,10 @@ export class Lowerer {
     ) {
       return lowerElementAccess(this, expr);
     }
+    // `a?.[i]`: the optional chain tests the receiver's undefined arm and
+    // lowers this access again inside its guard.
+    if (expr.questionDotToken && !this.chainHandled.has(expr))
+      return lowerElementAccess(this, expr);
     const receiver = this.runtimeOptionalIdentifierValue(expr.expression);
     const receiverValue: IrExpr | null =
       receiver && (receiver.present.kind === "array" || receiver.present.kind === "record")
diff --git a/packages/compiler/test/ts7/baselines/order-parity/tests/corpus/8330-optional-element-undefined-receivers.ts.json b/packages/compiler/test/ts7/baselines/order-parity/tests/corpus/8330-optional-element-undefined-receivers.ts.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ef78d4391
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/compiler/test/ts7/baselines/order-parity/tests/corpus/8330-optional-element-undefined-receivers.ts.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+ "order": [
+  "<repo>/tests/corpus/8330-optional-element-undefined-receivers.ts"
+ ],
+ "diags": []
+}
diff --git a/tests/corpus/8330-optional-element-undefined-receivers.ts b/tests/corpus/8330-optional-element-undefined-receivers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b9433e66c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/corpus/8330-optional-element-undefined-receivers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+// Optional element access on bindings whose type admits undefined: an
+// undefined receiver short-circuits to undefined without evaluating the
+// key, and a present receiver reads the element as a plain access does.
+
+function first(kinds: string[] | undefined, i: number): string {
+  const kind = kinds?.[i];
+  return kind === undefined ? "none" : String(kind);
+}
+console.log(first(undefined, 0));
+console.log(first(["a", "b"], 1));
+console.log(first(["a"], 5));
+
+function orDefault(values: number[] | undefined, i: number): number {
+  return values?.[i] ?? -1;
+}
+console.log(orDefault(undefined, 0), orDefault([4, 5], 1), orDefault([4], 3));
+
+function isMissing(flags: boolean[] | undefined, i: number): boolean {
+  return flags?.[i] === undefined;
+}
+console.log(isMissing(undefined, 0), isMissing([true], 0), isMissing([false], 2));
+
+function head(pair: [string, number] | undefined): string {
+  return pair?.[0] ?? "empty";
+}
+console.log(head(undefined), head(["x", 1]));
+
+function lookup(table: Record<string, number> | undefined, key: string): number | undefined {
+  return table?.[key];
+}
+console.log(lookup(undefined, "a"), lookup({ a: 1 }, "a"), lookup({ a: 1 }, "b"));
+
+function width(words: string[] | undefined, i: number): number {
+  return words?.[i]?.length ?? 0;
+}
+console.log(width(undefined, 0), width(["abc"], 0), width(["abc"], 1));
+
+// The key is not evaluated when the receiver is undefined.
+let keys = 0;
+function nextKey(): number {
+  keys++;
+  return 0;
+}
+function counted(items: string[] | undefined): string | undefined {
+  return items?.[nextKey()];
+}
+console.log(counted(undefined), keys);
+console.log(counted(["k"]), keys);
+
+// Local bindings, including one reassigned between reads.
+function maybe(present: boolean): number[] | undefined {
+  return present ? [7, 8] : undefined;
+}
+let current = maybe(false);
+console.log(current?.[0]);
+current = maybe(true);
+console.log(current?.[1]);
+current = maybe(false);
+console.log(current?.[1]);
+
+function local(present: boolean): string {
+  const items: string[] | undefined = present ? ["p", "q"] : undefined;
+  const second = items?.[1];
+  return second ?? "absent";
+}
+console.log(local(true), local(false));
+
+// A sparse array reads its holes as undefined.
+const sparse: number[] = [1];
+sparse[3] = 4;
+function at(values: number[] | undefined, i: number): string {
+  const value = values?.[i];
+  return value === undefined ? "hole" : String(value);
+}
+console.log(at(sparse, 1), at(sparse, 3), at(undefined, 3));
diff --git a/tests/harness/corpus-costs/8330-optional-element-undefined-receivers.ts.json b/tests/harness/corpus-costs/8330-optional-element-undefined-receivers.ts.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..662eb397f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/harness/corpus-costs/8330-optional-element-undefined-receivers.ts.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{ "plain": 2108 }