diff --git a/development/library.md b/development/library.md
index 967feb9..7c6b5fe 100644
--- a/development/library.md
+++ b/development/library.md
@@ -106,9 +106,11 @@ offers `true`, `false`, `null`, `undefined` by name (verified over LSP).
 
 #### Why
 
-- Runtime dispatch is unchanged in effect: `handlers[true]` already coerces to
-  `"true"`. `dispatch` wraps the index in `String()` only because TypeScript
-  forbids indexing with `boolean`/`null`/`undefined` (`TS2538`).
+- Runtime dispatch indexes with the raw `shape`; `handlers[true]` coerces to
+  `"true"` at runtime exactly as `String` would. The `shape as string | number`
+  assertion only placates `TS2538` and buys the number fast path (an explicit
+  `String()` defeats V8's numeric-key path: measured ~2× on number-keyed
+  dispatch).
 - `symbol`/`bigint`/`NaN`/`-0` are rejected, and a member colliding with its
   stringification is unguarded: user-facing, stated once in
   [README § Caveats](../README.md#caveats).
diff --git a/src/primitive.ts b/src/primitive.ts
index 2c27b56..7919d2c 100644
--- a/src/primitive.ts
+++ b/src/primitive.ts
@@ -109,11 +109,17 @@ type HandlerMap = Record<string | number, UnaryFn<never, unknown> | undefined>;
 const dispatch =
     (handlers: HandlerMap, fallback?: UnaryFn<never, unknown>) =>
     (shape: Matchable): unknown =>
-        // `handlers[true]` already coerces to the `"true"` property at
-        // runtime; `String` is here only because TypeScript forbids
-        // indexing with `boolean`/`null`/`undefined` (TS2538).
+        // `handlers[true]` already coerces to the `"true"` property at runtime,
+        // identical to `handlers[String(shape)]`, so indexing with `shape`
+        // directly is sound: `shape` is a facade-checked universe member and
+        // `PatternKey` only ever produces valid property keys. The assertion is
+        // needed solely because TypeScript forbids indexing with
+        // `boolean`/`null`/`undefined` (TS2538); it buys the number fast path.
         (
-            handlers[String(shape)] ??
+            handlers[
+                // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/no-unsafe-type-assertion
+                shape as string | number
+            ] ??
             fallback ??
             (() => {
                 throw new Error(`Unhandled shape: ${String(shape)}`);