diff --git a/jacodb-ets/ts-frontend/src/lowering/stmtLowering.ts b/jacodb-ets/ts-frontend/src/lowering/stmtLowering.ts
index 5f79f73f4..66dd6389b 100644
--- a/jacodb-ets/ts-frontend/src/lowering/stmtLowering.ts
+++ b/jacodb-ets/ts-frontend/src/lowering/stmtLowering.ts
@@ -629,7 +629,11 @@ export class StmtLowerer {
 
                 cfg.placeLabel(catchLabel);
                 const decl = node.catchClause.variableDeclaration;
-                if (decl !== undefined && ts.isIdentifier(decl.name)) {
+                if (
+                    decl !== undefined &&
+                    ts.isIdentifier(decl.name) &&
+                    this.referencesCatchBinding(node.catchClause.block, decl.name)
+                ) {
                     const caughtType =
                         decl.type !== undefined ? this.m.converter.convertTypeNode(decl.type) : UNKNOWN_TYPE;
                     const caught = this.m.localForIdentifier(decl.name, caughtType);
@@ -660,6 +664,25 @@ export class StmtLowerer {
         }
     }
 
+    private referencesCatchBinding(block: ts.Block, name: ts.Identifier): boolean {
+        const bindingSymbol = this.m.converter.symbolOf(name);
+        if (bindingSymbol === undefined) {
+            return referencesName(block, name.text);
+        }
+
+        let found = false;
+        const visit = (node: ts.Node): void => {
+            if (found || ts.isTypeNode(node)) return;
+            if (ts.isIdentifier(node) && this.m.converter.symbolOf(node) === bindingSymbol) {
+                found = true;
+                return;
+            }
+            ts.forEachChild(node, visit);
+        };
+        visit(block);
+        return found;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Emit copies of the enclosing finally blocks with stack depth > `downTo`,
      * innermost first — used before abrupt exits (return/throw/break/continue).
diff --git a/jacodb-ets/ts-frontend/test/try.spec.ts b/jacodb-ets/ts-frontend/test/try.spec.ts
index 07fd39818..cd80ddedb 100644
--- a/jacodb-ets/ts-frontend/test/try.spec.ts
+++ b/jacodb-ets/ts-frontend/test/try.spec.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,68 @@ describe("try/catch/finally lowering", () => {
         expect(blocks[0].successors).toHaveLength(2);
     });
 
+    it("omits an unused catch binding while preserving its return", () => {
+        const blocks = blocksOf(`
+            function f(): boolean {
+                try {
+                    return BUILD_FLAG;
+                } catch (error) {
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+        `);
+
+        const stmts = blocks.flatMap((block) => block.stmts);
+        const catchBindings = stmts.filter(
+            (stmt) => stmt._ === "AssignStmt" && stmt.right._ === "CaughtExceptionRef",
+        );
+        const returns = stmts.filter((stmt) => stmt._ === "ReturnStmt");
+
+        expect(catchBindings).toHaveLength(0);
+        expect(returns).toHaveLength(2);
+    });
+
+    it("ignores matching property names and shadowed locals in a catch body", () => {
+        const sources = [
+            `function f(obj: { error: number }): number {
+                try { return 0; } catch (error) { return obj.error; }
+            }`,
+            `function f(): number {
+                try { return 0; } catch (error) {
+                    { const error = 1; return error; }
+                }
+            }`,
+            `function f(): number {
+                try { return 0; } catch (error) {
+                    type CaughtType = typeof error;
+                    return 1;
+                }
+            }`,
+        ];
+
+        for (const source of sources) {
+            const stmts = blocksOf(source).flatMap((block) => block.stmts);
+            const catchBindings = stmts.filter(
+                (stmt) => stmt._ === "AssignStmt" && stmt.right._ === "CaughtExceptionRef",
+            );
+
+            expect(catchBindings).toHaveLength(0);
+        }
+    });
+
+    it("keeps a catch binding referenced by a shorthand property", () => {
+        const stmts = blocksOf(`
+            function f(): object {
+                try { return {}; } catch (error) { return { error }; }
+            }
+        `).flatMap((block) => block.stmts);
+        const catchBindings = stmts.filter(
+            (stmt) => stmt._ === "AssignStmt" && stmt.right._ === "CaughtExceptionRef",
+        );
+
+        expect(catchBindings).toHaveLength(1);
+    });
+
     it("joins try and catch paths on the finally block", () => {
         const blocks = blocksOf(`
             function f(): void {
@@ -245,6 +307,7 @@ describe("try/catch/finally lowering", () => {
         const stmts = blocks.flatMap((b) => b.stmts);
         expect(stmts.some((s) => s._ === "ThrowStmt")).toBe(true);
         const caught = stmts.filter((s) => s._ === "AssignStmt" && s.right._ === "CaughtExceptionRef");
-        expect(caught).toHaveLength(2);
+        expect(caught).toHaveLength(0);
+        expect(stmts.filter((s) => s._ === "ReturnStmt")).toHaveLength(3);
     });
 });