diff --git a/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Fixture/skip_class_with_function.php.inc b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Fixture/skip_class_with_function.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..736d78bdfee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Fixture/skip_class_with_function.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?php
+
+require __DIR__ . '/../Source/src/ClassWithFunction.php';
+
+$classWithFunction = new \App\ClassWithFunction();
+
+?>
diff --git a/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Fixture/skip_class_with_side_effect.php.inc b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Fixture/skip_class_with_side_effect.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..761a82e8b6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Fixture/skip_class_with_side_effect.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?php
+
+require __DIR__ . '/../Source/src/ClassWithInit.php';
+
+$classWithInit = new \App\ClassWithInit();
+
+?>
diff --git a/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Source/src/ClassWithFunction.php b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Source/src/ClassWithFunction.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1737cb3b73d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Source/src/ClassWithFunction.php
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace App;
+
+final class ClassWithFunction
+{
+}
+
+function some_helper(): void
+{
+}
diff --git a/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Source/src/ClassWithInit.php b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Source/src/ClassWithInit.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f082f66a040
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector/Source/src/ClassWithInit.php
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace App;
+
+final class ClassWithInit
+{
+    public static function init(): void
+    {
+    }
+}
+
+ClassWithInit::init();
diff --git a/rules/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector.php b/rules/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector.php
index 22f638770d5..0c3486cb360 100644
--- a/rules/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector.php
+++ b/rules/DeadCode/Rector/Expression/RemovePsr4AutoloadedIncludeRector.php
@@ -9,8 +9,14 @@
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\Include_;
 use PhpParser\Node\Scalar\MagicConst\Dir;
 use PhpParser\Node\Scalar\String_;
+use PhpParser\Node\Stmt;
 use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\ClassLike;
+use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Declare_;
 use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Expression;
+use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\GroupUse;
+use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Namespace_;
+use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Nop;
+use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Use_;
 use PhpParser\NodeVisitor;
 use Rector\Contract\Rector\ConfigurableRectorInterface;
 use Rector\FileSystem\JsonFileSystem;
@@ -164,6 +170,11 @@ private function resolveSingleDeclaredClassName(string $filePath): ?string
     {
         $stmts = $this->rectorParser->parseFile($filePath);
 
+        // the autoloader replays only type declarations, so top-level side effects, functions or constants keep the require load-bearing
+        if (! $this->containsOnlyTypeDeclarations($stmts)) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
         $classLikes = $this->betterNodeFinder->findInstanceOf($stmts, ClassLike::class);
 
         // require must define exactly one class, or removing it would drop the other definitions
@@ -175,6 +186,35 @@ private function resolveSingleDeclaredClassName(string $filePath): ?string
         return $this->getName($classLikes[0]);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param Stmt[] $stmts
+     */
+    private function containsOnlyTypeDeclarations(array $stmts): bool
+    {
+        foreach ($stmts as $stmt) {
+            if ($stmt instanceof ClassLike || $stmt instanceof Use_ || $stmt instanceof GroupUse || $stmt instanceof Nop) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            // declare(strict_types=1); is fine, but the block form declare(...) { ... } executes its body
+            if ($stmt instanceof Declare_ && $stmt->stmts === null) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if ($stmt instanceof Namespace_) {
+                if (! $this->containsOnlyTypeDeclarations($stmt->stmts)) {
+                    return false;
+                }
+
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return array<array{string, string}> list of [namespace prefix, absolute directory] pairs
      */