diff --git a/pkg/linters/tolowerequalfold/testdata/src/tolowerequalfold/tolowerequalfold.go b/pkg/linters/tolowerequalfold/testdata/src/tolowerequalfold/tolowerequalfold.go
index c17e4c69d95..72e12101edc 100644
--- a/pkg/linters/tolowerequalfold/testdata/src/tolowerequalfold/tolowerequalfold.go
+++ b/pkg/linters/tolowerequalfold/testdata/src/tolowerequalfold/tolowerequalfold.go
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ func flaggedExamples() {
 	name := "Alice"
 
 	// should use strings.EqualFold(name, "alice")
-	_ = strings.ToLower(name) == "alice"        // want `use strings\.EqualFold`
-	_ = strings.ToUpper(name) == "ALICE"        // want `use strings\.EqualFold`
-	_ = "alice" == strings.ToLower(name)        // want `use strings\.EqualFold`
-	_ = strings.ToLower(name) != "alice"        // want `use strings\.EqualFold`
+	_ = strings.ToLower(name) == "alice"                  // want `use strings\.EqualFold`
+	_ = strings.ToUpper(name) == "ALICE"                  // want `use strings\.EqualFold`
+	_ = "alice" == strings.ToLower(name)                  // want `use strings\.EqualFold`
+	_ = strings.ToLower(name) != "alice"                  // want `use strings\.EqualFold`
 	_ = strings.ToLower(name) == strings.ToLower("alice") // want `use strings\.EqualFold`
 }
 
@@ -23,4 +23,6 @@ func okExamples() {
 	// Regular case-sensitive comparison — no diagnostic
 	_ = name == "Alice"
 	_ = strings.ToLower(name) // used standalone, not in a comparison
+	_ = strings.ToLower(name) == name
+	_ = strings.ToLower(name) != name
 }
diff --git a/pkg/linters/tolowerequalfold/tolowerequalfold.go b/pkg/linters/tolowerequalfold/tolowerequalfold.go
index 9c98971abcb..92a14cc753c 100644
--- a/pkg/linters/tolowerequalfold/tolowerequalfold.go
+++ b/pkg/linters/tolowerequalfold/tolowerequalfold.go
@@ -47,10 +47,14 @@ func run(pass *analysis.Pass) (any, error) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		lowerLeft := isCaseConvCall(expr.X)
-		lowerRight := isCaseConvCall(expr.Y)
+		if arg, ok := caseConvArg(expr.X); ok && sameOperand(pass, arg, expr.Y) {
+			return
+		}
+		if arg, ok := caseConvArg(expr.Y); ok && sameOperand(pass, expr.X, arg) {
+			return
+		}
 
-		if lowerLeft || lowerRight {
+		if isCaseConvCall(expr.X) || isCaseConvCall(expr.Y) {
 			pass.ReportRangef(expr,
 				"use strings.EqualFold for case-insensitive comparison instead of strings.ToLower/ToUpper with ==")
 		}
@@ -61,18 +65,44 @@ func run(pass *analysis.Pass) (any, error) {
 
 // isCaseConvCall reports whether node is a call to strings.ToLower or strings.ToUpper.
 func isCaseConvCall(n ast.Node) bool {
+	_, ok := caseConvArg(n)
+	return ok
+}
+
+// caseConvArg returns the argument when n is strings.ToLower/ToUpper(<arg>).
+func caseConvArg(n ast.Node) (ast.Expr, bool) {
 	call, ok := n.(*ast.CallExpr)
 	if !ok {
-		return false
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	if len(call.Args) != 1 {
+		return nil, false
 	}
 	sel, ok := call.Fun.(*ast.SelectorExpr)
 	if !ok {
-		return false
+		return nil, false
 	}
 	ident, ok := sel.X.(*ast.Ident)
 	if !ok {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	if ident.Name != "strings" {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	if sel.Sel.Name != "ToLower" && sel.Sel.Name != "ToUpper" {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	return call.Args[0], true
+}
+
+func sameOperand(pass *analysis.Pass, left ast.Expr, right ast.Expr) bool {
+	leftIdent, leftOK := left.(*ast.Ident)
+	rightIdent, rightOK := right.(*ast.Ident)
+	if !leftOK || !rightOK {
 		return false
 	}
-	return ident.Name == "strings" &&
-		(sel.Sel.Name == "ToLower" || sel.Sel.Name == "ToUpper")
+
+	leftObj := pass.TypesInfo.ObjectOf(leftIdent)
+	rightObj := pass.TypesInfo.ObjectOf(rightIdent)
+	return leftObj != nil && rightObj != nil && leftObj == rightObj
 }