diff --git a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache.h b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache.h
index 5c39749400..f51d7a5a0c 100644
--- a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache.h
+++ b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache.h
@@ -155,6 +155,12 @@ struct ws {
  *
  */
 
+enum well_known_method {
+#define WKM(wk, bit) WKM_##wk = 1U << bit,
+#include "tbl/well_known_methods.h"
+#undef WKM
+};
+
 struct http {
 	unsigned		magic;
 #define HTTP_MAGIC		0x6428b5c9
@@ -173,6 +179,7 @@ struct http {
 	struct ws		*ws;
 	uint16_t		status;
 	uint8_t			protover;
+	enum well_known_method	wkm;
 };
 
 /*--------------------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -670,6 +677,7 @@ int HTTP_IterHdrPack(struct worker *, struct objcore *, const char **);
 const char *HTTP_GetHdrPack(struct worker *, struct objcore *, hdr_t);
 stream_close_t http_DoConnection(struct http *hp, stream_close_t sc_close);
 int http_IsFiltered(const struct http *hp, unsigned u, unsigned how);
+void http_SetWellKnownMethod(struct http *hp);
 
 #define HTTPH_R_PASS		(1 << 0)	/* Request (c->b) in pass mode */
 #define HTTPH_R_FETCH		(1 << 1)	/* Request (c->b) for fetch */
@@ -694,9 +702,8 @@ extern hdr_t H__Reason;
 
 // rfc7230,l,1144,1144
 // rfc7231,l,1156,1158
-#define http_method_eq(str, tok)	(!vstrcmp(str, #tok))
-// l = vstrlen(str)
-#define http_method_eq_l(str, l, tok)	(l == vstrlen(#tok) && ! vstrcmp(str, #tok))
+#define http_method_eq(check, wkm)	((check & wkm) == wkm)
+#define http_method_among(check, wkms)	((check & (wkms)) != 0)
 
 // rfc7230,l,1222,1222
 // rfc7230,l,2848,2848
diff --git a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c
index d11ac66d70..a216827b65 100644
--- a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c
+++ b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_fetch.c
@@ -382,8 +382,6 @@ vbf_stp_startfetch(struct worker *wrk, struct busyobj *bo)
 	vtim_real now;
 	unsigned handling, skip_vbr = 0;
 	struct objcore *oc;
-	const char *met;
-	size_t met_l;
 
 	CHECK_OBJ_NOTNULL(wrk, WORKER_MAGIC);
 	CHECK_OBJ_NOTNULL(bo, BUSYOBJ_MAGIC);
@@ -407,13 +405,8 @@ vbf_stp_startfetch(struct worker *wrk, struct busyobj *bo)
 	http_PrintfHeader(bo->bereq, "X-Varnish: %ju", VXID(bo->vsl->wid));
 
 	if (bo->bereq_body == NULL && bo->req == NULL) {
-		met = http_GetMethod(bo->bereq);
-		met_l = vstrlen(met);
-		if (http_method_eq_l(met, met_l, GET) ||
-		    http_method_eq_l(met, met_l, HEAD) ||
-		    http_method_eq_l(met, met_l, DELETE) ||
-		    http_method_eq_l(met, met_l, OPTIONS) ||
-		    http_method_eq_l(met, met_l, TRACE))
+		if (http_method_among(bo->bereq->wkm, (WKM_GET | WKM_HEAD | WKM_DELETE |
+		    WKM_OPTIONS | WKM_TRACE)))
 			http_Unset(bo->bereq, H_Content_Length);
 		else
 			http_ForceHeader(bo->bereq, H_Content_Length, "0");
diff --git a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_http.c b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_http.c
index f8402458f2..858d19b2af 100644
--- a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_http.c
+++ b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_http.c
@@ -361,6 +361,7 @@ HTTP_Setup(struct http *hp, struct ws *ws, struct vsl_log *vsl,
 	hp->logtag = whence;
 	hp->ws = ws;
 	hp->vsl = vsl;
+	hp->wkm = WKM_UNKNOWN;
 }
 
 /*--------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -397,6 +398,7 @@ HTTP_Dup(struct http *to, const struct http * fm)
 	to->logtag = fm->logtag;
 	to->status = fm->status;
 	to->protover = fm->protover;
+	to->wkm = fm->wkm;
 }
 
 
@@ -452,6 +454,8 @@ http_SetH(struct http *to, unsigned n, const char *header)
 	http_VSLH(to, n);
 	if (n == HTTP_HDR_PROTO)
 		http_Proto(to);
+	if (n == HTTP_HDR_METHOD)
+		http_SetWellKnownMethod(to);
 }
 
 /*--------------------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -1456,6 +1460,7 @@ http_FilterReq(struct http *to, const struct http *fm, unsigned how)
 	CHECK_OBJ_NOTNULL(fm, HTTP_MAGIC);
 
 	http_linkh(to, fm, HTTP_HDR_METHOD);
+	http_SetWellKnownMethod(to);
 	http_linkh(to, fm, HTTP_HDR_URL);
 	http_linkh(to, fm, HTTP_HDR_PROTO);
 	to->protover = fm->protover;
@@ -1625,3 +1630,26 @@ http_Unset(struct http *hp, hdr_t hdr)
 	}
 	hp->nhd = v;
 }
+
+void
+http_SetWellKnownMethod(struct http *hp)
+{
+	size_t l;
+	const char *method;
+
+	CHECK_OBJ_NOTNULL(hp, HTTP_MAGIC);
+
+	method = http_GetMethod(hp);
+	AN(method);
+	hp->wkm = WKM_UNKNOWN;
+#define WKM(wk, bit)							\
+	do {								\
+		l = vstrlen(method);					\
+		if (l == vstrlen(#wk) && !vstrcmp(#wk, method)) {	\
+			hp->wkm = WKM_##wk;				\
+			return;						\
+		}							\
+	} while (0);
+#include "tbl/well_known_methods.h"
+#undef WKM
+}
diff --git a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_req_fsm.c b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_req_fsm.c
index f4d3810a27..dd1e20c27e 100644
--- a/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_req_fsm.c
+++ b/bin/varnishd/cache/cache_req_fsm.c
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ cnt_transmit(struct worker *wrk, struct req *req)
 	clval = http_GetContentLength(req->resp);
 	/* RFC 7230, 3.3.3 */
 	status = http_GetStatus(req->resp);
-	head = http_method_eq(req->http0->hd[HTTP_HDR_METHOD].b, HEAD);
+	head = http_method_eq(req->http0->wkm, WKM_HEAD);
 
 	if (req->boc != NULL || (req->objcore->flags & (OC_F_FAILED)))
 		req->resp_len = clval;
diff --git a/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1.h b/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1.h
index d9b8f44057..4a3b15ff78 100644
--- a/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1.h
+++ b/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1.h
@@ -68,3 +68,4 @@ stream_close_t V1L_Flush(struct v1l *v1l);
 stream_close_t V1L_Close(struct v1l **v1lp, uint64_t *cnt);
 size_t V1L_Write(struct v1l *v1l, const void *ptr, ssize_t len);
 extern const struct vdp * const VDP_v1l;
+void http_SetWellKnownMethod(struct http *hp);
diff --git a/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1_fetch.c b/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1_fetch.c
index f8bcf43cd4..a016cb79e0 100644
--- a/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1_fetch.c
+++ b/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1_fetch.c
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ V1F_FetchRespHdr(struct busyobj *bo)
 	 * Figure out how the fetch is supposed to happen, before the
 	 * headers are adulterated by VCL
 	 */
-	if (http_method_eq(http_GetMethod(bo->bereq), HEAD)) {
+	if (http_method_eq(bo->bereq->wkm, WKM_HEAD)) {
 		/*
 		 * A HEAD request can never have a body in the reply,
 		 * no matter what the headers might say.
diff --git a/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1_proto.c b/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1_proto.c
index 54777278ec..294f2bbc42 100644
--- a/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1_proto.c
+++ b/bin/varnishd/http1/cache_http1_proto.c
@@ -355,7 +355,6 @@ HTTP1_DissectRequest(struct http_conn *htc, struct http *hp)
 	uint16_t retval;
 	const char *p;
 	const char *b = NULL, *e;
-	size_t l;
 
 	CHECK_OBJ_NOTNULL(htc, HTTP_CONN_MAGIC);
 	CHECK_OBJ_NOTNULL(hp, HTTP_MAGIC);
@@ -389,18 +388,18 @@ HTTP1_DissectRequest(struct http_conn *htc, struct http *hp)
 
 	p = http_GetMethod(hp);
 	AN(p);
-	l = vstrlen(p);
+	http_SetWellKnownMethod(hp);
 
 	if (htc->body_status == BS_EOF) {
 		assert(hp->protover == 10);
 		/* RFC1945 8.3 p32 and D.1.1 p58 */
-		if (http_method_eq_l(p, l, POST) || http_method_eq_l(p, l, PUT))
+		if (http_method_among(hp->wkm, (WKM_POST | WKM_PUT)))
 			return (400);
 		htc->body_status = BS_NONE;
 	}
 
 	/* HEAD with a body is a hard error */
-	if (htc->body_status != BS_NONE && http_method_eq_l(p, l, HEAD))
+	if (htc->body_status != BS_NONE && http_method_eq(hp->wkm, WKM_HEAD))
 		return (400);
 
 	return (retval);
diff --git a/include/Makefile.am b/include/Makefile.am
index 347724d70a..ef4328f189 100644
--- a/include/Makefile.am
+++ b/include/Makefile.am
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ nobase_pkginclude_HEADERS = \
 	tbl/vsl_tags.h \
 	tbl/vsl_tags_http.h \
 	tbl/waiters.h \
+	tbl/well_known_methods.h \
 	vapi/vsc.h \
 	vapi/vsig.h \
 	vapi/vsl.h \
diff --git a/include/tbl/well_known_methods.h b/include/tbl/well_known_methods.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d255ede36a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/tbl/well_known_methods.h
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/*-
+ * Copyright 2026 UPLEX - Nils Goroll Systemoptimierung
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Author: Thibaut Artis <artous@uplex.de>
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause
+ *
+ * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+ * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+ * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
+ *    this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
+ *    this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
+ *    and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+ *
+ * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND ANY
+ * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
+ * WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
+ * DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL AUTHOR OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
+ * DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
+ * (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
+ * LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
+ * ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+ * (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
+ * SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ *
+ * Define well-known HTTP methods
+ */
+
+WKM(GET, 0)
+WKM(HEAD, 1)
+WKM(POST, 2)
+WKM(PUT, 3)
+WKM(DELETE, 4)
+WKM(OPTIONS, 5)
+WKM(TRACE, 6)
+WKM(PATCH, 7)
+WKM(CONNECT, 8)
+WKM(UNKNOWN, 31)