diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index e72caf230dda2..4bda81ac22bca 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -3246,6 +3246,9 @@ name = "smallvec"
 version = "1.15.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "67b1b7a3b5fe4f1376887184045fcf45c69e92af734b7aaddc05fb777b6fbd03"
+dependencies = [
+ "serde",
+]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "smawk"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 02a2d82ff8568..133094aa07eee 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ sha1 = "0.10.6" # SHA-1 hashing
 simdutf8 = { version = "0.1.5", features = ["aarch64_neon"] } # SIMD UTF-8 validation
 similar = "2.7.0" # Text diffing
 similar-asserts = "1.7.0" # Test diff assertions
-smallvec = { version = "1.15.1", features = ["union"] } # Stack-allocated vectors
+smallvec = { version = "1.15.1", features = ["union", "serde"] } # Stack-allocated vectors
 tempfile = "3.23.0" # Temporary files
 tokio = { version = "1.48.0", default-features = false } # Async runtime
 toml = { version = "0.9.8" }
diff --git a/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/config_builder.rs b/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/config_builder.rs
index b7765d2babdb4..f1610158c5a45 100644
--- a/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/config_builder.rs
+++ b/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/config_builder.rs
@@ -509,7 +509,8 @@ impl ConfigStoreBuilder {
                 severity: *severity,
                 config: rule_name_to_rule
                     .get(&get_name(r.plugin_name(), r.name()))
-                    .and_then(|r| r.config.clone()),
+                    .map(|r| r.config.clone())
+                    .unwrap_or_default(),
             })
             .collect();
 
diff --git a/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/config_store.rs b/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/config_store.rs
index c688556c1d955..824c2ef8c5756 100644
--- a/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/config_store.rs
+++ b/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/config_store.rs
@@ -363,6 +363,7 @@ mod test {
 
     use rustc_hash::FxHashMap;
     use serde_json::Value;
+    use smallvec::smallvec;
 
     use super::{ConfigStore, ExternalRuleId, ResolvedOxlintOverrides};
     use crate::{
@@ -1077,7 +1078,7 @@ mod test {
         // Base config has external rule with options A, severity warn
         let base_external_rule_id = store.lookup_rule_id("custom", "my-rule").unwrap();
         let base_options_id =
-            store.add_options(ExternalRuleId::DUMMY, vec![serde_json::json!({ "opt": "A" })]);
+            store.add_options(ExternalRuleId::DUMMY, &smallvec![serde_json::json!({ "opt": "A" })]);
 
         let base = Config::new(
             vec![],
@@ -1096,7 +1097,7 @@ mod test {
                         base_external_rule_id,
                         store.add_options(
                             ExternalRuleId::DUMMY,
-                            vec![serde_json::json!({ "opt": "B" })],
+                            &smallvec![serde_json::json!({ "opt": "B" })],
                         ),
                         AllowWarnDeny::Deny,
                     )],
diff --git a/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/rules.rs b/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/rules.rs
index c4ba7659a8910..70a34b08adf09 100644
--- a/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/rules.rs
+++ b/crates/oxc_linter/src/config/rules.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use serde::{
     de::{self, Deserializer, Visitor},
     ser::SerializeMap,
 };
+use smallvec::SmallVec;
 
 use oxc_diagnostics::{Error, OxcDiagnostic};
 
@@ -56,8 +57,8 @@ pub struct ESLintRule {
     /// Severity of the rule: `off`, `warn`, `error`, etc.
     pub severity: AllowWarnDeny,
     /// JSON configuration for the rule, if any.
-    /// If is `Some`, the `Vec` must not be empty.
-    pub config: Option<Vec<serde_json::Value>>,
+    /// `SmallVec` with inline capacity 1, because most rules have only one options object.
+    pub config: SmallVec<[serde_json::Value; 1]>,
 }
 
 impl OxlintRules {
@@ -96,14 +97,12 @@ impl OxlintRules {
                             .find(|r| r.name() == rule_name && r.plugin_name() == plugin_name)
                     });
                     if let Some(rule) = rule {
-                        // Configs are stored as `Option<Vec<Value>>`, but `from_configuration` expects
-                        // a single `Value` with `Value::Null` being the equivalent of `None`
-                        let config = match &rule_config.config {
-                            Some(config) => {
-                                debug_assert!(!config.is_empty());
-                                serde_json::Value::Array(config.clone())
-                            }
-                            None => serde_json::Value::Null,
+                        // Configs are stored as `SmallVec<[Value; 1]>`, but `from_configuration` expects
+                        // a single `Value` with `Value::Null` being the equivalent of empty config
+                        let config = if rule_config.config.is_empty() {
+                            serde_json::Value::Null
+                        } else {
+                            serde_json::Value::Array(rule_config.config.to_vec())
                         };
                         rules_to_replace.push((rule.from_configuration(config), severity));
                     }
@@ -120,12 +119,8 @@ impl OxlintRules {
                             external_plugin_store.lookup_rule_id(plugin_name, rule_name)?;
 
                         // Add options to store and get options ID
-                        let options_id = if let Some(config) = &rule_config.config {
-                            external_plugin_store.add_options(external_rule_id, config.clone())
-                        } else {
-                            // No options - use reserved index 0
-                            ExternalOptionsId::NONE
-                        };
+                        let options_id = external_plugin_store
+                            .add_options(external_rule_id, &rule_config.config);
 
                         external_rules_for_override
                             .entry(external_rule_id)
@@ -197,16 +192,13 @@ impl Serialize for OxlintRules {
 
         for rule in &self.rules {
             let key = rule.full_name();
-            match rule.config.as_ref() {
-                // e.g. unicorn/some-rule: ["warn", { foo: "bar" }]
-                Some(config) => {
-                    let value = (rule.severity.as_str(), config);
-                    rules.serialize_entry(&key, &value)?;
-                }
+            if rule.config.is_empty() {
                 // e.g. unicorn/some-rule: "warn"
-                _ => {
-                    rules.serialize_entry(&key, rule.severity.as_str())?;
-                }
+                rules.serialize_entry(&key, rule.severity.as_str())?;
+            } else {
+                // e.g. unicorn/some-rule: ["warn", { foo: "bar" }]
+                let value = (rule.severity.as_str(), &rule.config);
+                rules.serialize_entry(&key, &value)?;
             }
         }
 
@@ -292,11 +284,11 @@ pub(super) fn unalias_plugin_name(plugin_name: &str, rule_name: &str) -> (String
 
 fn parse_rule_value(
     value: serde_json::Value,
-) -> Result<(AllowWarnDeny, Option<Vec<serde_json::Value>>), Error> {
+) -> Result<(AllowWarnDeny, SmallVec<[serde_json::Value; 1]>), Error> {
     match value {
         serde_json::Value::String(_) | serde_json::Value::Number(_) => {
             let severity = AllowWarnDeny::try_from(&value)?;
-            Ok((severity, None))
+            Ok((severity, SmallVec::new()))
         }
 
         serde_json::Value::Array(mut v) => {
@@ -310,13 +302,19 @@ fn parse_rule_value(
 
             // The first item should be SeverityConf
             let severity = AllowWarnDeny::try_from(v.first().unwrap())?;
-            let config = if v.len() == 1 {
+            let config = match v.len() {
+                0 => unreachable!(),
                 // e.g. ["warn"], [0]
-                None
-            } else {
-                // e.g. ["error", "args", { type: "whatever" }, ["len", "also"]]
-                v.remove(0);
-                Some(v)
+                1 => SmallVec::new(),
+                // e.g. ["error", { type: "whatever" }]
+                // Separate branch for this common case which uses the faster `SmallVec::from_buf`,
+                // and avoids shifting the first element off the vector.
+                2 => SmallVec::from_buf([v.pop().unwrap()]),
+                // e.g. ["error", { type: "whatever" }, ["len", "also"]]
+                _ => {
+                    v.remove(0);
+                    SmallVec::from_vec(v)
+                }
             };
 
             Ok((severity, config))
@@ -379,25 +377,25 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(r1.rule_name, "no-console");
         assert_eq!(r1.plugin_name, "eslint");
         assert!(r1.severity.is_allow());
-        assert!(r1.config.is_none());
+        assert!(r1.config.is_empty());
 
         let r2 = rules.next().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(r2.rule_name, "no-unused-vars");
         assert_eq!(r2.plugin_name, "foo");
         assert!(r2.severity.is_warn_deny());
-        assert!(r2.config.is_none());
+        assert!(r2.config.is_empty());
 
         let r3 = rules.next().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(r3.rule_name, "dummy");
         assert_eq!(r3.plugin_name, "eslint");
         assert!(r3.severity.is_warn_deny());
-        assert_eq!(r3.config, Some(vec![serde_json::json!("arg1"), serde_json::json!("args2")]));
+        assert_eq!(r3.config.as_slice(), &[serde_json::json!("arg1"), serde_json::json!("args2")]);
 
         let r4 = rules.next().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(r4.rule_name, "noop");
         assert_eq!(r4.plugin_name, "nextjs");
         assert!(r4.severity.is_warn_deny());
-        assert!(r4.config.is_none());
+        assert!(r4.config.is_empty());
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/crates/oxc_linter/src/external_plugin_store.rs b/crates/oxc_linter/src/external_plugin_store.rs
index 34bb14547bee5..0debcd340028a 100644
--- a/crates/oxc_linter/src/external_plugin_store.rs
+++ b/crates/oxc_linter/src/external_plugin_store.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 use rustc_hash::{FxHashMap, FxHashSet};
+use smallvec::SmallVec;
 
 use oxc_index::{IndexVec, define_index_type, index_vec};
 use serde::{Serialize, Serializer};
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ pub struct ExternalPluginStore {
     rules: IndexVec<ExternalRuleId, ExternalRule>,
     /// Options for a rule, indexed by `ExternalOptionsId`.
     /// The rule ID is also stored, so that can merge options with the rule's default options on JS side.
-    options: IndexVec<ExternalOptionsId, (ExternalRuleId, Vec<serde_json::Value>)>,
+    options: IndexVec<ExternalOptionsId, (ExternalRuleId, SmallVec<[serde_json::Value; 1]>)>,
 
     /// `true` for `oxlint`, `false` for language server
     is_enabled: bool,
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ impl Default for ExternalPluginStore {
 
 impl ExternalPluginStore {
     pub fn new(is_enabled: bool) -> Self {
-        let options = index_vec![(ExternalRuleId::DUMMY, vec![])];
+        let options = index_vec![(ExternalRuleId::DUMMY, SmallVec::new())];
 
         Self {
             registered_plugin_paths: FxHashSet::default(),
@@ -145,13 +146,17 @@ impl ExternalPluginStore {
     }
 
     /// Add options to the store and return its [`ExternalOptionsId`].
+    /// If `options` is empty, returns [`ExternalOptionsId::NONE`] without adding to the store.
     pub fn add_options(
         &mut self,
         rule_id: ExternalRuleId,
-        options: Vec<serde_json::Value>,
+        options: &SmallVec<[serde_json::Value; 1]>,
     ) -> ExternalOptionsId {
-        debug_assert!(!options.is_empty(), "`options` should never be an empty `Vec`");
-        self.options.push((rule_id, options))
+        if options.is_empty() {
+            ExternalOptionsId::NONE
+        } else {
+            self.options.push((rule_id, options.clone()))
+        }
     }
 
     /// Send options to JS side.