diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/Compiler.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/Compiler.scala
index 4818fca07d0b..b619dc9d7b6a 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/Compiler.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/Compiler.scala
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ class Compiler {
          new ElimByName,             // Expand by-name parameter references
          new StringInterpolatorOpt) :: // Optimizes raw and s string interpolators by rewriting them to string concatenations
     List(new PruneErasedDefs,        // Drop erased definitions from scopes and simplify erased expressions
+         new UninitializedDefs,      // Replaces `compiletime.uninitialized` by `_`
          new InlinePatterns,         // Remove placeholders of inlined patterns
          new VCInlineMethods,        // Inlines calls to value class methods
          new SeqLiterals,            // Express vararg arguments as arrays
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/PruneErasedDefs.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/PruneErasedDefs.scala
index e18de6e60876..5412736628db 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/PruneErasedDefs.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/PruneErasedDefs.scala
@@ -19,10 +19,6 @@ import ast.tpd
  *  The phase also replaces all expressions that appear in an erased context by
  *  default values. This is necessary so that subsequent checking phases such
  *  as IsInstanceOfChecker don't give false negatives.
- *  Finally, the phase replaces `compiletime.uninitialized` on the right hand side
- *  of a mutable field definition by `_`. This avoids a "is declared erased, but is
- *  in fact used" error in Erasure and communicates to Constructors that the
- *  variable does not have an initializer.
  */
 class PruneErasedDefs extends MiniPhase with SymTransformer { thisTransform =>
   import tpd._
@@ -34,39 +30,20 @@ class PruneErasedDefs extends MiniPhase with SymTransformer { thisTransform =>
   override def runsAfterGroupsOf: Set[String] = Set(RefChecks.name, ExplicitOuter.name)
 
   override def transformSym(sym: SymDenotation)(using Context): SymDenotation =
-    if (sym.isEffectivelyErased && sym.isTerm && !sym.is(Private) && sym.owner.isClass)
-      sym.copySymDenotation(initFlags = sym.flags | Private)
-    else sym
+    if !sym.isEffectivelyErased || !sym.isTerm || sym.is(Private) || !sym.owner.isClass then sym
+    else sym.copySymDenotation(initFlags = sym.flags | Private)
 
   override def transformApply(tree: Apply)(using Context): Tree =
-    if (tree.fun.tpe.widen.isErasedMethod)
-      cpy.Apply(tree)(tree.fun, tree.args.map(trivialErasedTree))
-    else tree
-
-  private def hasUninitializedRHS(tree: ValOrDefDef)(using Context): Boolean =
-    def recur(rhs: Tree): Boolean = rhs match
-      case rhs: RefTree =>
-        rhs.symbol == defn.Compiletime_uninitialized
-        && tree.symbol.is(Mutable) && tree.symbol.owner.isClass
-      case closureDef(ddef) if defn.isContextFunctionType(tree.tpt.tpe.dealias) =>
-        recur(ddef.rhs)
-      case _ =>
-        false
-    recur(tree.rhs)
+    if !tree.fun.tpe.widen.isErasedMethod then tree
+    else cpy.Apply(tree)(tree.fun, tree.args.map(trivialErasedTree))
 
   override def transformValDef(tree: ValDef)(using Context): Tree =
-    val sym = tree.symbol
-    if tree.symbol.isEffectivelyErased && !tree.rhs.isEmpty then
-      cpy.ValDef(tree)(rhs = trivialErasedTree(tree))
-    else if hasUninitializedRHS(tree) then
-      cpy.ValDef(tree)(rhs = cpy.Ident(tree.rhs)(nme.WILDCARD).withType(tree.tpt.tpe))
-    else
-      tree
+    if !tree.symbol.isEffectivelyErased || tree.rhs.isEmpty then tree
+    else cpy.ValDef(tree)(rhs = trivialErasedTree(tree))
 
   override def transformDefDef(tree: DefDef)(using Context): Tree =
-    if (tree.symbol.isEffectivelyErased && !tree.rhs.isEmpty)
-      cpy.DefDef(tree)(rhs = trivialErasedTree(tree))
-    else tree
+    if !tree.symbol.isEffectivelyErased || tree.rhs.isEmpty then tree
+    else cpy.DefDef(tree)(rhs = trivialErasedTree(tree))
 
   private def trivialErasedTree(tree: Tree)(using Context): Tree =
     tree.tpe.widenTermRefExpr.dealias.normalized match
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/UninitializedDefs.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/UninitializedDefs.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..629868e2426d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/UninitializedDefs.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package dotty.tools.dotc
+package transform
+
+import core._
+import Contexts._
+import DenotTransformers.SymTransformer
+import Flags._
+import SymDenotations._
+import Symbols._
+import Types._
+import typer.RefChecks
+import MegaPhase.MiniPhase
+import StdNames.nme
+import ast.tpd
+
+/** This phase replaces `compiletime.uninitialized` on the right hand side of a mutable field definition by `_`.
+ *  This avoids a
+ *  ```scala
+ *  "@compileTimeOnly("`uninitialized` can only be used as the right hand side of a mutable field definition")`
+ *  ```
+ *  error in Erasure and communicates to Constructors that the variable does not have an initializer.
+ *
+ *  @syntax markdown
+ */
+class UninitializedDefs extends MiniPhase:
+  import tpd._
+
+  override def phaseName: String = UninitializedDefs.name
+
+  override def transformValDef(tree: ValDef)(using Context): Tree =
+    if !hasUninitializedRHS(tree) then tree
+    else cpy.ValDef(tree)(rhs = cpy.Ident(tree.rhs)(nme.WILDCARD).withType(tree.tpt.tpe))
+
+  private def hasUninitializedRHS(tree: ValOrDefDef)(using Context): Boolean =
+    def recur(rhs: Tree): Boolean = rhs match
+      case rhs: RefTree =>
+        rhs.symbol == defn.Compiletime_uninitialized
+        && tree.symbol.is(Mutable) && tree.symbol.owner.isClass
+      case closureDef(ddef) if defn.isContextFunctionType(tree.tpt.tpe.dealias) =>
+        recur(ddef.rhs)
+      case _ =>
+        false
+    recur(tree.rhs)
+
+end UninitializedDefs
+
+object UninitializedDefs:
+  val name: String = "uninitializedDefs"
+end UninitializedDefs