diff --git a/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/common/basetype/BaseTypeVisitor.java b/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/common/basetype/BaseTypeVisitor.java
index fa370c6948b..3205e3881e1 100644
--- a/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/common/basetype/BaseTypeVisitor.java
+++ b/framework/src/main/java/org/checkerframework/common/basetype/BaseTypeVisitor.java
@@ -2262,9 +2262,8 @@ public Void visitReturn(ReturnTree tree, Void p) {
 
     AnnotatedTypeMirror ret = null;
     if (enclosing.getKind() == Tree.Kind.METHOD) {
-
-      MethodTree enclosingMethod = TreePathUtil.enclosingMethod(getCurrentPath());
-      boolean valid = validateTypeOf(enclosing);
+      MethodTree enclosingMethod = (MethodTree) enclosing;
+      boolean valid = validateTypeOf(enclosingMethod);
       if (valid) {
         ret = atypeFactory.getMethodReturnType(enclosingMethod, tree);
       }