diff --git a/rules/CodeQuality/Rector/FunctionLike/SimplifyUselessVariableRector.php b/rules/CodeQuality/Rector/FunctionLike/SimplifyUselessVariableRector.php
index 62cf7e577e1..663ae07978d 100644
--- a/rules/CodeQuality/Rector/FunctionLike/SimplifyUselessVariableRector.php
+++ b/rules/CodeQuality/Rector/FunctionLike/SimplifyUselessVariableRector.php
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ private function shouldSkipStmt(Return_ $return, Stmt $previousStmt): bool
             return true;
         }
 
-        if ($return->getAttribute(AttributeKey::IS_BYREF_RETURN) === true) {
+        if ($return->getAttribute(AttributeKey::IS_INSIDE_BYREF_FUNCTION_LIKE) === true) {
             return true;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php b/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php
index a8d933970b0..c65de9ebb2b 100644
--- a/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php
+++ b/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ final class AttributeKey
 
     public const string IS_BYREF_VAR = 'is_byref_var';
 
-    public const string IS_BYREF_RETURN = 'is_byref_return';
-
     public const string IS_BEING_ASSIGNED = 'is_being_assigned';
 
     public const string IS_ASSIGN_OP_VAR = 'is_assign_op_var';
diff --git a/src/PhpParser/NodeVisitor/ByRefNodeVisitor.php b/src/PhpParser/NodeVisitor/ByRefNodeVisitor.php
index dcec8419060..4074a1b7dca 100644
--- a/src/PhpParser/NodeVisitor/ByRefNodeVisitor.php
+++ b/src/PhpParser/NodeVisitor/ByRefNodeVisitor.php
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\Closure;
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\Variable;
 use PhpParser\Node\FunctionLike;
-use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Class_;
-use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Return_;
-use PhpParser\NodeVisitor;
 use PhpParser\NodeVisitorAbstract;
 use Rector\Contract\PhpParser\DecoratingNodeVisitorInterface;
 use Rector\NodeTypeResolver\Node\AttributeKey;
@@ -20,7 +17,7 @@
 use Rector\PhpParser\NodeTraverser\SimpleNodeTraverser;
 
 /**
- * Marks by-ref returns (IS_BYREF_RETURN / IS_INSIDE_BYREF_FUNCTION_LIKE) and by-ref variables
+ * Marks by-ref returns IS_INSIDE_BYREF_FUNCTION_LIKE and by-ref variables
  * (IS_BYREF_VAR) from a single FunctionLike entry, sharing the one node subscription.
  */
 final class ByRefNodeVisitor extends NodeVisitorAbstract implements DecoratingNodeVisitorInterface
@@ -62,23 +59,6 @@ private function decorateByRefReturn(FunctionLike $functionLike, array $stmts):
         }
 
         SimpleNodeTraverser::decorateWithAttributeValue($stmts, AttributeKey::IS_INSIDE_BYREF_FUNCTION_LIKE, true);
-
-        $this->simpleCallableNodeTraverser->traverseNodesWithCallable(
-            $stmts,
-            static function (Node $node): int|null|Node {
-                // avoid nested functions or classes
-                if ($node instanceof Class_ || $node instanceof FunctionLike) {
-                    return NodeVisitor::DONT_TRAVERSE_CURRENT_AND_CHILDREN;
-                }
-
-                if (! $node instanceof Return_) {
-                    return null;
-                }
-
-                $node->setAttribute(AttributeKey::IS_BYREF_RETURN, true);
-                return $node;
-            }
-        );
     }
 
     /**