diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/aot/hint/ReflectionTypeReference.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/aot/hint/ReflectionTypeReference.java
index f7a8076728..ddd84aa620 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/aot/hint/ReflectionTypeReference.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/aot/hint/ReflectionTypeReference.java
@@ -28,21 +28,16 @@ final class ReflectionTypeReference extends AbstractTypeReference {
 	private final Class<?> type;
 
 	private ReflectionTypeReference(Class<?> type) {
-		super(type.getPackageName(), type.getSimpleName(), safeCreate(getEnclosingClass(type)));
+		super(type.getPackageName(), type.getSimpleName(), getEnclosingClass(type));
 		this.type = type;
 	}
 
 	@Nullable
-	private static Class<?> getEnclosingClass(Class<?> type) {
-		if (type.isArray()) {
-			return type.getComponentType().getEnclosingClass();
-		}
-		return type.getEnclosingClass();
-	}
-
-	@Nullable
-	private static ReflectionTypeReference safeCreate(@Nullable Class<?> type) {
-		return (type != null ? new ReflectionTypeReference(type) : null);
+	private static TypeReference getEnclosingClass(Class<?> type) {
+		Class<?> candidate = (type.isArray()
+				? type.getComponentType().getEnclosingClass()
+				: type.getEnclosingClass());
+		return (candidate != null ? new ReflectionTypeReference(candidate) : null);
 	}
 
 	static ReflectionTypeReference of(Class<?> type) {
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/aot/hint/ReflectionTypeReferenceTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/aot/hint/ReflectionTypeReferenceTests.java
index 73895db9e2..e36883cea2 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/aot/hint/ReflectionTypeReferenceTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/aot/hint/ReflectionTypeReferenceTests.java
@@ -44,10 +44,14 @@ class ReflectionTypeReferenceTests {
 				Arguments.of(ReflectionTypeReference.of(int[].class), "int[]"),
 				Arguments.of(ReflectionTypeReference.of(Integer[].class), "java.lang.Integer[]"),
 				Arguments.of(ReflectionTypeReference.of(Object[].class), "java.lang.Object[]"),
-				Arguments.of(ReflectionTypeReference.of(StaticInner.class), "org.springframework.aot.hint.ReflectionTypeReferenceTests$StaticInner"),
-				Arguments.of(ReflectionTypeReference.of(StaticInner[].class), "org.springframework.aot.hint.ReflectionTypeReferenceTests$StaticInner[]"),
-				Arguments.of(ReflectionTypeReference.of(Inner.class), "org.springframework.aot.hint.ReflectionTypeReferenceTests$Inner"),
-				Arguments.of(ReflectionTypeReference.of(Inner[].class), "org.springframework.aot.hint.ReflectionTypeReferenceTests$Inner[]")
+				Arguments.of(ReflectionTypeReference.of(StaticInner.class),
+						"org.springframework.aot.hint.ReflectionTypeReferenceTests$StaticInner"),
+				Arguments.of(ReflectionTypeReference.of(StaticInner[].class),
+						"org.springframework.aot.hint.ReflectionTypeReferenceTests$StaticInner[]"),
+				Arguments.of(ReflectionTypeReference.of(Inner.class),
+						"org.springframework.aot.hint.ReflectionTypeReferenceTests$Inner"),
+				Arguments.of(ReflectionTypeReference.of(Inner[].class),
+						"org.springframework.aot.hint.ReflectionTypeReferenceTests$Inner[]")
 		);
 	}