diff --git a/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/check/check.rs b/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/check/check.rs
index 22aa3c7ff08..a7e81f41c69 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/check/check.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/check/check.rs
@@ -563,8 +563,8 @@ fn check_item_type(tcx: TyCtxt<'_>, id: hir::ItemId) {
             check_union(tcx, id.owner_id.def_id);
         }
         DefKind::OpaqueTy => {
-            let opaque = tcx.hir().expect_item(id.owner_id.def_id).expect_opaque_ty();
-            if let hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::FnReturn(fn_def_id) | hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::AsyncFn(fn_def_id) = opaque.origin
+            let origin = tcx.opaque_type_origin(id.owner_id.def_id);
+            if let hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::FnReturn(fn_def_id) | hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::AsyncFn(fn_def_id) = origin
                 && let hir::Node::TraitItem(trait_item) = tcx.hir().get_by_def_id(fn_def_id)
                 && let (_, hir::TraitFn::Required(..)) = trait_item.expect_fn()
             {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/check/wfcheck.rs b/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/check/wfcheck.rs
index 51e9b4c4501..f654a678313 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/check/wfcheck.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/check/wfcheck.rs
@@ -1543,8 +1543,8 @@ impl<'tcx> TypeVisitor<TyCtxt<'tcx>> for ImplTraitInTraitFinder<'_, 'tcx> {
         if let ty::Alias(ty::Opaque, unshifted_opaque_ty) = *ty.kind()
             && self.seen.insert(unshifted_opaque_ty.def_id)
             && let Some(opaque_def_id) = unshifted_opaque_ty.def_id.as_local()
-            && let opaque = tcx.hir().expect_item(opaque_def_id).expect_opaque_ty()
-            && let hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::FnReturn(source) | hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::AsyncFn(source) = opaque.origin
+            && let origin = tcx.opaque_type_origin(opaque_def_id)
+            && let hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::FnReturn(source) | hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::AsyncFn(source) = origin
             && source == self.fn_def_id
         {
             let opaque_ty = tcx.fold_regions(unshifted_opaque_ty, |re, _depth| {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_infer/src/infer/opaque_types.rs b/compiler/rustc_infer/src/infer/opaque_types.rs
index 3cb1788dc19..c5659ffd5c7 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_infer/src/infer/opaque_types.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_infer/src/infer/opaque_types.rs
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ impl<'tcx> InferCtxt<'tcx> {
             DefiningAnchor::Bind(bind) => bind,
         };
 
-        let origin = self.opaque_type_origin_unchecked(def_id);
+        let origin = self.tcx.opaque_type_origin(def_id);
         let in_definition_scope = match origin {
             // Async `impl Trait`
             hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::AsyncFn(parent) => parent == parent_def_id,
@@ -395,13 +395,6 @@ impl<'tcx> InferCtxt<'tcx> {
         };
         in_definition_scope.then_some(origin)
     }
-
-    /// Returns the origin of the opaque type `def_id` even if we are not in its
-    /// defining scope.
-    #[instrument(skip(self), level = "trace", ret)]
-    fn opaque_type_origin_unchecked(&self, def_id: LocalDefId) -> OpaqueTyOrigin {
-        self.tcx.hir().expect_item(def_id).expect_opaque_ty().origin
-    }
 }
 
 /// Visitor that requires that (almost) all regions in the type visited outlive
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/encoder.rs b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/encoder.rs
index 12f3a0fc2c2..eee29d2090a 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/encoder.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/encoder.rs
@@ -1138,8 +1138,8 @@ fn should_encode_type(tcx: TyCtxt<'_>, def_id: LocalDefId, def_kind: DefKind) ->
         | DefKind::InlineConst => true,
 
         DefKind::OpaqueTy => {
-            let opaque = tcx.hir().expect_item(def_id).expect_opaque_ty();
-            if let hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::FnReturn(fn_def_id) | hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::AsyncFn(fn_def_id) = opaque.origin
+            let origin = tcx.opaque_type_origin(def_id);
+            if let hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::FnReturn(fn_def_id) | hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::AsyncFn(fn_def_id) = origin
                 && let hir::Node::TraitItem(trait_item) = tcx.hir().get_by_def_id(fn_def_id)
                 && let (_, hir::TraitFn::Required(..)) = trait_item.expect_fn()
             {
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/context.rs b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/context.rs
index 2b4f69167bf..a123869be64 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/context.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/context.rs
@@ -1189,6 +1189,12 @@ impl<'tcx> TyCtxt<'tcx> {
     pub fn local_visibility(self, def_id: LocalDefId) -> Visibility {
         self.visibility(def_id).expect_local()
     }
+
+    /// Returns the origin of the opaque type `def_id`.
+    #[instrument(skip(self), level = "trace", ret)]
+    pub fn opaque_type_origin(self, def_id: LocalDefId) -> hir::OpaqueTyOrigin {
+        self.hir().expect_item(def_id).expect_opaque_ty().origin
+    }
 }
 
 /// A trait implemented for all `X<'a>` types that can be safely and
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_ty_utils/src/assoc.rs b/compiler/rustc_ty_utils/src/assoc.rs
index 658ab03c0f4..5b731641e9d 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_ty_utils/src/assoc.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_ty_utils/src/assoc.rs
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ fn associated_type_for_impl_trait_in_trait(
     opaque_ty_def_id: LocalDefId,
 ) -> LocalDefId {
     let (hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::FnReturn(fn_def_id) | hir::OpaqueTyOrigin::AsyncFn(fn_def_id)) =
-        tcx.hir().expect_item(opaque_ty_def_id).expect_opaque_ty().origin
+        tcx.opaque_type_origin(opaque_ty_def_id)
     else {
         bug!("expected opaque for {opaque_ty_def_id:?}");
     };