diff --git a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/commons/StringConcatenation.qll b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/commons/StringConcatenation.qll
index 53133ad6379..57984f48045 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/commons/StringConcatenation.qll
+++ b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/commons/StringConcatenation.qll
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ private import semmle.code.cpp.dataflow.new.DataFlow
 class StringConcatenation extends Call {
   StringConcatenation() {
     // sprintf-like functions, i.e., concat through formatting
-    exists(FormattingFunctionCall fc | this = fc)
+    this instanceof FormattingFunctionCall
     or
     this.getTarget() instanceof StrcatFunction
     or