diff --git a/ql/src/semmle/go/controlflow/ControlFlowGraph.qll b/ql/src/semmle/go/controlflow/ControlFlowGraph.qll
index caca0adea41..63225ca78b0 100644
--- a/ql/src/semmle/go/controlflow/ControlFlowGraph.qll
+++ b/ql/src/semmle/go/controlflow/ControlFlowGraph.qll
@@ -165,6 +165,13 @@ module ControlFlow {
         self.getRhs() = rhs.asInstruction()
       )
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Holds if this node sets any field or element of `base` to `rhs`.
+     */
+    predicate writesComponent(DataFlow::Node base, DataFlow::Node rhs) {
+      writesElement(base, _, rhs) or writesField(base, _, rhs)
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/ql/src/semmle/go/frameworks/Protobuf.qll b/ql/src/semmle/go/frameworks/Protobuf.qll
index 6b5aec113e8..dc99a00fc62 100644
--- a/ql/src/semmle/go/frameworks/Protobuf.qll
+++ b/ql/src/semmle/go/frameworks/Protobuf.qll
@@ -139,15 +139,6 @@ module Protobuf {
     }
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Gets a field of a Message type.
-   */
-  private Field getAMessageField() {
-    result = any(MessageType msg).getField(_)
-    or
-    exists(Type base | base.getPointerType() instanceof MessageType | result = base.getField(_))
-  }
-
   /**
    * Gets the data-flow node representing the bottom of a stack of zero or more `ComponentReadNode`s.
    *
@@ -163,13 +154,9 @@ module Protobuf {
    */
   private class WriteMessageFieldStep extends TaintTracking::AdditionalTaintStep {
     override predicate step(DataFlow::Node pred, DataFlow::Node succ) {
+      [succ.getType(), succ.getType().getPointerType()] instanceof MessageType and
       exists(DataFlow::ReadNode base | succ = getUnderlyingNode(base) |
-        any(DataFlow::Write w).writesField(base, getAMessageField(), pred)
-      )
-      or
-      exists(DataFlow::ReadNode base | succ = getUnderlyingNode(base) |
-        any(DataFlow::Write w).writesElement(base, _, pred) and
-        [succ.getType(), succ.getType().getPointerType()] instanceof MessageType
+        any(DataFlow::Write w).writesComponent(base, pred)
       )
     }
   }