diff --git a/python/ql/lib/change-notes/2026-06-01-deprecate-getAReturnValueFlowNode.md b/python/ql/lib/change-notes/2026-06-01-deprecate-getAReturnValueFlowNode.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..42c6cc60cea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/ql/lib/change-notes/2026-06-01-deprecate-getAReturnValueFlowNode.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+category: deprecated
+---
+* The `Function.getAReturnValueFlowNode()` predicate has been deprecated. Bind a `Return` node explicitly instead — `exists(Return ret | ret.getScope() = f and n.getNode() = ret.getValue())`. This is a preparatory step towards migrating the dataflow library off the legacy CFG; it has no semantic effect.
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Exprs.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Exprs.qll
index 9ce6f9e6680..72fd0434d64 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Exprs.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Exprs.qll
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ class AssignExpr extends AssignExpr_ {
 class Attribute extends Attribute_ {
   /* syntax: Expr.name */
   override Expr getASubExpression() { result = this.getObject() }
-
   /** Gets the name of this attribute. That is the `name` in `obj.name` */
   string getName() { result = Attribute_.super.getAttr() }
 
@@ -96,6 +95,7 @@ class Subscript extends Subscript_ {
   }
 
   Expr getObject() { result = Subscript_.super.getValue() }
+
 }
 
 /** A call expression, such as `func(...)` */
@@ -110,7 +110,6 @@ class Call extends Call_ {
   override predicate hasSideEffects() { any() }
 
   override string toString() { result = this.getFunc().toString() + "()" }
-
   /** Gets a tuple (*) argument of this call. */
   Expr getStarargs() { result = this.getAPositionalArg().(Starred).getValue() }
 
@@ -196,6 +195,7 @@ class IfExp extends IfExp_ {
   override Expr getASubExpression() {
     result = this.getTest() or result = this.getBody() or result = this.getOrelse()
   }
+
 }
 
 /** A starred expression, such as the `*rest` in the assignment `first, *rest = seq` */
@@ -404,6 +404,7 @@ class PlaceHolder extends PlaceHolder_ {
   override Expr getASubExpression() { none() }
 
   override string toString() { result = "$" + this.getId() }
+
 }
 
 /** A tuple expression such as `( 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 )` */
@@ -469,7 +470,6 @@ class Name extends Name_ {
   override Expr getASubExpression() { none() }
 
   override string toString() { result = this.getId() }
-
   override predicate isArtificial() {
     /* Artificial variable names in comprehensions all start with "." */
     this.getId().charAt(0) = "."
@@ -574,7 +574,6 @@ abstract class NameConstant extends Name, ImmutableLiteral {
   override string toString() { name_consts(this, result) }
 
   override predicate isConstant() { any() }
-
   override predicate isArtificial() { none() }
 }
 
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Function.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Function.qll
index c133275b8b7..2ef0366aa3b 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Function.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Function.qll
@@ -153,8 +153,16 @@ class Function extends Function_, Scope, AstNode {
 
   override predicate contains(AstNode inner) { Scope.super.contains(inner) }
 
-  /** Gets a control flow node for a return value of this function */
-  ControlFlowNode getAReturnValueFlowNode() {
+  /**
+   * DEPRECATED: bind a `Return` node explicitly instead, e.g.
+   * `exists(Return ret | ret.getScope() = this and n.getNode() = ret.getValue())`.
+   * This API is being phased out together with `AstNode.getAFlowNode()` to
+   * untangle the AST and CFG hierarchies in preparation for migrating the
+   * dataflow library off the legacy CFG.
+   *
+   * Gets a control flow node for a return value of this function.
+   */
+  deprecated ControlFlowNode getAReturnValueFlowNode() {
     exists(Return ret |
       ret.getScope() = this and
       ret.getValue() = result.getNode()
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Import.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Import.qll
index d4f5109ed47..84158ab19d5 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Import.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/Import.qll
@@ -148,7 +148,6 @@ class ImportExpr extends ImportExpr_ {
 /** A `from ... import ...` expression */
 class ImportMember extends ImportMember_ {
   override Expr getASubExpression() { result = this.getModule() }
-
   override predicate hasSideEffects() {
     /* Strictly this only has side-effects if the module is a package */
     any()
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/dataflow/new/internal/TypeTrackingImpl.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/dataflow/new/internal/TypeTrackingImpl.qll
index 95434b05451..b2a5f127ea3 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/dataflow/new/internal/TypeTrackingImpl.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/dataflow/new/internal/TypeTrackingImpl.qll
@@ -94,8 +94,10 @@ private module SummaryTypeTrackerInput implements SummaryTypeTracker::Input {
   Node returnOf(Node callable, SummaryComponent return) {
     return = FlowSummaryImpl::Private::SummaryComponent::return() and
     // `result` should be the return value of a callable expression (lambda or function) referenced by `callable`
-    result.asCfgNode() =
-      callable.getALocalSource().asExpr().(CallableExpr).getInnerScope().getAReturnValueFlowNode()
+    exists(Return ret |
+      ret.getScope() = callable.getALocalSource().asExpr().(CallableExpr).getInnerScope() and
+      result.asCfgNode().getNode() = ret.getValue()
+    )
   }
 
   // Relating callables to nodes
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Bottle.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Bottle.qll
index aa2c906948d..d4fc54f9568 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Bottle.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Bottle.qll
@@ -73,7 +73,10 @@ module Bottle {
       /** A response returned by a view callable. */
       class BottleReturnResponse extends Http::Server::HttpResponse::Range {
         BottleReturnResponse() {
-          this.asCfgNode() = any(View::ViewCallable vc).getAReturnValueFlowNode()
+          exists(Return ret |
+            ret.getScope() = any(View::ViewCallable vc) and
+            this.asCfgNode().getNode() = ret.getValue()
+          )
         }
 
         override DataFlow::Node getBody() { result = this }
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Django.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Django.qll
index ee0ed4a84dd..4f3fdbff01a 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Django.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Django.qll
@@ -2872,7 +2872,10 @@ module PrivateDjango {
     DataFlow::CfgNode
   {
     DjangoRedirectViewGetRedirectUrlReturn() {
-      node = any(GetRedirectUrlFunction f).getAReturnValueFlowNode()
+      exists(Return ret |
+        ret.getScope() = any(GetRedirectUrlFunction f) and
+        node.getNode() = ret.getValue()
+      )
     }
 
     override DataFlow::Node getRedirectLocation() { result = this }
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/FastApi.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/FastApi.qll
index 9d52e9b4f57..db8cd8e7896 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/FastApi.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/FastApi.qll
@@ -309,7 +309,10 @@ module FastApi {
       FastApiRouteSetup routeSetup;
 
       FastApiRequestHandlerReturn() {
-        node = routeSetup.getARequestHandler().getAReturnValueFlowNode()
+        exists(Return ret |
+          ret.getScope() = routeSetup.getARequestHandler() and
+          node.getNode() = ret.getValue()
+        )
       }
 
       override DataFlow::Node getBody() { result = this }
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Pyramid.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Pyramid.qll
index 63e19363fe8..dbfd684f02c 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Pyramid.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Pyramid.qll
@@ -166,7 +166,10 @@ module Pyramid {
     /** A response returned by a view callable. */
     private class PyramidReturnResponse extends Http::Server::HttpResponse::Range {
       PyramidReturnResponse() {
-        this.asCfgNode() = any(View::ViewCallable vc).getAReturnValueFlowNode() and
+        exists(Return ret |
+          ret.getScope() = any(View::ViewCallable vc) and
+          this.asCfgNode().getNode() = ret.getValue()
+        ) and
         not this = instance()
       }
 
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Stdlib.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Stdlib.qll
index 5d3b994880a..41857457dd1 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Stdlib.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Stdlib.qll
@@ -2254,8 +2254,9 @@ module StdlibPrivate {
       DataFlow::CfgNode
     {
       WsgirefSimpleServerApplicationReturn() {
-        exists(WsgirefSimpleServerApplication requestHandler |
-          node = requestHandler.getAReturnValueFlowNode()
+        exists(WsgirefSimpleServerApplication requestHandler, Return ret |
+          ret.getScope() = requestHandler and
+          node.getNode() = ret.getValue()
         )
       }
 
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Twisted.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Twisted.qll
index 60aedd8fb58..510c7738a9d 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Twisted.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/frameworks/Twisted.qll
@@ -182,7 +182,10 @@ private module Twisted {
     DataFlow::CfgNode
   {
     TwistedResourceRenderMethodReturn() {
-      this.asCfgNode() = any(TwistedResourceRenderMethod meth).getAReturnValueFlowNode()
+      exists(Return ret |
+        ret.getScope() = any(TwistedResourceRenderMethod meth) and
+        this.asCfgNode().getNode() = ret.getValue()
+      )
     }
 
     override DataFlow::Node getBody() { result = this }
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/objects/Callables.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/objects/Callables.qll
index c42393cc3c6..4aba4298c94 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/objects/Callables.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/objects/Callables.qll
@@ -81,11 +81,12 @@ class PythonFunctionObjectInternal extends CallableObjectInternal, TPythonFuncti
 
   pragma[nomagic]
   override predicate callResult(PointsToContext callee, ObjectInternal obj, CfgOrigin origin) {
-    exists(Function func, ControlFlowNode rval, ControlFlowNode forigin |
+    exists(Function func, Return ret, ControlFlowNode rval, ControlFlowNode forigin |
       func = this.getScope() and
       callee.appliesToScope(func)
     |
-      rval = func.getAReturnValueFlowNode() and
+      ret.getScope() = func and
+      rval.getNode() = ret.getValue() and
       PointsToInternal::pointsTo(rval, callee, obj, forigin) and
       origin = CfgOrigin::fromCfgNode(forigin)
     )
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/objects/ObjectAPI.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/objects/ObjectAPI.qll
index a5d4d91cc7a..d6f3b5f1fca 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/objects/ObjectAPI.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/objects/ObjectAPI.qll
@@ -745,7 +745,12 @@ class PythonFunctionValue extends FunctionValue {
   override int maxParameters() { result = this.getScope().getMaxPositionalArguments() }
 
   /** Gets a control flow node corresponding to a return statement in this function */
-  ControlFlowNode getAReturnedNode() { result = this.getScope().getAReturnValueFlowNode() }
+  ControlFlowNode getAReturnedNode() {
+    exists(Return ret |
+      ret.getScope() = this.getScope() and
+      result.getNode() = ret.getValue()
+    )
+  }
 
   override ClassValue getARaisedType() { scope_raises(result, this.getScope()) }
 
diff --git a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/types/FunctionObject.qll b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/types/FunctionObject.qll
index d03f0862300..55ac1b25538 100644
--- a/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/types/FunctionObject.qll
+++ b/python/ql/lib/semmle/python/types/FunctionObject.qll
@@ -137,7 +137,10 @@ class PyFunctionObject extends FunctionObject {
 
   /** Gets a control flow node corresponding to the value of a return statement */
   ControlFlowNodeWithPointsTo getAReturnedNode() {
-    result = this.getFunction().getAReturnValueFlowNode()
+    exists(Return ret |
+      ret.getScope() = this.getFunction() and
+      result.getNode() = ret.getValue()
+    )
   }
 
   override string descriptiveString() {