diff --git a/cpp/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md b/cpp/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6dbd956cafe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpp/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+lgtm,codescanning
+* Added `Element.getPrimaryQlClasses()` predicate, which gets a comma-separated list of the names of the primary CodeQL classes to which this element belongs.
diff --git a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/Element.qll b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/Element.qll
index daa15e0f625..1f547adccaa 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/Element.qll
+++ b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/Element.qll
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ class ElementBase extends @element {
   /** DEPRECATED: use `getAPrimaryQlClass` instead. */
   deprecated string getCanonicalQLClass() { result = this.getAPrimaryQlClass() }
 
+  /**
+   * Gets a comma-separated list of the names of the primary CodeQL classes to which this element belongs.
+   */
+  final string getPrimaryQlClasses() { result = concat(getAPrimaryQlClass(), ",") }
+
   /**
    * Gets the name of a primary CodeQL class to which this element belongs.
    *
diff --git a/csharp/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md b/csharp/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6dbd956cafe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/csharp/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+lgtm,codescanning
+* Added `Element.getPrimaryQlClasses()` predicate, which gets a comma-separated list of the names of the primary CodeQL classes to which this element belongs.
diff --git a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cil/ConsistencyChecks.qll b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cil/ConsistencyChecks.qll
index 51b74b2463d..02cfd149886 100644
--- a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cil/ConsistencyChecks.qll
+++ b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cil/ConsistencyChecks.qll
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ class MissingCilDeclaration extends ConsistencyViolation, MissingCSharpCheck {
   override string getMessage() {
     result =
       "Cannot locate CIL for " + getDeclaration().toStringWithTypes() + " of class " +
-        getDeclaration().getAPrimaryQlClass()
+        getDeclaration().getPrimaryQlClasses()
   }
 
   override string toString() { result = getDeclaration().toStringWithTypes() }
diff --git a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/PrintAst.qll b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/PrintAst.qll
index 1cac4a5f238..a701c7bfbf3 100644
--- a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/PrintAst.qll
+++ b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/csharp/PrintAst.qll
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ private predicate isNotNeeded(Element e) {
  * Retrieves the canonical QL class(es) for entity `el`
  */
 private string getQlClass(Element el) {
-  result = "[" + concat(el.getAPrimaryQlClass(), ",") + "] "
+  result = "[" + el.getPrimaryQlClasses() + "] "
   // Alternative implementation -- do not delete. It is useful for QL class discovery.
   // result = "["+ concat(el.getAQlClass(), ",") + "] "
 }
diff --git a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/dotnet/Element.qll b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/dotnet/Element.qll
index 0138766cc58..3b1955887f9 100644
--- a/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/dotnet/Element.qll
+++ b/csharp/ql/lib/semmle/code/dotnet/Element.qll
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ class Element extends @dotnet_element {
   /** Gets the full textual representation of this element, including type information. */
   string toStringWithTypes() { result = this.toString() }
 
+  /**
+   * Gets a comma-separated list of the names of the primary CodeQL classes to which this element belongs.
+   */
+  final string getPrimaryQlClasses() { result = concat(getAPrimaryQlClass(), ",") }
+
   /**
    * Gets the name of a primary CodeQL class to which this element belongs.
    *
diff --git a/csharp/ql/test/library-tests/generics/ConsistencyChecks.ql b/csharp/ql/test/library-tests/generics/ConsistencyChecks.ql
index def07f2c435..7052c6f697a 100644
--- a/csharp/ql/test/library-tests/generics/ConsistencyChecks.ql
+++ b/csharp/ql/test/library-tests/generics/ConsistencyChecks.ql
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@ import semmle.code.csharp.commons.ConsistencyChecks
 
 from Element e, string m
 where consistencyFailure(e, m)
-select e, "Element class " + e.getAPrimaryQlClass() + " has consistency check failed: " + m
+select e, "Element class " + e.getPrimaryQlClasses() + " has consistency check failed: " + m
diff --git a/java/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md b/java/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..513cf51bcb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+lgtm,codescanning
+* Added `Top.getPrimaryQlClasses()` predicate, which gets a comma-separated list of the names of the primary CodeQL classes to which this element belongs.
diff --git a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/Location.qll b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/Location.qll
index e9b808f6bba..9b3b0dbc2e0 100755
--- a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/Location.qll
+++ b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/Location.qll
@@ -100,6 +100,11 @@ class Top extends @top {
   cached
   string toString() { hasName(this, result) }
 
+  /**
+   * Gets a comma-separated list of the names of the primary CodeQL classes to which this element belongs.
+   */
+  final string getPrimaryQlClasses() { result = concat(getAPrimaryQlClass(), ",") }
+
   /**
    * Gets the name of a primary CodeQL class to which this element belongs.
    *
diff --git a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/PrintAst.qll b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/PrintAst.qll
index 6a74c15316c..66f1ecc9449 100644
--- a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/PrintAst.qll
+++ b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/PrintAst.qll
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ private predicate duplicateMetadata(Field f) {
  * Retrieves the canonical QL class(es) for entity `el`
  */
 private string getQlClass(Top el) {
-  result = "[" + concat(el.getAPrimaryQlClass(), ",") + "] "
+  result = "[" + el.getPrimaryQlClasses() + "] "
   // Alternative implementation -- do not delete. It is useful for QL class discovery.
   // result = "[" + concat(el.getAQlClass(), ",") + "] "
 }
diff --git a/javascript/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md b/javascript/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c733328f1bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/javascript/change-notes/2021-08-23-getPrimaryQlClasses.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+lgtm,codescanning
+* Added `Locatable.getPrimaryQlClasses()` predicate, which gets a comma-separated list of the names of the primary CodeQL classes to which this element belongs.
diff --git a/javascript/ql/src/semmle/javascript/Locations.qll b/javascript/ql/src/semmle/javascript/Locations.qll
index a84bcd18308..bdf83fb395a 100644
--- a/javascript/ql/src/semmle/javascript/Locations.qll
+++ b/javascript/ql/src/semmle/javascript/Locations.qll
@@ -132,6 +132,11 @@ class Locatable extends @locatable {
     none()
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Gets a comma-separated list of the names of the primary CodeQL classes to which this element belongs.
+   */
+  final string getPrimaryQlClasses() { result = concat(getAPrimaryQlClass(), ",") }
+
   /**
    * Gets the primary QL class for the Locatable.
    */
diff --git a/javascript/ql/src/semmle/javascript/PrintAst.qll b/javascript/ql/src/semmle/javascript/PrintAst.qll
index 029cfd536fc..5fbcd4f4ec6 100644
--- a/javascript/ql/src/semmle/javascript/PrintAst.qll
+++ b/javascript/ql/src/semmle/javascript/PrintAst.qll
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ private predicate isNotNeeded(Locatable el) {
  * Retrieves the canonical QL class(es) for entity `el`
  */
 private string getQlClass(Locatable el) {
-  result = "[" + concat(el.getAPrimaryQlClass(), ",") + "] "
+  result = "[" + el.getPrimaryQlClasses() + "] "
   // Alternative implementation -- do not delete. It is useful for QL class discovery.
-  // not el.getAPrimaryQlClass() = "???" and result = "[" + concat(el.getAPrimaryQlClass(), ",") + "] " or el.getAPrimaryQlClass() = "???" and result = "??[" + concat(el.getAQlClass(), ",") + "] "
+  // not el.getAPrimaryQlClass() = "???" and result = "[" + getPrimaryQlClasses() + "] " or el.getAPrimaryQlClass() = "???" and result = "??[" + concat(el.getAQlClass(), ",") + "] "
 }
 
 /**