diff --git a/java/ql/src/Advisory/Documentation/ImpossibleJavadocThrows.ql b/java/ql/src/Advisory/Documentation/ImpossibleJavadocThrows.ql
index 42fd2049289..3111c704b4d 100644
--- a/java/ql/src/Advisory/Documentation/ImpossibleJavadocThrows.ql
+++ b/java/ql/src/Advisory/Documentation/ImpossibleJavadocThrows.ql
@@ -16,14 +16,19 @@ ClassOrInterface getTaggedType(ThrowsTag tag) {
   result = tag.getFile().(CompilationUnit).getATypeInScope()
 }
 
+predicate canThrow(Callable callable, Class exception) {
+  exception instanceof UncheckedThrowableType
+  or
+  callable.getAnException().getType().getADescendant() = exception
+}
+
 // Uses ClassOrInterface as type for thrownType to also cover case where erroneously an interface
 // type is declared as thrown exception
 from ThrowsTag throwsTag, ClassOrInterface thrownType, Callable docMethod
 where
   getTaggedType(throwsTag) = thrownType and
   docMethod.getDoc().getJavadoc().getAChild*() = throwsTag and
-  not thrownType instanceof UncheckedThrowableType and
-  not docMethod.getAnException().getType().getADescendant() = thrownType
+  not canThrow(docMethod, thrownType)
 select throwsTag,
   "Javadoc for " + docMethod + " claims to throw " + thrownType.getName() +
     " but this is impossible."