diff --git a/ql/lib/semmle/go/dataflow/ExternalFlow.qll b/ql/lib/semmle/go/dataflow/ExternalFlow.qll
index aca47e9fac2..c68cff90fdb 100644
--- a/ql/lib/semmle/go/dataflow/ExternalFlow.qll
+++ b/ql/lib/semmle/go/dataflow/ExternalFlow.qll
@@ -396,6 +396,13 @@ SourceOrSinkElement interpretElement(
   )
 }
 
+/** Holds if there is an external specification for `f`. */
+predicate hasExternalSpecification(Function f) {
+  f = any(SummarizedCallable sc).asFunction()
+  or
+  exists(SourceOrSinkElement e | f = e.asEntity() | sourceElement(e, _, _) or sinkElement(e, _, _))
+}
+
 private predicate parseField(string c, DataFlow::FieldContent f) {
   specSplit(_, c, _) and
   exists(string fieldRegex, string package, string className, string fieldName |
diff --git a/ql/lib/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowNodes.qll b/ql/lib/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowNodes.qll
index b2f574756a5..4cfefeb5b6b 100644
--- a/ql/lib/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowNodes.qll
+++ b/ql/lib/semmle/go/dataflow/internal/DataFlowNodes.qll
@@ -713,11 +713,7 @@ module Public {
         or
         exists(c.(MethodCallNode).getTarget().getBody())
         or
-        exists(string package, string type, string name |
-          c.(MethodCallNode).getTarget().hasQualifiedName(package, type, name)
-        |
-          exists(interpretElement(package, type, _, name, "", _))
-        )
+        hasExternalSpecification(c.(DataFlow::MethodCallNode).getTarget())
       )
     }