diff --git a/python/ql/src/Exceptions/IllegalExceptionHandlerType.ql b/python/ql/src/Exceptions/IllegalExceptionHandlerType.ql
index dc1c3f2fa35..e603abb64cb 100644
--- a/python/ql/src/Exceptions/IllegalExceptionHandlerType.ql
+++ b/python/ql/src/Exceptions/IllegalExceptionHandlerType.ql
@@ -12,20 +12,38 @@
  */
 
 import python
-private import LegacyPointsTo
+import semmle.python.dataflow.new.internal.DataFlowDispatch
+private import ExceptionTypes
 
-from ExceptFlowNodeWithPointsTo ex, Value t, ClassValue c, ControlFlowNode origin, string what
+/**
+ * Gets an expression used as a handler type in the `except` clause at `ex`,
+ * either directly or as an element of a tuple.
+ */
+Expr handlerExpr(ExceptStmt ex) {
+  result = ex.getType() or
+  result = ex.getType().(Tuple).getAnElt()
+}
+
+/**
+ * Gets an exception type used in the `except` clause at `ex`,
+ * where that type is not a legal exception type.
+ */
+ExceptType illegalHandlerType(ExceptStmt ex) {
+  result.getAUse().asExpr() = handlerExpr(ex) and
+  not result.isLegalExceptionType()
+}
+
+from ExceptStmt ex, string msg
 where
-  ex.handledException(t, c, origin) and
-  (
-    exists(ClassValue x | x = t |
-      not x.isLegalExceptionType() and
-      not x.failedInference(_) and
-      what = "class '" + x.getName() + "'"
-    )
-    or
-    not t instanceof ClassValue and
-    what = "instance of '" + c.getName() + "'"
+  exists(ExceptType t | t = illegalHandlerType(ex) |
+    msg =
+      "Non-exception class '" + t.getName() +
+        "' in exception handler which will never match raised exception."
   )
-select ex.getNode(),
-  "Non-exception $@ in exception handler which will never match raised exception.", origin, what
+  or
+  exists(ImmutableLiteral lit | lit = handlerExpr(ex) and not lit instanceof None |
+    msg =
+      "Non-exception class '" + DuckTyping::getClassName(lit) +
+        "' in exception handler which will never match raised exception."
+  )
+select ex, msg
diff --git a/python/ql/test/query-tests/Exceptions/general/IllegalExceptionHandlerType.expected b/python/ql/test/query-tests/Exceptions/general/IllegalExceptionHandlerType.expected
index 5ba0c716371..f366f9de865 100644
--- a/python/ql/test/query-tests/Exceptions/general/IllegalExceptionHandlerType.expected
+++ b/python/ql/test/query-tests/Exceptions/general/IllegalExceptionHandlerType.expected
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-| exceptions_test.py:51:5:51:25 | ExceptStmt | Non-exception $@ in exception handler which will never match raised exception. | exceptions_test.py:33:1:33:28 | ControlFlowNode for ClassExpr | class 'NotException1' |
-| exceptions_test.py:54:5:54:25 | ExceptStmt | Non-exception $@ in exception handler which will never match raised exception. | exceptions_test.py:36:1:36:28 | ControlFlowNode for ClassExpr | class 'NotException2' |
-| exceptions_test.py:138:5:138:22 | ExceptStmt | Non-exception $@ in exception handler which will never match raised exception. | exceptions_test.py:133:12:133:14 | ControlFlowNode for FloatLiteral | instance of 'float' |
-| pypy_test.py:14:5:14:14 | ExceptStmt | Non-exception $@ in exception handler which will never match raised exception. | pypy_test.py:14:12:14:13 | ControlFlowNode for IntegerLiteral | instance of 'int' |
+| exceptions_test.py:51:5:51:25 | ExceptStmt | Non-exception class 'NotException1' in exception handler which will never match raised exception. |
+| exceptions_test.py:54:5:54:25 | ExceptStmt | Non-exception class 'NotException2' in exception handler which will never match raised exception. |
+| pypy_test.py:14:5:14:14 | ExceptStmt | Non-exception class 'int' in exception handler which will never match raised exception. |