diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval.cc b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
index 9fa036d6c..1739a04fa 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval.cc
@@ -1251,7 +1251,7 @@ void ExprAttrs::eval(EvalState & state, Env & env, Value & v)
         Displacement displ = 0;
         for (auto & i : attrs) {
             Value * vAttr;
-            if (hasOverrides && !i.second.inherited()) {
+            if (hasOverrides && i.second.kind != AttrDef::Kind::Inherited) {
                 vAttr = state.allocValue();
                 mkThunk(*vAttr, *i.second.chooseByKind(&env2, &env, inheritEnv), i.second.e);
             } else
diff --git a/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh b/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh
index cb630d201..73ccfe7bd 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/nixexpr.hh
@@ -183,8 +183,6 @@ struct ExprAttrs : Expr
             : kind(kind), e(e), pos(pos) { };
         AttrDef() { };
 
-        bool inherited() const { return kind == Kind::Inherited; }
-
         template<typename T>
         const T & chooseByKind(const T & plain, const T & inherited, const T & inheritedFrom) const
         {
diff --git a/src/libexpr/parser-state.hh b/src/libexpr/parser-state.hh
index d10188f52..a83d8c8b2 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/parser-state.hh
+++ b/src/libexpr/parser-state.hh
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ inline void ParserState::addAttr(ExprAttrs * attrs, AttrPath && attrPath, Expr *
         if (i->symbol) {
             ExprAttrs::AttrDefs::iterator j = attrs->attrs.find(i->symbol);
             if (j != attrs->attrs.end()) {
-                if (!j->second.inherited()) {
+                if (j->second.kind != ExprAttrs::AttrDef::Kind::Inherited) {
                     ExprAttrs * attrs2 = dynamic_cast<ExprAttrs *>(j->second.e);
                     if (!attrs2) dupAttr(attrPath, pos, j->second.pos);
                     attrs = attrs2;