diff --git a/compiler/ir/serialization.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/serialization/KotlinIrLinker.kt b/compiler/ir/serialization.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/serialization/KotlinIrLinker.kt
index e7ceddc3f4a..ca10c9355c4 100644
--- a/compiler/ir/serialization.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/serialization/KotlinIrLinker.kt
+++ b/compiler/ir/serialization.common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/common/serialization/KotlinIrLinker.kt
@@ -6,14 +6,15 @@
 package org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common.serialization
 
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common.LoggingContext
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common.ir.isExpect
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common.overrides.FakeOverrideBuilderImpl
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common.overrides.FakeOverrideControl
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.backend.common.serialization.encodings.BinarySymbolData
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.descriptors.*
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.descriptors.impl.EmptyPackageFragmentDescriptor
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.IrElement
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.declarations.*
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.declarations.IrDeclaration
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.declarations.IrFile
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.declarations.IrModuleFragment
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.declarations.impl.IrFileImpl
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.declarations.impl.IrModuleFragmentImpl
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.descriptors.*
@@ -29,7 +30,6 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.util.IdSignature
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.util.IrDeserializer
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.util.NaiveSourceBasedFileEntryImpl
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.util.SymbolTable
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.ir.util.*
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.library.IrLibrary
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.library.KotlinLibrary
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.protobuf.CodedInputStream
@@ -518,10 +518,6 @@ abstract class KotlinIrLinker(
 
     protected open fun platformSpecificSymbol(symbol: IrSymbol): Boolean = false
 
-    private fun IrElement.isExpectMember(): Boolean =
-        this is IrSymbolDeclaration<*> &&
-                (this.isExpect || (this.parent as? IrDeclaration)?.isExpect == true)
-
     override fun getDeclaration(symbol: IrSymbol): IrDeclaration? {
 
         if (!symbol.isPublicApi) {
@@ -537,7 +533,7 @@ abstract class KotlinIrLinker(
         }
 
         // TODO: we do have serializations for those, but let's just create a stub for now.
-        if (!symbol.isBound && symbol.owner.isExpectMember())
+        if (!symbol.isBound && (symbol.descriptor.isExpectMember || symbol.descriptor.containingDeclaration?.isExpectMember == true))
             return null
 
         if (!symbol.isBound) return null