diff --git a/compiler/fir/resolve/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/deserialization/FirTypeDeserializer.kt b/compiler/fir/resolve/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/deserialization/FirTypeDeserializer.kt
index eef28b4a9fc..2a95475e46c 100644
--- a/compiler/fir/resolve/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/deserialization/FirTypeDeserializer.kt
+++ b/compiler/fir/resolve/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/deserialization/FirTypeDeserializer.kt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 package org.jetbrains.kotlin.fir.deserialization
 
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.fir.resolve.FirSymbolProvider
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.fir.resolve.toTypeProjection
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.fir.symbols.ConeClassLikeSymbol
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.fir.symbols.ConeSymbol
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.fir.symbols.ConeTypeParameterSymbol
@@ -20,7 +21,6 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.metadata.deserialization.*
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.serialization.deserialization.ProtoEnumFlags
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.serialization.deserialization.getClassId
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.serialization.deserialization.getName
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.Variance
 import java.lang.RuntimeException
 import java.util.*
 
@@ -129,15 +129,11 @@ class FirTypeDeserializer(
             return StarProjection
         }
 
-        val projection = ProtoEnumFlags.variance(typeArgumentProto.projection)
+        val variance = ProtoEnumFlags.variance(typeArgumentProto.projection)
         val type = typeArgumentProto.type(typeTable) ?: return ConeKotlinErrorType("No type recorded")
 
         val coneType = type(type)
-        return when (projection) {
-            Variance.INVARIANT -> coneType
-            Variance.IN_VARIANCE -> ConeKotlinTypeProjectionIn(coneType)
-            Variance.OUT_VARIANCE -> ConeKotlinTypeProjectionOut(coneType)
-        }
+        return coneType.toTypeProjection(variance)
     }
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/compiler/fir/resolve/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/resolve/ResolveUtils.kt b/compiler/fir/resolve/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/resolve/ResolveUtils.kt
index 28ce7b33591..9fe71bc9a57 100644
--- a/compiler/fir/resolve/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/resolve/ResolveUtils.kt
+++ b/compiler/fir/resolve/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/fir/resolve/ResolveUtils.kt
@@ -52,17 +52,20 @@ fun ConeSymbol.constructType(typeArguments: Array<ConeKotlinTypeProjection>, isN
 fun ConeSymbol.constructType(parts: List<FirQualifierPart>, isNullable: Boolean): ConeKotlinType =
     constructType(parts.toTypeProjections(), isNullable)
 
+fun ConeKotlinType.toTypeProjection(variance: Variance): ConeKotlinTypeProjection =
+    when (variance) {
+        Variance.INVARIANT -> this
+        Variance.IN_VARIANCE -> ConeKotlinTypeProjectionIn(this)
+        Variance.OUT_VARIANCE -> ConeKotlinTypeProjectionOut(this)
+    }
+
 private fun List<FirQualifierPart>.toTypeProjections(): Array<ConeKotlinTypeProjection> = flatMap {
-    it.typeArguments.map {
-        when (it) {
+    it.typeArguments.map { typeArgument ->
+        when (typeArgument) {
             is FirStarProjection -> StarProjection
             is FirTypeProjectionWithVariance -> {
-                val type = (it.typeRef as FirResolvedTypeRef).type
-                when (it.variance) {
-                    Variance.INVARIANT -> type
-                    Variance.IN_VARIANCE -> ConeKotlinTypeProjectionIn(type)
-                    Variance.OUT_VARIANCE -> ConeKotlinTypeProjectionOut(type)
-                }
+                val type = (typeArgument.typeRef as FirResolvedTypeRef).type
+                type.toTypeProjection(typeArgument.variance)
             }
             else -> error("!")
         }