diff --git a/check_api/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/util/ASTHelpers.java b/check_api/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/util/ASTHelpers.java
index 09430a8c9a7..5d552288976 100644
--- a/check_api/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/util/ASTHelpers.java
+++ b/check_api/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/util/ASTHelpers.java
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@
 import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Scope;
 import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol;
 import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol.ClassSymbol;
-import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol.CompletionFailure;
 import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol.MethodSymbol;
 import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol.PackageSymbol;
 import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol.TypeSymbol;
@@ -926,12 +925,6 @@ private static boolean isInherited(VisitorState state, Name annotationName) {
               if (annotationSym == null) {
                 return false;
               }
-              try {
-                annotationSym.complete();
-              } catch (CompletionFailure e) {
-                /* @Inherited won't work if the annotation isn't on the classpath, but we can still
-                check if it's present directly */
-              }
               Symbol inheritedSym = state.getSymtab().inheritedType.tsym;
               return annotationSym.attribute(inheritedSym) != null;
             });