diff --git a/nullaway/src/main/java/com/uber/nullaway/AbstractConfig.java b/nullaway/src/main/java/com/uber/nullaway/AbstractConfig.java
index 31f983f0a8..ec66c965d3 100644
--- a/nullaway/src/main/java/com/uber/nullaway/AbstractConfig.java
+++ b/nullaway/src/main/java/com/uber/nullaway/AbstractConfig.java
@@ -291,19 +291,6 @@ public boolean isContractAnnotation(String annotationName) {
     return contractAnnotations.contains(annotationName);
   }
 
-  protected ImmutableSet<MethodClassAndName> getKnownInitializers(
-      ImmutableSet<String> qualifiedNames) {
-    return qualifiedNames.stream()
-        .map(
-            name -> {
-              int lastDot = name.lastIndexOf('.');
-              String methodName = name.substring(lastDot + 1);
-              String className = name.substring(0, lastDot);
-              return MethodClassAndName.create(className, methodName);
-            })
-        .collect(ImmutableSet.toImmutableSet());
-  }
-
   @AutoValue
   abstract static class MethodClassAndName {
 
@@ -311,6 +298,13 @@ static MethodClassAndName create(String enclosingClass, String methodName) {
       return new AutoValue_AbstractConfig_MethodClassAndName(enclosingClass, methodName);
     }
 
+    static MethodClassAndName fromClassDotMethod(String classDotMethod) {
+      int lastDot = classDotMethod.lastIndexOf('.');
+      String methodName = classDotMethod.substring(lastDot + 1);
+      String className = classDotMethod.substring(0, lastDot);
+      return MethodClassAndName.create(className, methodName);
+    }
+
     abstract String enclosingClass();
 
     abstract String methodName();
diff --git a/nullaway/src/main/java/com/uber/nullaway/ErrorProneCLIFlagsConfig.java b/nullaway/src/main/java/com/uber/nullaway/ErrorProneCLIFlagsConfig.java
index 06923c3607..2d461cc897 100644
--- a/nullaway/src/main/java/com/uber/nullaway/ErrorProneCLIFlagsConfig.java
+++ b/nullaway/src/main/java/com/uber/nullaway/ErrorProneCLIFlagsConfig.java
@@ -163,8 +163,9 @@ final class ErrorProneCLIFlagsConfig extends AbstractConfig {
     sourceClassesToExclude = getFlagStringSet(flags, FL_CLASSES_TO_EXCLUDE);
     unannotatedClasses = getFlagStringSet(flags, FL_UNANNOTATED_CLASSES);
     knownInitializers =
-        getKnownInitializers(
-            getFlagStringSet(flags, FL_KNOWN_INITIALIZERS, DEFAULT_KNOWN_INITIALIZERS));
+        getFlagStringSet(flags, FL_KNOWN_INITIALIZERS, DEFAULT_KNOWN_INITIALIZERS).stream()
+            .map(MethodClassAndName::fromClassDotMethod)
+            .collect(ImmutableSet.toImmutableSet());
     excludedClassAnnotations =
         getFlagStringSet(
             flags, FL_CLASS_ANNOTATIONS_TO_EXCLUDE, DEFAULT_CLASS_ANNOTATIONS_TO_EXCLUDE);