diff --git a/crates/ruff_python_semantic/src/analyze/branch_detection.rs b/crates/ruff_python_semantic/src/analyze/branch_detection.rs
index 97c6b2b9f9..5029d76edf 100644
--- a/crates/ruff_python_semantic/src/analyze/branch_detection.rs
+++ b/crates/ruff_python_semantic/src/analyze/branch_detection.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-use std::cmp::Ordering;
 use std::iter;
 
 use ruff_python_ast::{self as ast, ExceptHandler, Stmt};
@@ -12,32 +11,19 @@ fn common_ancestor(
     stop: Option<StatementId>,
     node_tree: &Statements,
 ) -> Option<StatementId> {
-    if stop.is_some_and(|stop| left == stop || right == stop) {
-        return None;
-    }
-
+    // Fast path: if the nodes are the same, they are their own common ancestor.
     if left == right {
         return Some(left);
     }
 
-    let left_depth = node_tree.depth(left);
-    let right_depth = node_tree.depth(right);
+    // Grab all the ancestors of `right`.
+    let candidates = node_tree.ancestor_ids(right).collect::<Vec<_>>();
 
-    match left_depth.cmp(&right_depth) {
-        Ordering::Less => {
-            let right = node_tree.parent_id(right)?;
-            common_ancestor(left, right, stop, node_tree)
-        }
-        Ordering::Equal => {
-            let left = node_tree.parent_id(left)?;
-            let right = node_tree.parent_id(right)?;
-            common_ancestor(left, right, stop, node_tree)
-        }
-        Ordering::Greater => {
-            let left = node_tree.parent_id(left)?;
-            common_ancestor(left, right, stop, node_tree)
-        }
-    }
+    // Find the first ancestor of `left` that is also an ancestor of `right`.
+    node_tree
+        .ancestor_ids(left)
+        .take_while(|id| stop != Some(*id))
+        .find(|id| candidates.contains(id))
 }
 
 /// Return the alternative branches for a given node.
diff --git a/crates/ruff_python_semantic/src/statements.rs b/crates/ruff_python_semantic/src/statements.rs
index 8388273bd7..b0f2d75ccb 100644
--- a/crates/ruff_python_semantic/src/statements.rs
+++ b/crates/ruff_python_semantic/src/statements.rs
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ struct StatementWithParent<'a> {
     statement: &'a Stmt,
     /// The ID of the parent of this node, if any.
     parent: Option<StatementId>,
-    /// The depth of this node in the tree.
-    depth: u32,
 }
 
 /// The statements of a program indexed by [`StatementId`]
@@ -46,11 +44,8 @@ impl<'a> Statements<'a> {
         if let Some(existing_id) = self.statement_to_id.insert(RefEquality(statement), next_id) {
             panic!("Statements already exists with ID: {existing_id:?}");
         }
-        self.statements.push(StatementWithParent {
-            statement,
-            parent,
-            depth: parent.map_or(0, |parent| self.statements[parent].depth + 1),
-        })
+        self.statements
+            .push(StatementWithParent { statement, parent })
     }
 
     /// Returns the [`StatementId`] of the given statement.
@@ -65,12 +60,6 @@ impl<'a> Statements<'a> {
         self.statements[statement_id].parent
     }
 
-    /// Return the depth of the statement.
-    #[inline]
-    pub(crate) fn depth(&self, id: StatementId) -> u32 {
-        self.statements[id].depth
-    }
-
     /// Returns an iterator over all [`StatementId`] ancestors, starting from the given [`StatementId`].
     pub(crate) fn ancestor_ids(&self, id: StatementId) -> impl Iterator<Item = StatementId> + '_ {
         std::iter::successors(Some(id), |&id| self.statements[id].parent)