diff --git a/include/llvm/IR/DebugInfo.h b/include/llvm/IR/DebugInfo.h
index 6fcf1ee65cd..d467b5abe0e 100644
--- a/include/llvm/IR/DebugInfo.h
+++ b/include/llvm/IR/DebugInfo.h
@@ -350,10 +350,7 @@ public:
   MDCompositeTypeBase *operator->() const { return get(); }
   MDCompositeTypeBase &operator*() const { return *get(); }
 
-  DIArray getElements() const {
-    assert(!isa<MDSubroutineType>(*this) && "no elements for DISubroutineType");
-    return DIArray(get()->getElements());
-  }
+  DIArray getElements() const { return get()->getElements(); }
 
   unsigned getRunTimeLang() const { return get()->getRuntimeLang(); }
   DITypeRef getContainingType() const { return get()->getVTableHolder(); }
diff --git a/include/llvm/IR/DebugInfoMetadata.h b/include/llvm/IR/DebugInfoMetadata.h
index 48fc8bbb951..9e6117c9521 100644
--- a/include/llvm/IR/DebugInfoMetadata.h
+++ b/include/llvm/IR/DebugInfoMetadata.h
@@ -786,7 +786,13 @@ protected:
   ~MDCompositeTypeBase() = default;
 
 public:
+  /// \brief Get the elements of the composite type.
+  ///
+  /// \note Calling this is only valid for \a MDCompositeType.  This assertion
+  /// can be removed once \a MDSubroutineType has been separated from
+  /// "composite types".
   DebugNodeArray getElements() const {
+    assert(!isa<MDSubroutineType>(this) && "no elements for DISubroutineType");
     return cast_or_null<MDTuple>(getRawElements());
   }
   MDTypeRef getVTableHolder() const { return MDTypeRef(getRawVTableHolder()); }