diff --git a/cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-319/UseOfHttp.ql b/cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-319/UseOfHttp.ql
index 682d83874333..1cb3be1f0c91 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-319/UseOfHttp.ql
+++ b/cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-319/UseOfHttp.ql
@@ -35,22 +35,25 @@ predicate privateHostNameFlowsToExpr(Expr e) {
   TaintTracking::localExprTaint(any(StringLiteral p | p.getValue() instanceof PrivateHostName), e)
 }
 
-/**
- * A string containing an HTTP URL not in a private domain.
- */
-class HttpStringLiteral extends StringLiteral {
-  HttpStringLiteral() {
+private class HttpStringLiteralCandidate extends StringLiteral {
+  HttpStringLiteralCandidate() {
     exists(string s | this.getValue() = s |
       s = "http"
       or
       exists(string tail |
         tail = s.regexpCapture("http://(.*)", 1) and not tail instanceof PrivateHostName
       )
-    ) and
-    not privateHostNameFlowsToExpr(this.getParent*())
+    )
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * A string containing an HTTP URL not in a private domain.
+ */
+class HttpStringLiteral extends HttpStringLiteralCandidate {
+  HttpStringLiteral() { not privateHostNameFlowsToExpr(this.getParent*()) }
+}
+
 /**
  * Taint tracking configuration for HTTP connections.
  */