diff --git a/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/return_empty.php.inc b/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/return_empty.php.inc
deleted file mode 100644
index 4beb2996db5..00000000000
--- a/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/return_empty.php.inc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-
-namespace Rector\Tests\TypeDeclarationDocblocks\Rector\ClassMethod\DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector\Fixture;
-
-class ReturnEmpty
-{
-    public function run(): array
-    {
-        return [];
-    }
-}
-
-?>
------
-<?php
-
-namespace Rector\Tests\TypeDeclarationDocblocks\Rector\ClassMethod\DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector\Fixture;
-
-class ReturnEmpty
-{
-    /**
-     * @return array{}
-     */
-    public function run(): array
-    {
-        return [];
-    }
-}
-
-?>
diff --git a/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/skip_return_empty.php.inc b/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/skip_return_empty.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8f37bb8e9ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/skip_return_empty.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\TypeDeclarationDocblocks\Rector\ClassMethod\DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector\Fixture;
+
+class SkipReturnEmpty
+{
+    public function run(): array
+    {
+        return [];
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php b/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php
index 8bc465ac692..94cbd53fa5a 100644
--- a/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php
+++ b/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Function_;
 use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Return_;
 use PHPStan\PhpDocParser\Ast\PhpDoc\ReturnTagValueNode;
-use PHPStan\PhpDocParser\Ast\Type\ArrayTypeNode;
 use PHPStan\PhpDocParser\Ast\Type\IdentifierTypeNode;
 use PHPStan\Type\Constant\ConstantArrayType;
 use Rector\BetterPhpDocParser\PhpDocInfo\PhpDocInfo;
@@ -112,7 +111,7 @@ public function refactor(Node $node): ?Node
             return null;
         }
 
-        if ($this->shouldSkipReturnMixedAndEmptyArray($phpDocInfo, $soleReturn->expr)) {
+        if ($this->shouldSkipEmptyArray($phpDocInfo, $soleReturn->expr)) {
             return null;
         }
 
@@ -146,19 +145,14 @@ public function refactor(Node $node): ?Node
         return $node;
     }
 
-    private function shouldSkipReturnMixedAndEmptyArray(PhpDocInfo $phpDocInfo, Array_ $array): bool
+    private function shouldSkipEmptyArray(PhpDocInfo $phpDocInfo, Array_ $array): bool
     {
         if ($array->items !== []) {
             return false;
         }
 
-        $returnTagValueNode = $phpDocInfo->getReturnTagValue();
-        if (! $returnTagValueNode instanceof ReturnTagValueNode) {
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        // better than array{}
-        return $returnTagValueNode->type instanceof ArrayTypeNode;
+        // skip empty array; @return array{} is too narrow, except refining bare "array" to "mixed[]" is still useful
+        return ! $this->hasBareArrayReturnTag($phpDocInfo);
     }
 
     private function hasBareArrayReturnTag(PhpDocInfo $phpDocInfo): bool