diff --git a/pmd-java/etc/grammar/Java.jjt b/pmd-java/etc/grammar/Java.jjt
index c6bc963dce..ee668ea9c4 100644
--- a/pmd-java/etc/grammar/Java.jjt
+++ b/pmd-java/etc/grammar/Java.jjt
@@ -2999,19 +2999,15 @@ void AssertStatement() :
 void RUNSIGNEDSHIFT() #void:
 {}
 {
-  ( LOOKAHEAD({ getToken(1).kind == GT &&
-                ((JavaTokenUtils.GTToken)getToken(1)).realKind == RUNSIGNEDSHIFT} )
-   ">" ">" ">"
-  )
+    LOOKAHEAD({ JavaTokenUtils.getRealKind(getToken(1)) == RUNSIGNEDSHIFT})
+    ">" ">" ">"
 }
 
 void RSIGNEDSHIFT() #void:
 {}
 {
-  ( LOOKAHEAD({ getToken(1).kind == GT &&
-                ((JavaTokenUtils.GTToken)getToken(1)).realKind == RSIGNEDSHIFT} )
-  ">" ">"
-  )
+    LOOKAHEAD({ JavaTokenUtils.getRealKind(getToken(1)) == RSIGNEDSHIFT})
+    ">" ">"
 }
 
 /* Annotation syntax follows. */
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/JavaTokenUtils.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/JavaTokenUtils.java
index c37783fb72..1e67b3093a 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/JavaTokenUtils.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/JavaTokenUtils.java
@@ -43,7 +43,11 @@ final class JavaTokenUtils {
         }
     }
 
-    static final class GTToken extends JavaccToken {
+    static int getRealKind(JavaccToken token) {
+        return token instanceof GTToken ? ((GTToken) token).realKind : token.kind;
+    }
+
+    private static final class GTToken extends JavaccToken {
 
         final int realKind;