diff --git a/pmd-java/etc/grammar/Java.jjt b/pmd-java/etc/grammar/Java.jjt
index 5264cea500..960c45c9d4 100644
--- a/pmd-java/etc/grammar/Java.jjt
+++ b/pmd-java/etc/grammar/Java.jjt
@@ -1945,7 +1945,8 @@ Dims:
  *
  * See https://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se10/html/jls-8.html#jls-UnannType
  */
-void Type():
+// TODO make void
+void Type() #void:
 {
     Token t;
 }
@@ -1971,7 +1972,8 @@ void ArrayTypeDim():
   (TypeAnnotation())* "[" "]"
 }
 
-void ReferenceType():
+// TODO make void
+void ReferenceType() #void:
 {}
 {
 
@@ -2018,6 +2020,22 @@ void WildcardBounds():
    ("extends" | "super") (TypeAnnotation())* ReferenceType()
 }
 
+/* JLS https://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se10/html/jls-4.html#jls-PrimitiveType
+
+PrimitiveType:
+    {Annotation} NumericType
+    {Annotation} boolean
+NumericType:
+    IntegralType
+    FloatingPointType
+IntegralType:
+    (one of)
+    byte short int long char
+FloatingPointType:
+    (one of)
+    float double
+*/
+
 void PrimitiveType() :
 {}
 {
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/ASTReferenceType.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/ASTReferenceType.java
index 74f56040b5..9373a886e3 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/ASTReferenceType.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/ASTReferenceType.java
@@ -7,66 +7,15 @@ package net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast;
 
 /**
  * Represents a reference type, i.e. a {@linkplain ASTClassOrInterfaceType class or interface type},
- * or an array type.
+ * or an {@linkplain ASTArrayType array type}.
  *
  * <pre>
  *
- *  ReferenceType ::= {@linkplain ASTPrimitiveType PrimitiveType} {@linkplain ASTAnnotation Annotation}* ( "[" "]" )+
- *                  | {@linkplain ASTClassOrInterfaceType ClassOrInterfaceType} {@linkplain ASTAnnotation Annotation}* ( "[" "]" )*
+ *  ReferenceType ::= {@linkplain ASTClassOrInterfaceType ClassOrInterfaceType}
+ *                  | {@linkplain ASTArrayType}
  *
  * </pre>
- *
  */
-public class ASTReferenceType extends AbstractJavaTypeNode implements Dimensionable {
-
-    private int arrayDepth;
-
-    public ASTReferenceType(int id) {
-        super(id);
-    }
-
-    public ASTReferenceType(JavaParser p, int id) {
-        super(p, id);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Accept the visitor. *
-     */
-    @Override
-    public Object jjtAccept(JavaParserVisitor visitor, Object data) {
-        return visitor.visit(this, data);
-    }
-
-
-    @Override
-    public <T> void jjtAccept(SideEffectingVisitor<T> visitor, T data) {
-        visitor.visit(this, data);
-    }
-
-
-    @Deprecated
-    public void bumpArrayDepth() {
-        arrayDepth++;
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    @Deprecated
-    public int getArrayDepth() {
-        if (isArray()) {
-            if (arrayDepth > 0) {
-                return arrayDepth;
-            } else {
-                ASTArrayType arrayType = (ASTArrayType) jjtGetChild(0);
-                return arrayType.getArrayDepth();
-            }
-        }
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    @Deprecated
-    public boolean isArray() {
-        return arrayDepth > 0 || jjtGetChild(0) instanceof ASTArrayType;
-    }
+public interface ASTReferenceType extends ASTType {
 
 }
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/ASTType.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/ASTType.java
index 5ac6d9fdc4..46ff398bfc 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/ASTType.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/ast/ASTType.java
@@ -10,70 +10,13 @@ package net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast;
  *
  * <pre>
  *
- * Type ::= {@linkplain ASTReferenceType ReferenceType} | {@linkplain ASTPrimitiveType PrimitiveType}
+ * Type ::= {@linkplain ASTReferenceType ReferenceType}
+ *        | {@linkplain ASTPrimitiveType PrimitiveType}
  *
  * </pre>
  *
  * Note: it is not exactly the same the "UnnanType" defined in JLS.
  */
-public class ASTType extends AbstractJavaTypeNode {
-    public ASTType(int id) {
-        super(id);
-    }
-
-    public ASTType(JavaParser p, int id) {
-        super(p, id);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Accept the visitor. *
-     */
-    @Override
-    public Object jjtAccept(JavaParserVisitor visitor, Object data) {
-        return visitor.visit(this, data);
-    }
-
-
-    @Override
-    public <T> void jjtAccept(SideEffectingVisitor<T> visitor, T data) {
-        visitor.visit(this, data);
-    }
-
-
-    public String getTypeImage() {
-        ASTClassOrInterfaceType refType = getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTClassOrInterfaceType.class);
-        if (refType != null) {
-            return refType.getImage();
-        }
-        return getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTPrimitiveType.class).getImage();
-    }
-
-
-    @Deprecated
-    public int getArrayDepth() {
-        if (jjtGetNumChildren() != 0
-                && (jjtGetChild(0) instanceof ASTReferenceType || jjtGetChild(0) instanceof ASTPrimitiveType)) {
-            return ((Dimensionable) jjtGetChild(0)).getArrayDepth();
-        }
-        return 0; // this is not an array
-    }
-
-
-    /**
-     *
-     * @deprecated Use {@link #isArrayType()}
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public boolean isArray() {
-        return isArrayType();
-    }
-
-
-    /**
-     * Returns true if this type is an array type.
-     *
-     */
-    public boolean isArrayType() {
-        return getArrayDepth() > 0;
-    }
+public interface ASTType extends JavaNode {
+    String getTypeImage();
 }