diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/Definitions.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/Definitions.scala
index dd20c2db9192..6c7cd5143b66 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/Definitions.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/Definitions.scala
@@ -1334,12 +1334,19 @@ class Definitions {
     case ByNameFunction(_) => true
     case _ => false
 
+  object NamedTupleDirect:
+    def unapply(t: Type)(using Context): Option[(Type, Type)] =
+      t match
+        case AppliedType(tycon, nmes :: vals :: Nil) if tycon.typeSymbol == NamedTupleTypeRef.symbol =>
+          Some((nmes, vals))
+        case _ => None
+
   object NamedTuple:
     def apply(nmes: Type, vals: Type)(using Context): Type =
       AppliedType(NamedTupleTypeRef, nmes :: vals :: Nil)
     def unapply(t: Type)(using Context): Option[(Type, Type)] =
       t match
-        case AppliedType(tycon, nmes :: vals :: Nil) if tycon.typeSymbol == NamedTupleTypeRef.symbol =>
+        case NamedTupleDirect(nmes, vals) =>
           Some((nmes, vals))
         case tp: TypeProxy =>
           val t = unapply(tp.superType); t
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/TypeUtils.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/TypeUtils.scala
index 14ccf32c7787..739cc2b74a16 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/TypeUtils.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/TypeUtils.scala
@@ -128,22 +128,19 @@ class TypeUtils:
         case None => throw new AssertionError("not a tuple")
 
     def namedTupleElementTypesUpTo(bound: Int, derived: Boolean, normalize: Boolean = true)(using Context): List[(TermName, Type)] =
+      def extractNamesTypes(nmes: Type, vals: Type): List[(TermName, Type)] =
+        val names = nmes.tupleElementTypesUpTo(bound, normalize).getOrElse(Nil).map(_.dealias).map:
+          case ConstantType(Constant(str: String)) => str.toTermName
+          case t => throw TypeError(em"Malformed NamedTuple: names must be string types, but $t was found.")
+        val values = vals.tupleElementTypesUpTo(bound, normalize).getOrElse(Nil)
+        names.zip(values)
+        
       (if normalize then self.normalized else self).dealias match
         // for desugaring and printer, ignore derived types to avoid infinite recursion in NamedTuple.unapply
-        case AppliedType(tycon, nmes :: vals :: Nil) if !derived && tycon.typeSymbol == defn.NamedTupleTypeRef.symbol =>
-          val names = nmes.tupleElementTypesUpTo(bound, normalize).getOrElse(Nil).map(_.dealias).map:
-            case ConstantType(Constant(str: String)) => str.toTermName
-            case t => throw TypeError(em"Malformed NamedTuple: names must be string types, but $t was found.")
-          val values = vals.tupleElementTypesUpTo(bound, normalize).getOrElse(Nil)
-          names.zip(values)
+        case defn.NamedTupleDirect(nmes, vals) => extractNamesTypes(nmes, vals)
         case t if !derived => Nil
         // default cause, used for post-typing
-        case defn.NamedTuple(nmes, vals) =>
-          val names = nmes.tupleElementTypesUpTo(bound, normalize).getOrElse(Nil).map(_.dealias).map:
-            case ConstantType(Constant(str: String)) => str.toTermName
-            case t => throw TypeError(em"Malformed NamedTuple: names must be string types, but $t was found.")
-          val values = vals.tupleElementTypesUpTo(bound, normalize).getOrElse(Nil)
-          names.zip(values)
+        case defn.NamedTuple(nmes, vals) => extractNamesTypes(nmes, vals)
         case t =>
           Nil