diff --git a/pkg/dart2wasm/lib/code_generator.dart b/pkg/dart2wasm/lib/code_generator.dart
index efe3c7b0974..833d0e58101 100644
--- a/pkg/dart2wasm/lib/code_generator.dart
+++ b/pkg/dart2wasm/lib/code_generator.dart
@@ -689,17 +689,7 @@ abstract class AstCodeGenerator
   }
 
   List<w.ValueType> call(Reference target) {
-    final targetModule = translator.moduleForReference(target);
-    final isLocalModuleCall = targetModule == b.module;
-    final name = translator.functions.getFunctionName(target);
-
-    if (isLocalModuleCall) {
-      b.comment('Direct call to $name');
-      return b.invoke(translator.directCallTarget(target));
-    } else {
-      b.comment('Direct call to $name (across modules)');
-      return translator.callReference(target, b);
-    }
+    return translator.callReference(target, b);
   }
 
   @override
diff --git a/pkg/dart2wasm/lib/translator.dart b/pkg/dart2wasm/lib/translator.dart
index 3b2fb6860c5..cb6d8a1a492 100644
--- a/pkg/dart2wasm/lib/translator.dart
+++ b/pkg/dart2wasm/lib/translator.dart
@@ -553,16 +553,19 @@ class Translator with KernelNodes {
     }
   }
 
-  /// Gets the function associated with [reference] and calls its using
-  /// [callFunction].
+  /// Calls the function referred to in [reference] either directly or via a
+  /// cross-module call.
+  ///
+  /// When performing a direct call it may inline the target if allowed and
+  /// beneficial.
   List<w.ValueType> callReference(
       Reference reference, w.InstructionsBuilder b) {
-    final function = functions.getFunction(reference);
-    final targetModule = function.enclosingModule;
-    if (targetModule == b.module) {
+    final targetModule = moduleForReference(reference);
+    final isLocalModuleCall = targetModule == b.module;
+    if (isLocalModuleCall) {
       return b.invoke(directCallTarget(reference));
     }
-    return callFunction(function, b);
+    return callFunction(functions.getFunction(reference), b);
   }
 
   late final WasmFunctionImporter _importedFunctions =