diff --git a/devtools/client/definitions.js b/devtools/client/definitions.js
index 9c4e3c8ba433..d3a3ece9d1e5 100644
--- a/devtools/client/definitions.js
+++ b/devtools/client/definitions.js
@@ -593,7 +593,10 @@ function createHighlightButton(highlighterName, id) {
       return highlighter.show({});
     },
     isChecked(toolbox) {
-      const highlighter = toolbox.highlighterUtils.getKnownHighlighter(highlighterName);
+      if (!toolbox.inspector) {
+        return false;
+      }
+      const highlighter = toolbox.inspector.getKnownHighlighter(highlighterName);
       return highlighter && highlighter.isShown();
     },
   };
diff --git a/devtools/client/framework/toolbox-highlighter-utils.js b/devtools/client/framework/toolbox-highlighter-utils.js
index c2a5441ae51b..9ab21dde097b 100644
--- a/devtools/client/framework/toolbox-highlighter-utils.js
+++ b/devtools/client/framework/toolbox-highlighter-utils.js
@@ -189,10 +189,6 @@ exports.getHighlighterUtils = function(toolbox) {
         `creating highlighters by types or ${typeName} is unknown`);
   });
 
-  exported.getKnownHighlighter = function(typeName) {
-    return toolbox.inspector && toolbox.inspector.getKnownHighlighter(typeName);
-  };
-
   // Return the public API
   return exported;
 };