diff --git a/packages/react-dom/src/client/ReactDOMComponentTree.js b/packages/react-dom/src/client/ReactDOMComponentTree.js
index 3aeb3c0f529..d9c2e2d858a 100644
--- a/packages/react-dom/src/client/ReactDOMComponentTree.js
+++ b/packages/react-dom/src/client/ReactDOMComponentTree.js
@@ -27,10 +27,7 @@ export function getClosestInstanceFromNode(node) {
     return node[internalInstanceKey];
   }
 
-  // Walk up the tree until we find an ancestor whose instance we have cached.
-  let parents = [];
   while (!node[internalInstanceKey]) {
-    parents.push(node);
     if (node.parentNode) {
       node = node.parentNode;
     } else {
@@ -40,17 +37,13 @@ export function getClosestInstanceFromNode(node) {
     }
   }
 
-  let closest;
   let inst = node[internalInstanceKey];
   if (inst.tag === HostComponent || inst.tag === HostText) {
     // In Fiber, this will always be the deepest root.
     return inst;
   }
-  for (; node && (inst = node[internalInstanceKey]); node = parents.pop()) {
-    closest = inst;
-  }
 
-  return closest;
+  return null;
 }
 
 /**