diff --git a/gdb/ChangeLog b/gdb/ChangeLog
index 464054c83c..58075c921b 100644
--- a/gdb/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdb/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,15 @@
+2020-12-15  Tom Tromey  <tom@tromey.com>
+
+	* varobj.c (varobj_create): Use first_opcode.
+	* value.c (init_if_undefined_command): Use first_opcode.
+	* typeprint.c (whatis_exp): Use first_opcode.
+	* tracepoint.c (validate_actionline): Use first_opcode.
+	(encode_actions_1): Use first_opcode.
+	* stack.c (return_command): Use first_opcode.
+	* expression.h (struct expression) <first_opcode>: New method.
+	* eval.c (parse_and_eval_type): Use first_opcode.
+	* dtrace-probe.c (dtrace_process_dof_probe): Use first_opcode.
+
 2020-12-15  Tom Tromey  <tom@tromey.com>
 
 	* f-lang.c (evaluate_subexp_f): Update.
diff --git a/gdb/dtrace-probe.c b/gdb/dtrace-probe.c
index 3ea047fce8..b709390039 100644
--- a/gdb/dtrace-probe.c
+++ b/gdb/dtrace-probe.c
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ dtrace_process_dof_probe (struct objfile *objfile,
 	    {
 	    }
 
-	  if (expr != NULL && expr.get ()->elts[0].opcode == OP_TYPE)
+	  if (expr != NULL && expr->first_opcode () == OP_TYPE)
 	    type = value_type (evaluate_type (expr.get ()));
 
 	  args.emplace_back (type, std::move (type_str), std::move (expr));
diff --git a/gdb/eval.c b/gdb/eval.c
index 6066a32041..2d088c8818 100644
--- a/gdb/eval.c
+++ b/gdb/eval.c
@@ -3104,7 +3104,7 @@ parse_and_eval_type (const char *p, int length)
   tmp[length + 2] = '0';
   tmp[length + 3] = '\0';
   expression_up expr = parse_expression (tmp);
-  if (expr->elts[0].opcode != UNOP_CAST)
+  if (expr->first_opcode () != UNOP_CAST)
     error (_("Internal error in eval_type."));
   return expr->elts[1].type;
 }
diff --git a/gdb/expression.h b/gdb/expression.h
index 0c4dc7bae1..c07111c316 100644
--- a/gdb/expression.h
+++ b/gdb/expression.h
@@ -91,6 +91,13 @@ struct expression
 
   void resize (size_t);
 
+  /* Return the opcode for the outermost sub-expression of this
+     expression.  */
+  enum exp_opcode first_opcode () const
+  {
+      return elts[0].opcode;
+  }
+
   /* Language it was entered in.  */
   const struct language_defn *language_defn;
   /* Architecture it was parsed in.  */
diff --git a/gdb/stack.c b/gdb/stack.c
index 7618f72319..943b3db087 100644
--- a/gdb/stack.c
+++ b/gdb/stack.c
@@ -2770,8 +2770,8 @@ return_command (const char *retval_exp, int from_tty)
 	return_type = TYPE_TARGET_TYPE (SYMBOL_TYPE (thisfun));
       if (return_type == NULL)
       	{
-	  if (retval_expr->elts[0].opcode != UNOP_CAST
-	      && retval_expr->elts[0].opcode != UNOP_CAST_TYPE)
+	  if (retval_expr->first_opcode () != UNOP_CAST
+	      && retval_expr->first_opcode () != UNOP_CAST_TYPE)
 	    error (_("Return value type not available for selected "
 		     "stack frame.\n"
 		     "Please use an explicit cast of the value to return."));
diff --git a/gdb/tracepoint.c b/gdb/tracepoint.c
index c2f923b8fa..cb2b3b65c3 100644
--- a/gdb/tracepoint.c
+++ b/gdb/tracepoint.c
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ validate_actionline (const char *line, struct breakpoint *b)
 	      expression_up exp = parse_exp_1 (&p, loc->address,
 					       block_for_pc (loc->address), 1);
 
-	      if (exp->elts[0].opcode == OP_VAR_VALUE)
+	      if (exp->first_opcode () == OP_VAR_VALUE)
 		{
 		  if (SYMBOL_CLASS (exp->elts[2].symbol) == LOC_CONST)
 		    {
@@ -1383,7 +1383,7 @@ encode_actions_1 (struct command_line *action,
 						   block_for_pc (tloc->address),
 						   1);
 
-		  switch (exp->elts[0].opcode)
+		  switch (exp->first_opcode ())
 		    {
 		    case OP_REGISTER:
 		      {
diff --git a/gdb/typeprint.c b/gdb/typeprint.c
index 2f671d9c80..49877710fa 100644
--- a/gdb/typeprint.c
+++ b/gdb/typeprint.c
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ whatis_exp (const char *exp, int show)
       val = evaluate_type (expr.get ());
       type = value_type (val);
 
-      if (show == -1 && expr->elts[0].opcode == OP_TYPE)
+      if (show == -1 && expr->first_opcode () == OP_TYPE)
 	{
 	  /* The user expression names a type directly.  */
 
diff --git a/gdb/value.c b/gdb/value.c
index eba5bce6d2..9584fc13c2 100644
--- a/gdb/value.c
+++ b/gdb/value.c
@@ -1981,7 +1981,7 @@ init_if_undefined_command (const char* args, int from_tty)
   /* Validate the expression.
      Was the expression an assignment?
      Or even an expression at all?  */
-  if (expr->nelts == 0 || expr->elts[0].opcode != BINOP_ASSIGN)
+  if (expr->nelts == 0 || expr->first_opcode () != BINOP_ASSIGN)
     error (_("Init-if-undefined requires an assignment expression."));
 
   /* Extract the variable from the parsed expression.
diff --git a/gdb/varobj.c b/gdb/varobj.c
index 19a90c7119..6a95e1ec0c 100644
--- a/gdb/varobj.c
+++ b/gdb/varobj.c
@@ -311,9 +311,10 @@ varobj_create (const char *objname,
 	}
 
       /* Don't allow variables to be created for types.  */
-      if (var->root->exp->elts[0].opcode == OP_TYPE
-	  || var->root->exp->elts[0].opcode == OP_TYPEOF
-	  || var->root->exp->elts[0].opcode == OP_DECLTYPE)
+      enum exp_opcode opcode = var->root->exp->first_opcode ();
+      if (opcode == OP_TYPE
+	  || opcode == OP_TYPEOF
+	  || opcode == OP_DECLTYPE)
 	{
 	  fprintf_unfiltered (gdb_stderr, "Attempt to use a type name"
 			      " as an expression.\n");