diff --git a/phpstan.neon b/phpstan.neon
index 6c42f1c6617..ded2a47bc19 100644
--- a/phpstan.neon
+++ b/phpstan.neon
@@ -400,3 +400,11 @@ parameters:
                 - rules/DeadCode/Rector/If_/RemoveDeadInstanceOfRector.php
                 - rules/DeadCode/Rector/ConstFetch/RemovePhpVersionIdCheckRector.php
                 - rules/DeadCode/Rector/If_/UnwrapFutureCompatibleIfPhpVersionRector.php
+
+        # condition check, just to be sure
+        - '#Method Rector\\Rector\\AbstractRector\:\:enterNode\(\) never returns 3 so it can be removed from the return type#'
+
+        # special case, working on a file-level
+        -
+            identifier: rector.noOnlyNullReturnInRefactor
+            path: rules/TypeDeclaration/Rector/StmtsAwareInterface/DeclareStrictTypesRector.php
diff --git a/src/Contract/Rector/RectorInterface.php b/src/Contract/Rector/RectorInterface.php
index b2960111770..2602bd2a67e 100644
--- a/src/Contract/Rector/RectorInterface.php
+++ b/src/Contract/Rector/RectorInterface.php
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ public function getNodeTypes(): array;
 
     /**
      * Process Node of matched type
-     * @return Node|Node[]|null|NodeVisitor::*
+     * @return Node|Node[]|null|NodeVisitor::REMOVE_NODE
      */
     public function refactor(Node $node);
 }
diff --git a/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php b/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php
index 3c390d82ca9..ba48287c8cf 100644
--- a/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php
+++ b/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php
@@ -92,12 +92,6 @@ final class AttributeKey
      */
     public const CREATED_BY_RULE = 'created_by_rule';
 
-    /**
-     * Helps with skipped below node
-     * @var string
-     */
-    public const SKIPPED_BY_RECTOR_RULE = 'skipped_rector_rule';
-
     /**
      * @var string
      */
diff --git a/src/ProcessAnalyzer/RectifiedAnalyzer.php b/src/ProcessAnalyzer/RectifiedAnalyzer.php
index a21b9aca5bb..6dc304ee8ae 100644
--- a/src/ProcessAnalyzer/RectifiedAnalyzer.php
+++ b/src/ProcessAnalyzer/RectifiedAnalyzer.php
@@ -29,16 +29,11 @@ public function __construct(
     public function hasRectified(string $rectorClass, Node $node): bool
     {
         $originalNode = $node->getAttribute(AttributeKey::ORIGINAL_NODE);
-
         if ($this->hasConsecutiveCreatedByRule($rectorClass, $node, $originalNode)) {
             return true;
         }
 
-        if ($this->isJustReprintedOverlappedTokenStart($node, $originalNode)) {
-            return true;
-        }
-
-        return $node->getAttribute(AttributeKey::SKIPPED_BY_RECTOR_RULE) === $rectorClass;
+        return $this->isJustReprintedOverlappedTokenStart($node, $originalNode);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/Rector/AbstractRector.php b/src/Rector/AbstractRector.php
index d8110732a47..abcc15b6662 100644
--- a/src/Rector/AbstractRector.php
+++ b/src/Rector/AbstractRector.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Interface_;
 use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Property;
 use PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Trait_;
+use PhpParser\NodeTraverser;
 use PhpParser\NodeVisitor;
 use PhpParser\NodeVisitorAbstract;
 use PHPStan\Analyser\MutatingScope;
@@ -122,6 +123,9 @@ public function beforeTraverse(array $nodes): ?array
         return null;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return NodeTraverser::REMOVE_NODE|Node|null
+     */
     final public function enterNode(Node $node): int|Node|null
     {
         if (! $this->isMatchingNodeType($node)) {
@@ -140,52 +144,41 @@ final public function enterNode(Node $node): int|Node|null
         // ensure origNode pulled before refactor to avoid changed during refactor, ref https://3v4l.org/YMEGN
         $originalNode = $node->getAttribute(AttributeKey::ORIGINAL_NODE) ?? $node;
 
-        $refactoredNode = $this->refactor($node);
+        $refactoredNodeOrState = $this->refactor($node);
 
         // nothing to change → continue
-        if ($refactoredNode === null) {
+        if ($refactoredNodeOrState === null) {
             return null;
         }
 
-        if ($refactoredNode === []) {
+        if ($refactoredNodeOrState === []) {
             $errorMessage = sprintf(self::EMPTY_NODE_ARRAY_MESSAGE, static::class);
             throw new ShouldNotHappenException($errorMessage);
         }
 
-        $isIntRefactoredNode = is_int($refactoredNode);
+        $isState = is_int($refactoredNodeOrState);
 
-        /**
-         * If below node and/or its children not traversed on current rule
-         * early return null with decorate current and children node with skipped by "only" current rule
-         */
-        if ($isIntRefactoredNode) {
+        if ($isState) {
             $this->createdByRuleDecorator->decorate($node, $originalNode, static::class);
 
-            if (in_array(
-                $refactoredNode,
-                [NodeVisitor::DONT_TRAVERSE_CHILDREN, NodeVisitor::DONT_TRAVERSE_CURRENT_AND_CHILDREN],
-                true
-            )) {
-                $this->decorateCurrentAndChildren($node);
+            // only remove node is supported
+            if ($refactoredNodeOrState !== NodeVisitor::REMOVE_NODE) {
+                // @todo warn about unsupported state in the future
                 return null;
             }
 
-            // @see NodeVisitor::* codes, e.g. removal of node of stopping the traversing
-            if ($refactoredNode === NodeVisitor::REMOVE_NODE) {
-                // log here, so we can remove the node in leaveNode() method
-                $this->toBeRemovedNodeId = spl_object_id($originalNode);
-            }
+            // log here, so we can remove the node in leaveNode() method
+            $this->toBeRemovedNodeId = spl_object_id($originalNode);
 
-            // notify this rule changing code
+            // notify this rule changed code
             $rectorWithLineChange = new RectorWithLineChange(static::class, $originalNode->getStartLine());
             $this->file->addRectorClassWithLine($rectorWithLineChange);
 
-            return $refactoredNode === NodeVisitor::REMOVE_NODE
-                ? $originalNode
-                : $refactoredNode;
+            // keep original node as node will be removed in leaveNode()
+            return $originalNode;
         }
 
-        return $this->postRefactorProcess($originalNode, $node, $refactoredNode, $filePath);
+        return $this->postRefactorProcess($originalNode, $node, $refactoredNodeOrState, $filePath);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -275,35 +268,6 @@ protected function mirrorComments(Node $newNode, Node $oldNode): void
         $this->commentsMerger->mirrorComments($newNode, $oldNode);
     }
 
-    private function decorateCurrentAndChildren(Node $node): void
-    {
-        // skip sole type, as no other nodes to filter out
-        if (count($this->getNodeTypes()) === 1) {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        // filter only types that
-        //    1. registered in getNodesTypes() method
-        //    2. different with current node type, as already decorated above
-        //
-        $otherTypes = array_filter(
-            $this->getNodeTypes(),
-            static fn (string $nodeType): bool => $nodeType !== $node::class
-        );
-
-        if ($otherTypes === []) {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        $this->traverseNodesWithCallable($node, static function (Node $subNode) use ($otherTypes): null {
-            if (in_array($subNode::class, $otherTypes, true)) {
-                $subNode->setAttribute(AttributeKey::SKIPPED_BY_RECTOR_RULE, static::class);
-            }
-
-            return null;
-        });
-    }
-
     /**
      * @param Node|Node[] $refactoredNode
      */