diff --git a/crates/oxc_transformer/src/es2020/nullish_coalescing_operator.rs b/crates/oxc_transformer/src/es2020/nullish_coalescing_operator.rs
index e42070c4dda57..1f21d30f37d03 100644
--- a/crates/oxc_transformer/src/es2020/nullish_coalescing_operator.rs
+++ b/crates/oxc_transformer/src/es2020/nullish_coalescing_operator.rs
@@ -102,9 +102,8 @@ impl<'a> Traverse<'a> for NullishCoalescingOperator<'a> {
         // ctx.ancestor(1) is AssignmentPattern
         // ctx.ancestor(2) is BindingPattern;
         // ctx.ancestor(3) is FormalParameter
-        let is_parent_formal_parameter = ctx
-            .ancestor(3)
-            .is_some_and(|ancestor| matches!(ancestor, Ancestor::FormalParameterPattern(_)));
+        let is_parent_formal_parameter =
+            matches!(ctx.ancestor(3), Ancestor::FormalParameterPattern(_));
 
         let current_scope_id = if is_parent_formal_parameter {
             ctx.create_child_scope_of_current(ScopeFlags::Arrow | ScopeFlags::Function)
diff --git a/crates/oxc_traverse/src/context/ancestry.rs b/crates/oxc_traverse/src/context/ancestry.rs
index f96203e4882b0..67790532dfc6c 100644
--- a/crates/oxc_traverse/src/context/ancestry.rs
+++ b/crates/oxc_traverse/src/context/ancestry.rs
@@ -59,14 +59,22 @@ impl<'a> TraverseAncestry<'a> {
     ///
     /// `level` is number of levels above.
     /// `ancestor(1).unwrap()` is equivalent to `parent()`.
+    ///
+    /// If `level` is out of bounds (above `Program`), returns `Ancestor::None`.
     #[inline]
-    pub fn ancestor<'t>(&'t self, level: usize) -> Option<Ancestor<'a, 't>> {
-        self.stack.get(self.stack.len() - level).map(|&ancestor| {
+    pub fn ancestor<'t>(&'t self, level: usize) -> Ancestor<'a, 't> {
+        if level < self.stack.len() {
+            // SAFETY: We just checked that `level < self.stack.len()` so `self.stack.len() - level`
+            // cannot wrap around or be out of bounds
+            let ancestor = unsafe { *self.stack.get_unchecked(self.stack.len() - level) };
+
             // Shrink `Ancestor`'s `'t` lifetime to lifetime of `&'t self`.
             // SAFETY: The `Ancestor` is guaranteed valid for `'t`. It is not possible to obtain
             // a `&mut` ref to any AST node which this `Ancestor` gives access to during `'t`.
             unsafe { transmute::<Ancestor<'a, '_>, Ancestor<'a, 't>>(ancestor) }
-        })
+        } else {
+            Ancestor::None
+        }
     }
 
     /// Get iterator over ancestors, starting with closest ancestor
diff --git a/crates/oxc_traverse/src/context/mod.rs b/crates/oxc_traverse/src/context/mod.rs
index 0454a148b9f9c..6922d75e5d473 100644
--- a/crates/oxc_traverse/src/context/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/oxc_traverse/src/context/mod.rs
@@ -143,9 +143,11 @@ impl<'a> TraverseCtx<'a> {
     /// `level` is number of levels above.
     /// `ancestor(1).unwrap()` is equivalent to `parent()`.
     ///
+    /// If `level` is out of bounds (above `Program`), returns `Ancestor::None`.
+    ///
     /// Shortcut for `ctx.ancestry.ancestor`.
     #[inline]
-    pub fn ancestor<'t>(&'t self, level: usize) -> Option<Ancestor<'a, 't>> {
+    pub fn ancestor<'t>(&'t self, level: usize) -> Ancestor<'a, 't> {
         self.ancestry.ancestor(level)
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/oxc_traverse/src/lib.rs b/crates/oxc_traverse/src/lib.rs
index 5f2b4dafd514a..72f1f761918ba 100644
--- a/crates/oxc_traverse/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/oxc_traverse/src/lib.rs
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ mod compile_fail_tests;
 ///         }
 ///
 ///         // Read grandparent
-///         if let Some(Ancestor::ExpressionStatementExpression(stmt_ref)) = ctx.ancestor(2) {
+///         if let Ancestor::ExpressionStatementExpression(stmt_ref) = ctx.ancestor(2) {
 ///             // This is legal
 ///             println!("expression stmt's span: {:?}", stmt_ref.span());
 ///