diff --git a/clippy_lints/src/pub_underscore_fields.rs b/clippy_lints/src/pub_underscore_fields.rs
index 21a7b46d6b02..2bf738f3816e 100644
--- a/clippy_lints/src/pub_underscore_fields.rs
+++ b/clippy_lints/src/pub_underscore_fields.rs
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@ use clippy_config::types::PubUnderscoreFieldsBehaviour;
 use clippy_utils::attrs::is_doc_hidden;
 use clippy_utils::diagnostics::span_lint_and_help;
 use clippy_utils::is_path_lang_item;
-use clippy_utils::source::snippet_opt;
 use rustc_hir::{FieldDef, Item, ItemKind, LangItem};
 use rustc_lint::{LateContext, LateLintPass};
 use rustc_session::impl_lint_pass;
-use rustc_span::Span;
 
 declare_clippy_lint! {
     /// ### What it does
@@ -30,7 +28,7 @@ declare_clippy_lint! {
     /// }
     /// ```
     ///
-    /// // OR
+    /// OR
     ///
     /// ```rust
     /// struct FileHandle {
@@ -57,7 +55,10 @@ impl<'tcx> LateLintPass<'tcx> for PubUnderscoreFields {
 
         let is_visible = |field: &FieldDef<'_>| match self.behavior {
             PubUnderscoreFieldsBehaviour::PublicallyExported => cx.effective_visibilities.is_reachable(field.def_id),
-            PubUnderscoreFieldsBehaviour::AllPubFields => start_with_pub(cx, field.vis_span),
+            PubUnderscoreFieldsBehaviour::AllPubFields => {
+                // If there is a visibility span then the field is marked pub in some way.
+                !field.vis_span.is_empty()
+            },
         };
 
         for field in variant_data.fields() {
@@ -80,9 +81,3 @@ impl<'tcx> LateLintPass<'tcx> for PubUnderscoreFields {
         }
     }
 }
-
-fn start_with_pub(cx: &LateContext<'_>, span: Span) -> bool {
-    snippet_opt(cx, span)
-        .map(|s| s.as_str().starts_with("pub"))
-        .unwrap_or(false)
-}