diff --git a/src/t8_forest/t8_forest.cxx b/src/t8_forest/t8_forest.cxx
index 94e5548c47..7ac2fb4873 100644
--- a/src/t8_forest/t8_forest.cxx
+++ b/src/t8_forest/t8_forest.cxx
@@ -1459,13 +1459,10 @@ t8_forest_bin_search_lower (const t8_element_array_t *elements, const t8_lineari
     return -1;
   }
 
-  /* A typedef for the value type of the t8_element_array_t iterator. */
-  using element_ptr_t = t8_element_t *;
-
   /* We search for the first element in the array that is greater than the given element id. */
   auto elem_iter
     = std::upper_bound (t8_element_array_begin (elements), t8_element_array_end (elements), element_id,
-                        [&maxlevel, &ts] (const t8_linearidx_t element_id_, const element_ptr_t &elem_ptr) {
+                        [&maxlevel, &ts] (const t8_linearidx_t element_id_, const t8_element_array_iterator::value_type &elem_ptr) {
                           return (element_id_ < ts->t8_element_get_linear_id (elem_ptr, maxlevel));
                         });