diff --git a/.changeset/friendly-drinks-double.md b/.changeset/friendly-drinks-double.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2874c92cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/friendly-drinks-double.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@effect/schema": minor
+---
+
+AST: simplify `createRefinement` return type
diff --git a/docs/modules/AST.ts.md b/docs/modules/AST.ts.md
index a8e39d160..1c4051533 100644
--- a/docs/modules/AST.ts.md
+++ b/docs/modules/AST.ts.md
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ export declare const createRefinement: <From extends AST>(
   from: From,
   filter: Refinement["filter"],
   annotations?: Annotated["annotations"]
-) => Transform | Refinement<From>
+) => Refinement<From>
 ```
 
 Added in v1.0.0
diff --git a/src/AST.ts b/src/AST.ts
index 9407cb219..ae038eeaa 100644
--- a/src/AST.ts
+++ b/src/AST.ts
@@ -957,15 +957,7 @@ export const createRefinement = <From extends AST>(
   from: From,
   filter: Refinement["filter"],
   annotations: Annotated["annotations"] = {}
-): Refinement<From> | Transform => {
-  if (isTransform(from)) {
-    // recurse right
-    return createTransform(
-      from.from,
-      createRefinement(from.to, filter, annotations),
-      from.transformation
-    )
-  }
+): Refinement<From> => {
   return { _tag: "Refinement", from, filter, annotations }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/Schema/required.test.ts b/test/Schema/required.test.ts
index 954161c43..431c49972 100644
--- a/test/Schema/required.test.ts
+++ b/test/Schema/required.test.ts
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@ describe("Schema > required", () => {
     await Util.expectParseFailure(
       schema,
       {},
-      `{ a: <transformation string <-> a positive number> }
+      `{ a: a positive number }
 └─ ["a"]
    └─ is missing`
     )
     await Util.expectParseFailure(
       schema,
       { a: "-1" },
-      `{ a: <transformation string <-> a positive number> }
+      `{ a: a positive number }
 └─ ["a"]
    └─ Expected a positive number, actual -1`
     )