diff --git a/test/functional/services/filter_bar.js b/test/functional/services/filter_bar.js
index ccb45a81a984a..413e46becaa0c 100644
--- a/test/functional/services/filter_bar.js
+++ b/test/functional/services/filter_bar.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export function FilterBarProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
   class FilterBar {
     hasFilter(key, value, enabled = true) {
       const filterActivationState = enabled ? 'enabled' : 'disabled';
-      return testSubjects.existsInDOM(
+      return testSubjects.exists(
         `filter & filter-key-${key} & filter-value-${value} & filter-${filterActivationState}`
       );
     }
diff --git a/test/functional/services/test_subjects.js b/test/functional/services/test_subjects.js
index 8a7c034f8ef4b..740231379880a 100644
--- a/test/functional/services/test_subjects.js
+++ b/test/functional/services/test_subjects.js
@@ -48,11 +48,6 @@ export function TestSubjectsProvider({ getService }) {
       );
     }
 
-    async existsInDOM(selector, timeout = WAIT_FOR_EXISTS_TIME) {
-      log.debug(`TestSubjects.existsInDOM(${selector})`);
-      return await find.existsByCssSelector(testSubjSelector(selector), timeout);
-    }
-
     async existOrFail(selector, existsOptions) {
       if (!await this.exists(selector, { timeout: TRY_TIME, ...existsOptions })) {
         throw new Error(`expected testSubject(${selector}) to exist`);