diff --git a/datafusion/optimizer/src/common_subexpr_eliminate.rs b/datafusion/optimizer/src/common_subexpr_eliminate.rs
index c63aec6d336a..3a38d9f8eb03 100644
--- a/datafusion/optimizer/src/common_subexpr_eliminate.rs
+++ b/datafusion/optimizer/src/common_subexpr_eliminate.rs
@@ -368,8 +368,8 @@ impl CommonSubexprEliminate {
 
                 None => Ok((new_window_expr_list, input, None)),
             })?
-            // Recurse into the new input. this is similar to top-down optimizer rule's
-            // logic.
+            // Recurse into the new input.
+            // (This is similar to what a `ApplyOrder::TopDown` optimizer rule would do.)
             .transform_data(|(new_window_expr_list, new_input, window_expr_list)| {
                 self.rewrite(new_input, config)?.map_data(|new_input| {
                     Ok((new_window_expr_list, new_input, window_expr_list))
@@ -467,8 +467,8 @@ impl CommonSubexprEliminate {
                     None => Ok((new_aggr_expr, new_group_expr, input, None)),
                 }
             })?
-            // Recurse into the new input. this is similar to top-down optimizer rule's
-            // logic.
+            // Recurse into the new input.
+            // (This is similar to what a `ApplyOrder::TopDown` optimizer rule would do.)
             .transform_data(|(new_aggr_expr, new_group_expr, new_input, aggr_expr)| {
                 self.rewrite(new_input, config)?.map_data(|new_input| {
                     Ok((
@@ -636,8 +636,8 @@ impl CommonSubexprEliminate {
                     None => Ok((new_exprs, input)),
                 }
             })?
-            // Recurse into the new input. This is similar to top-down optimizer rule's
-            // logic.
+            // Recurse into the new input.
+            // (This is similar to what a `ApplyOrder::TopDown` optimizer rule would do.)
             .transform_data(|(new_exprs, new_input)| {
                 self.rewrite(new_input, config)?
                     .map_data(|new_input| Ok((new_exprs, new_input)))
@@ -702,7 +702,10 @@ impl OptimizerRule for CommonSubexprEliminate {
     }
 
     fn apply_order(&self) -> Option<ApplyOrder> {
-        Some(ApplyOrder::TopDown)
+        // This rule handles recursion itself in a `ApplyOrder::TopDown` like manner.
+        // This is because in some cases adjacent nodes are collected (e.g. `Window`) and
+        // CSEd as a group, which can't be done in a simple `ApplyOrder::TopDown` rule.
+        None
     }
 
     fn rewrite(
@@ -740,8 +743,9 @@ impl OptimizerRule for CommonSubexprEliminate {
             | LogicalPlan::Unnest(_)
             | LogicalPlan::RecursiveQuery(_)
             | LogicalPlan::Prepare(_) => {
-                // ApplyOrder::TopDown handles recursion
-                Transformed::no(plan)
+                // This rule handles recursion itself in a `ApplyOrder::TopDown` like
+                // manner.
+                plan.map_children(|c| self.rewrite(c, config))?
             }
         };
 
@@ -1187,42 +1191,22 @@ mod test {
     };
     use datafusion_expr::{lit, logical_plan::builder::LogicalPlanBuilder};
 
+    use super::*;
     use crate::optimizer::OptimizerContext;
     use crate::test::*;
+    use crate::Optimizer;
     use datafusion_expr::test::function_stub::{avg, sum};
 
-    use super::*;
-
-    fn assert_non_optimized_plan_eq(
-        expected: &str,
-        plan: LogicalPlan,
-        config: Option<&dyn OptimizerConfig>,
-    ) {
-        assert_eq!(expected, format!("{plan}"), "Unexpected starting plan");
-        let optimizer = CommonSubexprEliminate::new();
-        let default_config = OptimizerContext::new();
-        let config = config.unwrap_or(&default_config);
-        let optimized_plan = optimizer.rewrite(plan, config).unwrap();
-        assert!(!optimized_plan.transformed, "unexpectedly optimize plan");
-        let optimized_plan = optimized_plan.data;
-        assert_eq!(
-            expected,
-            format!("{optimized_plan}"),
-            "Unexpected optimized plan"
-        );
-    }
-
     fn assert_optimized_plan_eq(
         expected: &str,
         plan: LogicalPlan,
         config: Option<&dyn OptimizerConfig>,
     ) {
-        let optimizer = CommonSubexprEliminate::new();
+        let optimizer =
+            Optimizer::with_rules(vec![Arc::new(CommonSubexprEliminate::new())]);
         let default_config = OptimizerContext::new();
         let config = config.unwrap_or(&default_config);
-        let optimized_plan = optimizer.rewrite(plan, config).unwrap();
-        assert!(optimized_plan.transformed, "failed to optimize plan");
-        let optimized_plan = optimized_plan.data;
+        let optimized_plan = optimizer.optimize(plan, config, |_, _| ()).unwrap();
         let formatted_plan = format!("{optimized_plan}");
         assert_eq!(expected, formatted_plan);
     }
@@ -1612,7 +1596,7 @@ mod test {
         let expected = "Projection: Int32(1) + test.a, test.a + Int32(1)\
         \n  TableScan: test";
 
-        assert_non_optimized_plan_eq(expected, plan, None);
+        assert_optimized_plan_eq(expected, plan, None);
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -1630,7 +1614,7 @@ mod test {
         \n  Projection: Int32(1) + test.a, test.a\
         \n    TableScan: test";
 
-        assert_non_optimized_plan_eq(expected, plan, None);
+        assert_optimized_plan_eq(expected, plan, None);
         Ok(())
     }