diff --git a/lib/rubocop/cop/rspec/unspecified_exception.rb b/lib/rubocop/cop/rspec/unspecified_exception.rb
index 30d4c49af..e7d90fec1 100644
--- a/lib/rubocop/cop/rspec/unspecified_exception.rb
+++ b/lib/rubocop/cop/rspec/unspecified_exception.rb
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ def empty_exception_matcher?(node)
         def find_expect_to(node)
           node.each_ancestor.find do |ancestor|
             break if ancestor.block_type?
-            next unless ancestor.send_type?
 
             expect_to?(ancestor)
           end
diff --git a/spec/rubocop/cop/rspec/unspecified_exception_spec.rb b/spec/rubocop/cop/rspec/unspecified_exception_spec.rb
index 8c41e6b30..65034a8cd 100644
--- a/spec/rubocop/cop/rspec/unspecified_exception_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rubocop/cop/rspec/unspecified_exception_spec.rb
@@ -243,15 +243,10 @@ def raise_error
       RUBY
     end
 
-    it 'allows a subject function to be named raise_error' do
-      expect_no_offenses(<<~RUBY)
-        def raise_error
-          raise StandardError
-        end
-
-        expect {
-          raise_error
-        }.to raise_exception(StandardError)
+    it 'detects even when a non-send node is an ancestor' do
+      expect_offense(<<~RUBY)
+        expect { raise 'error' }.to (branch_conditional ? raise_error : handle_exception)
+                                                          ^^^^^^^^^^^ Specify the exception being captured
       RUBY
     end
   end