diff --git a/include/podio/detail/Link.h b/include/podio/detail/Link.h
index c9ddd1b38..9cbb30ed8 100644
--- a/include/podio/detail/Link.h
+++ b/include/podio/detail/Link.h
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ class LinkT {
                          !detail::isInterfaceInitializableFrom<FromT, T>) {
       setTo(std::move(value));
     } else {
-      static_assert(detail::always_false<T>, "Argument type is ambiguous, can't determine link direction");
+      static_assert(sizeof(T) == 0, "Argument type is ambiguous, can't determine link direction");
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/include/podio/utilities/TypeHelpers.h b/include/podio/utilities/TypeHelpers.h
index b2a568f13..d774644d7 100644
--- a/include/podio/utilities/TypeHelpers.h
+++ b/include/podio/utilities/TypeHelpers.h
@@ -40,11 +40,6 @@ namespace det {
 
 namespace detail {
 
-  // A helper variable template that is always false, used for static_asserts
-  // and other compile-time checks that should always fail.
-  template <typename T>
-  inline constexpr bool always_false = false;
-
   /// Helper struct to determine whether a given type T is in a tuple of types
   /// that act as a type list in this case
   template <typename T, typename>
diff --git a/src/rootUtils.h b/src/rootUtils.h
index b022500b6..2a669ebe3 100644
--- a/src/rootUtils.h
+++ b/src/rootUtils.h
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 #include "podio/CollectionIDTable.h"
 #include "podio/utilities/RootHelpers.h"
-#include "podio/utilities/TypeHelpers.h"
 
 #include "TBranch.h"
 #include "TTree.h"
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ consteval auto getGPKeyName() {
   } else if constexpr (std::is_same<T, std::string>::value) {
     return stringKeyName;
   } else {
-    static_assert(podio::detail::always_false<T>, "Unsupported type for generic parameters");
+    static_assert(sizeof(T) == 0, "Unsupported type for generic parameters");
   }
 }
 
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ consteval auto getGPValueName() {
   } else if constexpr (std::is_same<T, std::string>::value) {
     return stringValueName;
   } else {
-    static_assert(podio::detail::always_false<T>, "Unsupported type for generic parameters");
+    static_assert(sizeof(T) == 0, "Unsupported type for generic parameters");
   }
 }
 
@@ -106,7 +105,7 @@ consteval auto getGPBranchOffsets() {
   } else if constexpr (std::is_same_v<T, std::string>) {
     return GPBranchOffsets{7, 8};
   } else {
-    static_assert(podio::detail::always_false<T>, "Unsupported type for generic parameters");
+    static_assert(sizeof(T) == 0, "Unsupported type for generic parameters");
   }
 }