diff --git a/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/RemoveMethodCallVisitor.java b/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/RemoveMethodCallVisitor.java
index 774c63000f..52e9dd2adb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/RemoveMethodCallVisitor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/RemoveMethodCallVisitor.java
@@ -19,12 +19,9 @@
 import org.jspecify.annotations.Nullable;
 import org.openrewrite.java.JavaIsoVisitor;
 import org.openrewrite.java.MethodMatcher;
-import org.openrewrite.java.tree.Expression;
-import org.openrewrite.java.tree.J;
-import org.openrewrite.java.tree.MethodCall;
+import org.openrewrite.java.tree.*;
 
 import java.util.function.BiPredicate;
-import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
 /**
  * Removes all {@link MethodCall} matching both the
@@ -48,33 +45,48 @@ public class RemoveMethodCallVisitor<P> extends JavaIsoVisitor<P> {
     @SuppressWarnings("NullableProblems")
     @Override
     public J.@Nullable NewClass visitNewClass(J.NewClass newClass, P p) {
-        return visitMethodCall(newClass, () -> super.visitNewClass(newClass, p));
+        if (methodMatcher.matches(newClass) && predicateMatchesAllArguments(newClass) && isStatementInParentBlock(newClass)) {
+            if (newClass.getMethodType() != null) {
+                maybeRemoveImport(newClass.getMethodType().getDeclaringType());
+            }
+            return null;
+        }
+        return super.visitNewClass(newClass, p);
     }
 
     @SuppressWarnings("NullableProblems")
     @Override
     public J.@Nullable MethodInvocation visitMethodInvocation(J.MethodInvocation method, P p) {
-        return visitMethodCall(method, () -> super.visitMethodInvocation(method, p));
-    }
+        // Find method invocations that match the specified method and arguments
+        if (methodMatcher.matches(method) && predicateMatchesAllArguments(method)) {
+            // If the method invocation is a standalone statement, remove it altogether
+            if (isStatementInParentBlock(method)) {
+                if (method.getMethodType() != null) {
+                    maybeRemoveImport(method.getMethodType().getDeclaringType());
+                }
+                return null;
+            }
 
-    private <M extends MethodCall> @Nullable M visitMethodCall(M methodCall, Supplier<M> visitSuper) {
-        if (!methodMatcher.matches(methodCall)) {
-            return visitSuper.get();
-        }
-        J.Block parentBlock = getCursor().firstEnclosing(J.Block.class);
-        //noinspection SuspiciousMethodCalls
-        if (parentBlock != null && !parentBlock.getStatements().contains(methodCall)) {
-            return visitSuper.get();
-        }
-        // Remove the method invocation when the argumentMatcherPredicate is true for all arguments
-        for (int i = 0; i < methodCall.getArguments().size(); i++) {
-            if (!argumentPredicate.test(i, methodCall.getArguments().get(i))) {
-                return visitSuper.get();
+            // If the method invocation is in a fluent chain, remove just the current invocation
+            if (method.getSelect() instanceof J.MethodInvocation &&
+                TypeUtils.isOfType(method.getType(), method.getSelect().getType())) {
+                return super.visitMethodInvocation((J.MethodInvocation) method.getSelect(), p);
             }
         }
-        if (methodCall.getMethodType() != null) {
-            maybeRemoveImport(methodCall.getMethodType().getDeclaringType());
+        return super.visitMethodInvocation(method, p);
+    }
+
+    private boolean predicateMatchesAllArguments(MethodCall method) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < method.getArguments().size(); i++) {
+            if (!argumentPredicate.test(i, method.getArguments().get(i))) {
+                return false;
+            }
         }
-        return null;
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    private boolean isStatementInParentBlock(Statement method) {
+        J.Block parentBlock = getCursor().firstEnclosing(J.Block.class);
+        return parentBlock == null || parentBlock.getStatements().contains(method);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/RemoveMethodCallVisitorTest.java b/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/RemoveMethodCallVisitorTest.java
index a8ad6a73f3..21ac36efe4 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/RemoveMethodCallVisitorTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/RemoveMethodCallVisitorTest.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ void assertTrueIsRemoved() {
             """
               abstract class Test {
                   abstract void assertTrue(boolean condition);
-
+              
                   void test() {
                       System.out.println("Hello");
                       assertTrue(true);
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ void test() {
               """, """
               abstract class Test {
                   abstract void assertTrue(boolean condition);
-
+              
                   void test() {
                       System.out.println("Hello");
                       System.out.println("World");
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ void assertTrueFalseIsNotRemoved() {
             """
               abstract class Test {
                   abstract void assertTrue(boolean condition);
-
+              
                   void test() {
                       System.out.println("Hello");
                       assertTrue(false);
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ void assertTrueTwoArgIsRemoved() {
             """
               abstract class Test {
                   abstract void assertTrue(String message, boolean condition);
-
+              
                   void test() {
                       System.out.println("Hello");
                       assertTrue("message", true);
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ void test() {
             """
               abstract class Test {
                   abstract void assertTrue(String message, boolean condition);
-
+              
                   void test() {
                       System.out.println("Hello");
                       System.out.println("World");
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ void doesNotRemoveAssertTrueIfReturnValueIsUsed() {
             """
               abstract class Test {
                   abstract int assertTrue(boolean condition);
-
+              
                   void test() {
                       System.out.println("Hello");
                       int value = assertTrue(true);
@@ -136,4 +136,34 @@ void test() {
           )
         );
     }
+
+    @Test
+    void removeMethodCallFromFluentChain() {
+        rewriteRun(
+          spec -> spec.recipe(RewriteTest.toRecipe(() -> new RemoveMethodCallVisitor<>(
+            new MethodMatcher("java.lang.StringBuilder append(..)"), (i, e) -> true))),
+          // language=java
+          java(
+            """
+              class Main {
+                  void hello() {
+                      final String s = new StringBuilder("hello")
+                              .delete(1, 2)
+                              .append("world")
+                              .toString();
+                  }
+              }
+              """,
+            """
+              class Main {
+                  void hello() {
+                      final String s = new StringBuilder("hello")
+                              .delete(1, 2)
+                              .toString();
+                  }
+              }
+              """
+          )
+        );
+    }
 }