diff --git a/src/V3AstNodeOther.h b/src/V3AstNodeOther.h
index fcfb84837..1009c3234 100644
--- a/src/V3AstNodeOther.h
+++ b/src/V3AstNodeOther.h
@@ -1203,7 +1203,7 @@ class AstModportVarRef final : public AstNode {
     // A input/output/etc variable referenced under a modport
     // The storage for the variable itself is inside the interface, thus this is a reference
     // PARENT: AstModport
-    // @astgen op1 := m_exp : Optional[AstNodeExpr]
+    // @astgen op1 := exprp : Optional[AstNodeExpr]
     //
     // @astgen ptr := m_varp : Optional[AstVar]  // Link to the actual Var
     string m_name;  // Name of the variable referenced
@@ -1213,11 +1213,12 @@ public:
         : ASTGEN_SUPER_ModportVarRef(fl)
         , m_name{name}
         , m_direction{direction} {}
-    AstModportVarRef(FileLine* fl, const string& name, AstNodeExpr* exp, VDirection::en direction)
+    AstModportVarRef(FileLine* fl, const string& name, AstNodeExpr* exprp,
+                     VDirection::en direction)
         : ASTGEN_SUPER_ModportVarRef(fl)
         , m_name{name}
         , m_direction{direction} {
-        this->m_exp(exp);
+        this->exprp(exprp);
     };
     ASTGEN_MEMBERS_AstModportVarRef;
     void dump(std::ostream& str) const override;
diff --git a/src/V3LinkDot.cpp b/src/V3LinkDot.cpp
index 6079f3b3d..cc6dd323b 100644
--- a/src/V3LinkDot.cpp
+++ b/src/V3LinkDot.cpp
@@ -2530,7 +2530,7 @@ class LinkDotIfaceVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
         UINFO(5, "   fiv: " << nodep);
         iterateChildren(nodep);
         VSymEnt* symp = nullptr;
-        if (nodep->m_exp()) {
+        if (nodep->exprp()) {
             nodep->v3warn(E_UNSUPPORTED,
                           "Unsupported: Modport expressions (IEEE 1800-2023 25.5.4)");
         } else {
diff --git a/src/verilog.y b/src/verilog.y
index 3659455db..078ddd850 100644
--- a/src/verilog.y
+++ b/src/verilog.y
@@ -1710,13 +1710,9 @@ modportSimplePortOrTFPort<nodep>:// IEEE: modport_simple_port or modport_tf_port
                                                                 static_cast<AstNode*>(
                                                                   new AstModportVarRef{
                                                                     $<fl>1, *$1, GRAMMARP->m_varIO} ); }
-        |       '.' idAny '(' ')'                       { $$ = static_cast<AstNode*>(
-                                                                  new AstModportVarRef{
-                                                                    $<fl>2, *$2, GRAMMARP->m_varIO} );
+        |       '.' idAny '(' ')'                       { $$ = new AstModportVarRef{$<fl>2, *$2, GRAMMARP->m_varIO};
                                                           BBUNSUP($<fl>4, "Unsupported: Modport empty expression"); }
-        |       '.' idAny '(' expr ')'                  { $$ = static_cast<AstNode*>(
-                                                            new AstModportVarRef{
-                                                              $<fl>2, *$2, $4, GRAMMARP->m_varIO} ); }
+        |       '.' idAny '(' expr ')'                  { $$ = new AstModportVarRef{$<fl>2, *$2, $4, GRAMMARP->m_varIO}; }
         ;
 
 //************************************************
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_json_only_tag.out b/test_regress/t/t_json_only_tag.out
index c11b5c850..8f161ce67 100644
--- a/test_regress/t/t_json_only_tag.out
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_json_only_tag.out
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
     {"type":"VAR","name":"value","addr":"(X)","loc":"d,8:12,8:17","dtypep":"(W)","origName":"value","isSc":false,"isPrimaryIO":false,"isPrimaryClock":false,"direction":"NONE","isConst":false,"isPullup":false,"isPulldown":false,"isSigPublic":false,"isLatched":false,"isUsedLoopIdx":false,"noReset":false,"attrIsolateAssign":false,"attrFileDescr":false,"isDpiOpenArray":false,"isFuncReturn":false,"isFuncLocal":false,"isStdRandomizeArg":false,"lifetime":"VSTATICI","varType":"VAR","dtypeName":"integer","isSigUserRdPublic":false,"isSigUserRWPublic":false,"isGParam":false,"isParam":false,"attrScBv":false,"attrSFormat":false,"ignorePostWrite":false,"ignoreSchedWrite":false,"sensIfacep":"UNLINKED","childDTypep": [],"delayp": [],"valuep": [],"attrsp": []},
     {"type":"MODPORT","name":"out_modport","addr":"(MB)","loc":"d,9:12,9:23",
      "varsp": [
-      {"type":"MODPORTVARREF","name":"value","addr":"(NB)","loc":"d,9:32,9:37","direction":"OUTPUT","varp":"(X)"}
+      {"type":"MODPORTVARREF","name":"value","addr":"(NB)","loc":"d,9:32,9:37","direction":"OUTPUT","varp":"(X)","exprp": []}
     ]}
   ]}
 ],"filesp": [],