diff --git a/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/skip_invalid_return_tag.php.inc b/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/skip_invalid_return_tag.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f2f3f30f77b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/skip_invalid_return_tag.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\TypeDeclarationDocblocks\Rector\ClassMethod\DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector\Fixture;
+
+/**
+ * @return array'
+ */
+function withInvalidReturnTag(): array
+{
+    return ['value'];
+}
diff --git a/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php b/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php
index 11d6e670bc1..3605a255fc3 100644
--- a/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php
+++ b/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ public function refactor(Node $node): ?Node
 
         $phpDocInfo = $this->phpDocInfoFactory->createFromNodeOrEmpty($node);
 
+        // skip invalid @return tag, as adding a new one would never reach a fixed point
+        if ($phpDocInfo->hasInvalidTag('@return')) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
         if ($this->usefulArrayTagNodeAnalyzer->isUsefulArrayTag($phpDocInfo->getReturnTagValue())) {
             return null;
         }