diff --git a/cue/ast/astutil/sanitize_test.go b/cue/ast/astutil/sanitize_test.go
index b6fe9b144..cb54a29b9 100644
--- a/cue/ast/astutil/sanitize_test.go
+++ b/cue/ast/astutil/sanitize_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func TestSanitize(t *testing.T) {
 		desc: "Take existing import and rename it",
 		file: func() *ast.File {
 			spec := ast.NewImport(nil, "list")
-			spec.AddComment(internal.NewComment(true, "will be renamed"))
+			ast.AddComment(spec, internal.NewComment(true, "will be renamed"))
 			return &ast.File{Decls: []ast.Decl{
 				&ast.ImportDecl{Specs: []*ast.ImportSpec{spec}},
 				&ast.EmbedDecl{
diff --git a/cue/format/import.go b/cue/format/import.go
index 873de2c7f..7fef6a97e 100644
--- a/cue/format/import.go
+++ b/cue/format/import.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func setRelativePos(s *ast.ImportSpec, r token.RelPos) {
 }
 
 func hasDoc(s *ast.ImportSpec) bool {
-	for _, doc := range s.Comments() {
+	for _, doc := range ast.Comments(s) {
 		if doc.Doc {
 			return true
 		}
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ func importName(s *ast.ImportSpec) string {
 }
 
 func importComment(s *ast.ImportSpec) string {
-	for _, c := range s.Comments() {
+	for _, c := range ast.Comments(s) {
 		if c.Line {
 			return c.Text()
 		}
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func collapse(prev, next *ast.ImportSpec) bool {
 	if importPath(next) != importPath(prev) || importName(next) != importName(prev) {
 		return false
 	}
-	for _, c := range prev.Comments() {
+	for _, c := range ast.Comments(prev) {
 		if !c.Doc {
 			return false
 		}
diff --git a/cue/format/node.go b/cue/format/node.go
index 91503f74e..24783a08d 100644
--- a/cue/format/node.go
+++ b/cue/format/node.go
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ func (f *formatter) decl(decl ast.Decl) {
 			break
 		}
 		switch {
-		case len(n.Specs) == 1 && len(n.Specs[0].Comments()) == 0:
+		case len(n.Specs) == 1 && len(ast.Comments(n.Specs[0])) == 0:
 			if !n.Lparen.IsValid() {
 				f.print(blank)
 				f.walkSpecList(n.Specs)
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@ func (f *formatter) exprRaw(expr ast.Expr, prec1, depth int) {
 		case len(x.Elts) == 0:
 			// collapse curly braces if the body is empty.
 			ffAlt := blank | nooverride
-			for _, c := range x.Comments() {
+			for _, c := range ast.Comments(x) {
 				if c.Position == 1 {
 					ffAlt = ff
 					break
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ func (f *formatter) exprRaw(expr ast.Expr, prec1, depth int) {
 		if len(x.Elts) == 0 {
 			// collapse square brackets if the body is empty.
 			collapseWs := blank | nooverride
-			for _, c := range x.Comments() {
+			for _, c := range ast.Comments(x) {
 				if c.Position == 1 {
 					collapseWs = ws
 					break
diff --git a/cue/types.go b/cue/types.go
index c7db3e503..3d9dd4033 100644
--- a/cue/types.go
+++ b/cue/types.go
@@ -965,14 +965,14 @@ outer:
 			for _, c := range ast.Comments(e.Expr) {
 				ast.AddComment(f, c)
 			}
-			ast.SetComments(e.Expr, f.Comments())
+			ast.SetComments(e.Expr, ast.Comments(f))
 			return e.Expr
 		}
 	}
 	st := &ast.StructLit{
 		Elts: f.Decls,
 	}
-	ast.SetComments(st, f.Comments())
+	ast.SetComments(st, ast.Comments(f))
 	return st
 }
 
diff --git a/encoding/jsonschema/constraints_object.go b/encoding/jsonschema/constraints_object.go
index 764aeda0a..02240d109 100644
--- a/encoding/jsonschema/constraints_object.go
+++ b/encoding/jsonschema/constraints_object.go
@@ -392,10 +392,10 @@ func constraintProperties(key string, n cue.Value, s *state) {
 			f.Value = ast.NewString(s.k8sAPIVersion)
 			hasAPIVersion = true
 		}
-		if len(obj.Elts) > 0 && len(f.Comments()) > 0 {
+		if len(obj.Elts) > 0 && len(ast.Comments(f)) > 0 {
 			// TODO: change formatter such that either a NewSection on the
 			// field or doc comment will cause a new section.
-			ast.SetRelPos(f.Comments()[0], token.NewSection)
+			ast.SetRelPos(ast.Comments(f)[0], token.NewSection)
 		}
 		if state.deprecated {
 			switch expr.(type) {
diff --git a/encoding/openapi/decode.go b/encoding/openapi/decode.go
index 5a6fea05e..71a37ee1b 100644
--- a/encoding/openapi/decode.go
+++ b/encoding/openapi/decode.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func Extract(data cue.InstanceOrValue, c *Config) (*ast.File, error) {
 
 	if c.PkgName != "" {
 		p := &ast.Package{Name: ast.NewIdent(c.PkgName)}
-		p.AddComment(cg)
+		ast.AddComment(p, cg)
 		add(p)
 	} else if cg != nil {
 		add(cg)
diff --git a/encoding/protobuf/parse.go b/encoding/protobuf/parse.go
index 56c2a1a3f..10850ad8d 100644
--- a/encoding/protobuf/parse.go
+++ b/encoding/protobuf/parse.go
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ func (p *protoConverter) oneOf(x *proto.Oneof) {
 	s := ast.NewStruct()
 	ast.SetRelPos(s, token.Newline)
 	embed := &ast.EmbedDecl{Expr: s}
-	embed.AddComment(comment(x.Comment, true))
+	ast.AddComment(embed, comment(x.Comment, true))
 
 	p.addDecl(embed)
 
diff --git a/internal/core/compile/compile.go b/internal/core/compile/compile.go
index 491ac37d0..9fdf1a514 100644
--- a/internal/core/compile/compile.go
+++ b/internal/core/compile/compile.go
@@ -810,7 +810,7 @@ func (c *compiler) decl(d ast.Decl) adt.Decl {
 		for _, c := range ast.Comments(x.Expr) {
 			ast.AddComment(x, c)
 		}
-		ast.SetComments(x.Expr, x.Comments())
+		ast.SetComments(x.Expr, ast.Comments(x))
 		return c.expr(x.Expr)
 
 	case ast.Expr:
diff --git a/internal/core/export/export.go b/internal/core/export/export.go
index b87e10f2e..7afd071c3 100644
--- a/internal/core/export/export.go
+++ b/internal/core/export/export.go
@@ -224,12 +224,12 @@ func (e *exporter) toFile(v *adt.Vertex, x ast.Expr) *ast.File {
 		if pkgName != "" {
 			pkg.Name = ast.NewIdent(pkgName)
 			fout.Decls = append(fout.Decls, pkg)
-			ast.SetComments(pkg, mergeDocs(pkg.Comments()))
+			ast.SetComments(pkg, mergeDocs(ast.Comments(pkg)))
 		} else {
-			for _, c := range fout.Comments() {
+			for _, c := range ast.Comments(fout) {
 				ast.AddComment(pkg, c)
 			}
-			ast.SetComments(fout, mergeDocs(pkg.Comments()))
+			ast.SetComments(fout, mergeDocs(ast.Comments(pkg)))
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/core/export/extract.go b/internal/core/export/extract.go
index ce7e3ddb9..26f3d1b25 100644
--- a/internal/core/export/extract.go
+++ b/internal/core/export/extract.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func extractDocs(v *adt.Vertex) (docs []*ast.CommentGroup) {
 				continue
 			}
 			fields = append(fields, f)
-			for _, cg := range f.Comments() {
+			for _, cg := range ast.Comments(f) {
 				if !containsDoc(docs, cg) && cg.Doc {
 					docs = append(docs, cg)
 				}
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func extractDocs(v *adt.Vertex) (docs []*ast.CommentGroup) {
 			for _, child := range fields {
 				if nested == child {
 					newFields = append(newFields, f)
-					for _, cg := range f.Comments() {
+					for _, cg := range ast.Comments(f) {
 						if !containsDoc(docs, cg) && cg.Doc {
 							docs = append(docs, cg)
 						}
diff --git a/internal/core/export/value.go b/internal/core/export/value.go
index b1695a087..d9315bf6a 100644
--- a/internal/core/export/value.go
+++ b/internal/core/export/value.go
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ func (e *exporter) bottom(n *adt.Bottom) *ast.BottomLit {
 	if x := n.Err; x != nil {
 		msg := x.Error()
 		comment := &ast.Comment{Text: "// " + msg}
-		err.AddComment(&ast.CommentGroup{
+		ast.AddComment(err, &ast.CommentGroup{
 			Line:     true,
 			Position: 2,
 			List:     []*ast.Comment{comment},
diff --git a/internal/internal.go b/internal/internal.go
index b65a4cc0f..298c023b4 100644
--- a/internal/internal.go
+++ b/internal/internal.go
@@ -181,10 +181,10 @@ func FileComments(f *ast.File) (docs, rest []*ast.CommentGroup) {
 	hasPkg := false
 	if pkg, _ := Package(f); pkg != nil {
 		hasPkg = true
-		docs = pkg.Comments()
+		docs = ast.Comments(pkg)
 	}
 
-	for _, c := range f.Comments() {
+	for _, c := range ast.Comments(f) {
 		if c.Doc {
 			docs = append(docs, c)
 		} else {