diff --git a/docs/changelog/126724.yaml b/docs/changelog/126724.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..8c41d04ff7ae5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/126724.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+pr: 126724
+summary: Fix painless return type cast for list shortcut
+area: Infra/Scripting
+type: bug
+issues: []
diff --git a/modules/lang-painless/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/painless/phase/DefaultIRTreeToASMBytesPhase.java b/modules/lang-painless/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/painless/phase/DefaultIRTreeToASMBytesPhase.java
index 04d74882f54ae..4ab0af644505c 100644
--- a/modules/lang-painless/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/painless/phase/DefaultIRTreeToASMBytesPhase.java
+++ b/modules/lang-painless/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/painless/phase/DefaultIRTreeToASMBytesPhase.java
@@ -1465,7 +1465,7 @@ public void visitLoadDotShortcut(LoadDotShortcutNode irDotSubShortcutNode, Write
         PainlessMethod getterPainlessMethod = irDotSubShortcutNode.getDecorationValue(IRDMethod.class);
         methodWriter.invokeMethodCall(getterPainlessMethod);
 
-        if (getterPainlessMethod.returnType().equals(getterPainlessMethod.javaMethod().getReturnType()) == false) {
+        if (getterPainlessMethod.returnType() != getterPainlessMethod.javaMethod().getReturnType()) {
             methodWriter.checkCast(MethodWriter.getType(getterPainlessMethod.returnType()));
         }
     }
@@ -1478,7 +1478,7 @@ public void visitLoadListShortcut(LoadListShortcutNode irLoadListShortcutNode, W
         PainlessMethod getterPainlessMethod = irLoadListShortcutNode.getDecorationValue(IRDMethod.class);
         methodWriter.invokeMethodCall(getterPainlessMethod);
 
-        if (getterPainlessMethod.returnType() == getterPainlessMethod.javaMethod().getReturnType()) {
+        if (getterPainlessMethod.returnType() != getterPainlessMethod.javaMethod().getReturnType()) {
             methodWriter.checkCast(MethodWriter.getType(getterPainlessMethod.returnType()));
         }
     }