diff --git a/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/return_empty.php.inc b/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/return_empty.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..89904edff8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector/Fixture/return_empty.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\TypeDeclarationDocblocks\Rector\ClassMethod\DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector\Fixture;
+
+class ReturnEmpty
+{
+    public function run(): array
+    {
+        return [];
+    }
+}
+
+?>
+-----
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\TypeDeclarationDocblocks\Rector\ClassMethod\DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector\Fixture;
+
+class ReturnEmpty
+{
+    /**
+     * @return array<int, mixed>
+     */
+    public function run(): array
+    {
+        return [];
+    }
+}
+
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php b/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php
index f621c68b5c4..5230c2b6140 100644
--- a/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php
+++ b/rules/TypeDeclarationDocblocks/Rector/ClassMethod/DocblockReturnArrayFromDirectArrayInstanceRector.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 use PHPStan\Type\FloatType;
 use PHPStan\Type\IntegerType;
 use PHPStan\Type\MixedType;
+use PHPStan\Type\NeverType;
 use PHPStan\Type\StringType;
 use PHPStan\Type\Type;
 use Rector\BetterPhpDocParser\PhpDocInfo\PhpDocInfoFactory;
@@ -152,6 +153,10 @@ private function createGenericArrayTypeFromConstantArrayType(ConstantArrayType $
     {
         $genericKeyType = $this->constantToGenericType($constantArrayType->getKeyType());
 
+        if ($constantArrayType->getItemType() instanceof NeverType) {
+            $genericKeyType = new IntegerType();
+        }
+
         $itemType = $constantArrayType->getItemType();
         if ($itemType instanceof ConstantArrayType) {
             $genericItemType = $this->createGenericArrayTypeFromConstantArrayType($itemType);