diff --git a/lib/element/locator.js b/lib/element/locator.js
index 3c517efed3..d44155dbe1 100644
--- a/lib/element/locator.js
+++ b/lib/element/locator.js
@@ -17,10 +17,9 @@ const availableLocators = {
 class LocateElement {
   /**
    * @param {object|string} element
-   * @param {boolean} isAppiumClient
-   * @return {*}
+   * @return {Element|By|RelativeBy}
    */
-  static create(element, isAppiumClient) {
+  static create(element) {
     if (!element) {
       throw new Error(`Error while trying to locate element: missing element definition; got: "${element}".`);
     }
@@ -51,13 +50,7 @@ class LocateElement {
       selector = element;
     }
 
-    const elementInstance = Element.createFromSelector(selector, strategy);
-
-    if (isAppiumClient && strategy === 'id') {
-      return new By(strategy, selector);
-    }
-
-    return By[availableLocators[elementInstance.locateStrategy]](elementInstance.selector);
+    return Element.createFromSelector(selector, strategy);
   }
 
   get api() {
@@ -306,6 +299,28 @@ class LocateElement {
   }
 }
 
+class Locator extends LocateElement {
+  /**
+   * @param {object|string} element
+   * @param {boolean} [isAppiumClient]
+   * @return {By|RelativeBy}
+   */
+  static create(element, isAppiumClient) {
+    const elementInstance = super.create(element);
+
+    if (!(elementInstance instanceof Element)) {
+      // elementInstance actually an instance of By or RelativeBy
+      return elementInstance;
+    }
+
+    if (isAppiumClient && elementInstance.locateStrategy === 'id') {
+      return new By(elementInstance.locateStrategy, elementInstance.selector);
+    }
+
+    return By[availableLocators[elementInstance.locateStrategy]](elementInstance.selector);
+  }
+}
+
 class NoSuchElementError extends Error {
   constructor({element, ms, abortOnFailure, retries}) {
     super();
@@ -319,5 +334,5 @@ class NoSuchElementError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
-module.exports = LocateElement;
+module.exports = Locator;
 module.exports.NoSuchElementError = NoSuchElementError;