Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for controlling branch prediction. The apparatus has processing circuitry for executing instructions, and branch prediction circuitry that comprises a plurality of branch prediction mechanisms used to predict target addresses for branch instructions to be executed by the processing circuitry. The branch instructions comprise a plurality of branch types, where one branch type is a return instruction. The branch prediction mechanisms include a return prediction mechanism used by default to predict a target address when a return instruction is detected by the branch prediction circuitry. However, the branch prediction circuitry is responsive to a trigger condition indicative of misprediction of the target address when using the return prediction mechanism to predict the target address for a given return instruction, to switch to using an alternative branch prediction mechanism for predicting the target address for the given return instruction.