diff --git a/lib/astutils.cpp b/lib/astutils.cpp
index 27a01ab0382..3c5c51498ba 100644
--- a/lib/astutils.cpp
+++ b/lib/astutils.cpp
@@ -3001,7 +3001,7 @@ bool isVariableChanged(const Variable * var, const Settings &settings, int depth
     const Token * start = var->declEndToken();
     if (!start)
         return false;
-    if (Token::Match(start, "; %varid% =", var->declarationId()))
+    if (Token::Match(start, "; %varid% =", var->declarationId()) && !Token::simpleMatch(start->previous(), ")"))
         start = start->tokAt(2);
     if (Token::simpleMatch(start, "=")) {
         const Token* next = nextAfterAstRightmostLeafGeneric(start);
diff --git a/test/testother.cpp b/test/testother.cpp
index 0b87a07f160..92fefb72fd3 100644
--- a/test/testother.cpp
+++ b/test/testother.cpp
@@ -4146,6 +4146,14 @@ class TestOther : public TestFixture {
               "    *o = 1;\n"
               "}\n");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout_str());
+
+        check("int f() {\n"
+              "  int x = 0;\n"
+              "  int& r(x);\n"
+              "  r = x;\n"
+              "  return r;\n"
+              "}\n");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout_str());
     }
 
     void constParameterCallback() {