diff --git a/lib/symboldatabase.cpp b/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
index 22a8c463e..1d6a286ae 100644
--- a/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
+++ b/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
@@ -4743,10 +4743,13 @@ void SymbolDatabase::setValueType(Token *tok, const ValueType &valuetype)
             if (isconst)
                 varvt.constness |= 1;
             setValueType(parent->previous(), varvt);
-            const_cast<Variable *>(parent->previous()->variable())->setFlags(varvt);
-            if (vt2->typeScope && vt2->typeScope->definedType) {
-                const_cast<Variable *>(parent->previous()->variable())->type(vt2->typeScope->definedType);
-                autoToken->type(vt2->typeScope->definedType);
+            Variable *var = const_cast<Variable *>(parent->previous()->variable());
+            if (var) {
+                var->setFlags(varvt);
+                if (vt2->typeScope && vt2->typeScope->definedType) {
+                    var->type(vt2->typeScope->definedType);
+                    autoToken->type(vt2->typeScope->definedType);
+                }
             }
         } else if (vt2->container) {
             // TODO: Determine exact type of RHS
diff --git a/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp b/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp
index f512f403b..a6cb3d49a 100644
--- a/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp
+++ b/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ private:
         TEST_CASE(auto6); // #7963 (segmentation fault)
         TEST_CASE(auto7);
         TEST_CASE(auto8);
+        TEST_CASE(auto9); // #8044 (segmentation fault)
     }
 
     void array() {
@@ -5159,6 +5160,31 @@ private:
         }
     }
 
+    void auto9() { // #8044 (segmentation fault)
+        GET_SYMBOL_DB("class DHTTokenTracker {\n"
+                      "  static const size_t SECRET_SIZE = 4;\n"
+                      "  unsigned char secret_[2][SECRET_SIZE];\n"
+                      "  void validateToken();\n"
+                      "};\n"
+                      "template <typename T> struct DerefEqual<T> derefEqual(const T& t) {\n"
+                      "  return DerefEqual<T>(t);\n"
+                      "}\n"
+                      "template <typename T>\n"
+                      "struct RefLess {\n"
+                      "  bool operator()(const std::shared_ptr<T>& lhs,\n"
+                      "                  const std::shared_ptr<T>& rhs)\n"
+                      "  {\n"
+                      "    return lhs.get() < rhs.get();\n"
+                      "  }\n"
+                      "};\n"
+                      "void DHTTokenTracker::validateToken()\n"
+                      "{\n"
+                      "  for (auto& elem : secret_) {\n"
+                      "  }\n"
+                      "}");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS(true,  db != nullptr); // not null
+    }
+
 };
 
 REGISTER_TEST(TestSymbolDatabase)