diff --git a/lib/checkother.cpp b/lib/checkother.cpp
index 4544d4fd8..4dfc80b5a 100644
--- a/lib/checkother.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkother.cpp
@@ -1616,7 +1616,7 @@ void CheckOther::functionVariableUsage()
                 if (Token::Match(tok->next(), "++|--"))
                     post = true;
 
-                unsigned int varid1 = tok->varId();
+                const unsigned int varid1 = tok->varId();
                 const Token *start = tok;
 
                 tok = tok->tokAt(doAssignment(variables, tok, dereference, scope));
@@ -1649,13 +1649,20 @@ void CheckOther::functionVariableUsage()
                     }
 
                     Variables::VariableUsage *var2 = variables.find(tok->varId());
-                    if (var2 && var2->_type == Variables::reference)
+                    if (var2)
                     {
-                        variables.writeAliases(tok->varId());
-                        variables.read(tok->varId());
+                        if (var2->_type == Variables::reference)
+                        {
+                            variables.writeAliases(tok->varId());
+                            variables.read(tok->varId());
+                        }
+                        else if (tok->varId() != varid1 && Token::Match(tok, "%var% ."))
+                            variables.use(tok->varId());
+                        else if (tok->varId() != varid1 &&
+                                 var2->_type == Variables::standard &&
+                                 tok->strAt(-1) != "&")
+                            variables.use(tok->varId());
                     }
-                    else if (tok->varId() != varid1 && Token::Match(tok, "%var% . %var%"))
-                        variables.use(tok->varId());
                 }
 
                 const Token *equal = tok->next();
diff --git a/test/testunusedvar.cpp b/test/testunusedvar.cpp
index 2782d2cc3..c39183242 100644
--- a/test/testunusedvar.cpp
+++ b/test/testunusedvar.cpp
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ private:
         TEST_CASE(localvar28); // ticket #2205
         TEST_CASE(localvar29); // ticket #2206 (array initialization)
         TEST_CASE(localvar30);
+        TEST_CASE(localvar31); // ticket #2286
         TEST_CASE(localvaralias1);
         TEST_CASE(localvaralias2); // ticket #1637
         TEST_CASE(localvaralias3); // ticket #1639
@@ -1325,6 +1326,15 @@ private:
         ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
     }
 
+    void localvar31() // ticket #2286
+    {
+        functionVariableUsage("void f() {\n"
+                              "    int x = 0;\n"
+                              "    a.x = x - b;\n"
+                              "}\n");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+    }
+
     void localvaralias1()
     {
         functionVariableUsage("void foo()\n"