diff --git a/lib/checkclass.cpp b/lib/checkclass.cpp
index 8fbbd3d15..5dc72cda0 100644
--- a/lib/checkclass.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkclass.cpp
@@ -1075,7 +1075,7 @@ void CheckClass::privateFunctions()
     if (!_settings->_checkCodingStyle)
         return;
 
-    const char pattern_class[] = "class|struct %var% {|:";
+    const char pattern_class[] = "class|struct %var% {";
 
     // Locate some class
     for (const Token *tok1 = Token::findmatch(_tokenizer->tokens(), pattern_class);
diff --git a/test/testunusedprivfunc.cpp b/test/testunusedprivfunc.cpp
index 65f627c40..5f7ad8024 100644
--- a/test/testunusedprivfunc.cpp
+++ b/test/testunusedprivfunc.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ private:
         TEST_CASE(classInClass);
         TEST_CASE(sameFunctionNames);
         TEST_CASE(incompleteImplementation);
+
+        TEST_CASE(derivedClass);   // skip warning for derived classes. It might be a virtual function.
     }
 
 
@@ -359,6 +361,19 @@ private:
               "void A::b() { }\n");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
     }
+
+    void derivedClass()
+    {
+        // skip warning in derived classes in case the function is virtual
+        check("class derived : public base\n"
+              "{\n"
+              "public:\n"
+              "    derived() : base() { }\n"
+              "private:\n"
+              "    void f();\n"
+              "};\n");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+    }
 };
 
 REGISTER_TEST(TestUnusedPrivateFunction)