diff --git a/lib/checkautovariables.cpp b/lib/checkautovariables.cpp
index 189ece060..b2d49adc9 100644
--- a/lib/checkautovariables.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkautovariables.cpp
@@ -465,6 +465,20 @@ static bool isDeadTemporary(bool cpp, const Token* tok, const Token* expr, const
     return true;
 }
 
+static bool isEscapedReference(const Variable* var)
+{
+    if (!var)
+        return false;
+    if (!var->isReference())
+        return false;
+    if (!var->declEndToken())
+        return false;
+    if (!Token::simpleMatch(var->declEndToken(), "="))
+        return false;
+    const Token* vartok = var->declEndToken()->astOperand2();
+    return !isTemporary(true, vartok, nullptr, false);
+}
+
 void CheckAutoVariables::checkVarLifetimeScope(const Token * start, const Token * end)
 {
     if (!start)
@@ -512,7 +526,8 @@ void CheckAutoVariables::checkVarLifetimeScope(const Token * start, const Token
                         continue;
                     if (!isLifetimeBorrowed(tok, mSettings))
                         continue;
-                    if ((tokvalue->variable() && isInScope(tokvalue->variable()->nameToken(), scope)) ||
+                    if ((tokvalue->variable() && !isEscapedReference(tokvalue->variable()) &&
+                         isInScope(tokvalue->variable()->nameToken(), scope)) ||
                         isDeadTemporary(mTokenizer->isCPP(), tokvalue, tok, &mSettings->library)) {
                         errorReturnDanglingLifetime(tok, &val);
                         break;
diff --git a/test/testautovariables.cpp b/test/testautovariables.cpp
index 34f9b20b8..53905735d 100644
--- a/test/testautovariables.cpp
+++ b/test/testautovariables.cpp
@@ -1647,6 +1647,15 @@ private:
               "    g(&x);\n"
               "}\n");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+
+        check("struct Data {\n"
+              "    std::string path;\n"
+              "};\n"
+              "const char* foo() {\n"
+              "    const Data& data = getData();\n"
+              "    return data.path.c_str();\n"
+              "}\n");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
     }
 
     void danglingReference() {