diff --git a/lib/checkunusedvar.cpp b/lib/checkunusedvar.cpp
index da2587cd4..630ad66d8 100644
--- a/lib/checkunusedvar.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkunusedvar.cpp
@@ -1199,7 +1199,7 @@ void CheckUnusedVar::checkFunctionVariableUsage()
             if (tok->str() == "=" && !(tok->valueType() && tok->valueType()->pointer) && isRaiiClass(tok->valueType(), mTokenizer->isCPP(), false))
                 continue;
 
-            const bool isPointer = tok->valueType() && tok->valueType()->pointer;
+            const bool isPointer = tok->valueType() && (tok->valueType()->pointer || tok->valueType()->type == ValueType::SMART_POINTER);
 
             if (tok->isName()) {
                 if (isRaiiClass(tok->valueType(), mTokenizer->isCPP(), false))
diff --git a/test/testunusedvar.cpp b/test/testunusedvar.cpp
index 8ff2097f1..459a4a33e 100644
--- a/test/testunusedvar.cpp
+++ b/test/testunusedvar.cpp
@@ -6012,6 +6012,12 @@ private:
                               "    return *p;\n"
                               "}\n");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+
+        functionVariableUsage("struct S { S(); };\n" // #11108
+                              "void f(std::unique_ptr<S> p) {\n"
+                              "    p = nullptr;\n"
+                              "}\n");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
     }
 
     // ticket #3104 - false positive when variable is read with "if (NOT var)"