diff --git a/lib/valueflow.cpp b/lib/valueflow.cpp
index b9988c40d..9c601743c 100644
--- a/lib/valueflow.cpp
+++ b/lib/valueflow.cpp
@@ -618,6 +618,9 @@ static bool valueFlowForward(Token * const               startToken,
             if (varusage) {
                 varusagelevel = indentlevel;
 
+                if (indentlevel < 0 && tok2->str() == "switch")
+                    return false;
+
                 // TODO: don't check noreturn scopes
                 if (number_of_if > 0U || Token::findmatch(tok2, "%varid%", start, varid)) {
                     if (settings->debugwarnings)
@@ -683,6 +686,7 @@ static bool valueFlowForward(Token * const               startToken,
                 const Scope *scope = tok2->scope();
                 if (scope && scope->type == Scope::eSwitch) {
                     tok2 = const_cast<Token *>(scope->classEnd);
+                    --indentlevel;
                     continue;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/test/testvalueflow.cpp b/test/testvalueflow.cpp
index 11e4a7a24..6c38a44b9 100644
--- a/test/testvalueflow.cpp
+++ b/test/testvalueflow.cpp
@@ -754,6 +754,18 @@ private:
                "}";
         ASSERT_EQUALS(true, testValueOfX(code, 7U, 12));
         ASSERT_EQUALS(true, testValueOfX(code, 7U, 34));
+
+        code = "void f() {\n" // #5981
+               "  int x;\n"
+               "  switch (ab) {\n"
+               "    case A: x = 12; break;\n"
+               "    case B: x = 34; break;\n"
+               "  }\n"
+               "  switch (ab) {\n"
+               "    case A: v = x; break;\n" // <- x is not 34
+               "  }\n"
+               "}";
+        ASSERT_EQUALS(false, testValueOfX(code, 8U, 34));
     }
 
     void valueFlowAfterCondition() {