diff --git a/lib/checknullpointer.cpp b/lib/checknullpointer.cpp
index 76731cd82..8e4c4f083 100644
--- a/lib/checknullpointer.cpp
+++ b/lib/checknullpointer.cpp
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ bool CheckNullPointer::isPointerDeRef(const Token *tok, bool &unknown, const Set
         return false;
 
     // read/write member variable
-    if (firstOperand && parent->str() == "." && (!parent->astParent() || parent->astParent()->str() != "&")) {
+    if (firstOperand && parent->originalName() == "->" && (!parent->astParent() || parent->astParent()->str() != "&")) {
         if (!parent->astParent() || parent->astParent()->str() != "(" || parent->astParent() == tok->previous())
             return true;
         unknown = true;
diff --git a/test/testnullpointer.cpp b/test/testnullpointer.cpp
index a3d15f308..2a7fc2c63 100644
--- a/test/testnullpointer.cpp
+++ b/test/testnullpointer.cpp
@@ -2596,6 +2596,15 @@ private:
               "    var->f();\n"
               "}\n");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+
+        // #9439
+        check("char* g();\n"
+              "char* f() {\n"
+              "    std::unique_ptr<char> x(g());\n"
+              "    if( x ) {}\n"
+              "    return x.release();\n"
+              "}\n", true);
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
     }
 
     void functioncall() {    // #3443 - function calls
diff --git a/test/testuninitvar.cpp b/test/testuninitvar.cpp
index b074400f6..b43268818 100644
--- a/test/testuninitvar.cpp
+++ b/test/testuninitvar.cpp
@@ -4503,7 +4503,7 @@ private:
                         "\n"
                         "int main() {\n"
                         "  Foo* foo;\n"
-                        "  foo.b\n"
+                        "  foo->b\n"
                         "}\n");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:7]: (error) Uninitialized variable: foo\n", errout.str());
     }