diff --git a/lib/checkclass.cpp b/lib/checkclass.cpp
index 76217d7f0..c59fcb35e 100644
--- a/lib/checkclass.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkclass.cpp
@@ -908,7 +908,7 @@ void CheckClass::checkReturnPtrThis(const Scope *scope, const Function *func, co
                 // check if it is a member function
                 for (it = scope->functionList.begin(); it != scope->functionList.end(); ++it)
                 {
-                    // check for a regular function with the same name and a bofy
+                    // check for a regular function with the same name and a body
                     if (it->type == Function::eFunction && it->hasBody &&
                         it->token->str() == tok->next()->str())
                     {
@@ -918,7 +918,16 @@ void CheckClass::checkReturnPtrThis(const Scope *scope, const Function *func, co
                         {
                             // make sure it's not a const function
                             if (it->arg->link()->next()->str() != "const")
-                                checkReturnPtrThis(scope, &*it, it->arg->link()->next(), it->arg->link()->next()->link());
+                            {
+                                /** @todo make sure argument types match */
+                                // make sure it's not the same function
+                                if (&*it != func)
+                                    checkReturnPtrThis(scope, &*it, it->arg->link()->next(), it->arg->link()->next()->link());
+
+                                // just bail for now
+                                else
+                                    return;
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/test/testclass.cpp b/test/testclass.cpp
index 563f07549..431c7252e 100644
--- a/test/testclass.cpp
+++ b/test/testclass.cpp
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ private:
         TEST_CASE(operatorEqRetRefThis3); // ticket #1405
         TEST_CASE(operatorEqRetRefThis4); // ticket #1451
         TEST_CASE(operatorEqRetRefThis5); // ticket #1550
+        TEST_CASE(operatorEqRetRefThis6); // ticket #2479
         TEST_CASE(operatorEqToSelf1);   // single class
         TEST_CASE(operatorEqToSelf2);   // nested class
         TEST_CASE(operatorEqToSelf3);   // multiple inheritance
@@ -475,6 +476,23 @@ private:
         ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:5]: (style) 'operator=' should return reference to self\n", errout.str());
     }
 
+    void operatorEqRetRefThis6() // ticket #2478 (segmentation fault)
+    {
+        checkOpertorEqRetRefThis(
+            "class UString {\n"
+            "public:\n"
+            "    UString& assign( const char* c_str );\n"
+            "    UString& operator=( const UString& s );\n"
+            "};\n"
+            "UString& UString::assign( const char* c_str ) {\n"
+            "	std::string tmp( c_str );\n"
+            "	return assign( tmp );\n"
+            "}\n"
+            "UString& UString::operator=( const UString& s ) {\n"
+            "	return assign( s );\n"
+            "}\n");
+    }
+
     // Check that operator Equal checks for assignment to self
     void checkOpertorEqToSelf(const char code[])
     {