diff --git a/lib/checkautovariables.cpp b/lib/checkautovariables.cpp
index f642239fb..2d44003fb 100644
--- a/lib/checkautovariables.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkautovariables.cpp
@@ -407,6 +407,11 @@ void CheckAutoVariables::returnReference()
         // have we reached a function that returns a reference?
         if (tok->previous() && tok->previous()->str() == "&") {
             for (const Token *tok2 = scope->classStart->next(); tok2 && tok2 != scope->classEnd; tok2 = tok2->next()) {
+                if (!tok2->scope()->isExecutable()) {
+                    tok2 = tok2->scope()->classEnd;
+                    continue;
+                }
+
                 // Skip over lambdas
                 if (tok2->str() == "[" && tok2->link()->strAt(1) == "(" && tok2->link()->linkAt(1)->strAt(1) == "{")
                     tok2 = tok2->link()->linkAt(1)->linkAt(1);
diff --git a/test/testautovariables.cpp b/test/testautovariables.cpp
index 6353c0e9e..383994d20 100644
--- a/test/testautovariables.cpp
+++ b/test/testautovariables.cpp
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ private:
         TEST_CASE(returnReferenceLiteral);
         TEST_CASE(returnReferenceCalculation);
         TEST_CASE(returnReferenceLambda);
+        TEST_CASE(returnReferenceInnerScope);
 
         // global namespace
         TEST_CASE(testglobalnamespace);
@@ -966,6 +967,19 @@ private:
         ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
     }
 
+    void returnReferenceInnerScope() {
+        // #6951
+        check("const Callback& make() {\n"
+              "    struct _Wrapper {\n"
+              "        static ulong call(void* o, const void* f, const void*[]) {\n"
+              "            return 1;\n"
+              "        }\n"
+              "    };\n"
+              "    return _make(_Wrapper::call, pmf);\n"
+              "}");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+    }
+
     void testglobalnamespace() {
         check("class SharedPtrHolder\n"
               "{\n"