diff --git a/lib/checkother.cpp b/lib/checkother.cpp
index c7305e89e..d3b395e20 100644
--- a/lib/checkother.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkother.cpp
@@ -1479,7 +1479,7 @@ void CheckOther::checkConstVariable()
                         break;
                     }
                 }
-                if (Token::Match(tok, "& %varid%", var->declarationId())) {
+                if (tok->isUnaryOp("&") && Token::Match(tok, "& %varid%", var->declarationId())) {
                     const Token* opTok = tok->astParent();
                     if (opTok->isComparisonOp() || opTok->isAssignmentOp() || opTok->isCalculation()) {
                         if (opTok->isComparisonOp() || opTok->isCalculation()) {
diff --git a/test/testother.cpp b/test/testother.cpp
index ec94525e8..922d47696 100644
--- a/test/testother.cpp
+++ b/test/testother.cpp
@@ -3453,6 +3453,17 @@ private:
                       "[test.cpp:11]: (style) Parameter 's' can be declared as pointer to const\n"
                       "[test.cpp:14]: (style) Parameter 's' can be declared as pointer to const\n",
                       errout.str());
+
+        check("struct S { int a; };\n"
+              "void f(std::vector<S>& v, int b) {\n"
+              "    size_t n = v.size();\n"
+              "    for (size_t i = 0; i < n; i++) {\n"
+              "        S& s = v[i];\n"
+              "        if (!(b & s.a))\n"
+              "            continue;\n"
+              "    }\n"
+              "}\n");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:5]: (style) Variable 's' can be declared as reference to const\n", errout.str()); // don't crash
     }
 
     void switchRedundantAssignmentTest() {