diff --git a/lib/checkother.cpp b/lib/checkother.cpp
index d12a802fb..45274bb2d 100644
--- a/lib/checkother.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkother.cpp
@@ -1976,6 +1976,9 @@ void CheckOther::checkConstantFunctionParameter()
         if (!var || !var->isArgument() || !var->isClass() || !var->isConst() || var->isPointer() || var->isArray() || var->isReference())
             continue;
 
+        if (var->scope()->function->arg->link()->strAt(-1) == ".")
+            continue; // references could not be used as va_start parameters (#5824)
+
         const Token* const tok = var->typeStartToken();
         // TODO: False negatives. This pattern only checks for string.
         //       Investigate if there are other classes in the std
diff --git a/test/testother.cpp b/test/testother.cpp
index c37b18f99..bcc64e299 100644
--- a/test/testother.cpp
+++ b/test/testother.cpp
@@ -1632,7 +1632,8 @@ private:
         testPassedByValue("void f(const std::map<std::string,int> v) {}");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:1]: (performance) Function parameter 'v' should be passed by reference.\n", errout.str());
 
-        testPassedByValue("void f(const std::streamoff pos) {}");
+        // #5824
+        testPassedByValue("void log(const std::string& file, int line, const std::string& function, const std::string str, ...) {}");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
 
     }