diff --git a/lib/checkstl.cpp b/lib/checkstl.cpp
index a5dd03810..de001bb45 100644
--- a/lib/checkstl.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkstl.cpp
@@ -1100,17 +1100,17 @@ void CheckStl::string_c_str()
                 }
 
                 bool local = false;
-                bool ptr = false;
+                bool ptrOrRef = false;
                 const Variable* lastVar = nullptr;
                 const Function* lastFunc = nullptr;
                 bool funcStr = false;
                 if (Token::Match(tok2, "%var% .")) {
                     local = isLocal(tok2);
-                    ptr = tok2->variable() && tok2->variable()->isPointer();
+                    ptrOrRef = tok2->variable() && (tok2->variable()->isPointer() || tok2->variable()->isReference());
                 }
                 while (tok2) {
                     if (Token::Match(tok2, "%var% .|::")) {
-                        if (ptr)
+                        if (ptrOrRef)
                             local = false;
                         lastVar = tok2->variable();
                         tok2 = tok2->tokAt(2);
diff --git a/test/teststl.cpp b/test/teststl.cpp
index efd98b3c0..20fb6cf4f 100644
--- a/test/teststl.cpp
+++ b/test/teststl.cpp
@@ -2365,6 +2365,16 @@ private:
               "    return mapInfo.author.c_str();\n"
               "}");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:6]: (error) Dangerous usage of c_str(). The value returned by c_str() is invalid after this call.\n", errout.str());
+
+        check("struct S {\n" // #7656
+              "    std::string data;\n"
+              "};\n"
+              "const S& getS();\n"
+              "const char* test() {\n"
+              "    const struct S &s = getS();\n"
+              "    return s.data.c_str();\n"
+              "}");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
     }
 
     void autoPointer() {