diff --git a/lib/checknullpointer.cpp b/lib/checknullpointer.cpp
index 698476b12..5f31ff60e 100644
--- a/lib/checknullpointer.cpp
+++ b/lib/checknullpointer.cpp
@@ -350,8 +350,19 @@ void CheckNullPointer::nullPointerStructByDeRefAndChec()
             continue;
         }
 
+        /**
+         * @todo There are lots of false negatives here. A dereference
+         *  is only investigated if a few specific conditions are met.
+         */
+
         // dereference in assignment
-        if (Token::Match(tok1, "[{};] %var% = %var% . %var%"))
+        if (Token::Match(tok1, "[;{}] %var% . %var%"))
+        {
+            tok1 = tok1->next();
+        }
+
+        // dereference in assignment
+        else if (Token::Match(tok1, "[{};] %var% = %var% . %var%"))
         {
             if (std::string(tok1->strAt(1)) == tok1->strAt(3))
                 continue;
diff --git a/test/testnullpointer.cpp b/test/testnullpointer.cpp
index 82f108fac..e106577c2 100644
--- a/test/testnullpointer.cpp
+++ b/test/testnullpointer.cpp
@@ -193,13 +193,27 @@ private:
               "}\n");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: abc - otherwise it is redundant to check if abc is null at line 4\n", errout.str());
 
-        check("void foo(struct ABC *abc)\n"
-              "{\n"
+        check("void foo(struct ABC *abc) {\n"
               "    bar(abc->a);\n"
               "    if (!abc)\n"
               "        ;\n"
               "}\n");
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: abc - otherwise it is redundant to check if abc is null at line 4\n", errout.str());
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:2]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: abc - otherwise it is redundant to check if abc is null at line 3\n", errout.str());
+
+        check("void foo(ABC *abc) {\n"
+              "    abc->do_something();\n"
+              "    if (abc)\n"
+              "        ;\n"
+              "}\n");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:2]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: abc - otherwise it is redundant to check if abc is null at line 3\n", errout.str());
+
+        // TODO: False negative if member of member is dereferenced
+        check("void foo(ABC *abc) {\n"
+              "    abc->next->a = 0;\n"
+              "    if (abc->next)\n"
+              "        ;\n"
+              "}\n");
+        TODO_ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:2]: (error) Possible null pointer dereference: abc - otherwise it is redundant to check if abc is null at line 3\n", "", errout.str());
 
         // ok dereferencing in a condition
         check("void foo(struct ABC *abc)\n"