diff --git a/lib/symboldatabase.cpp b/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
index e889be586..367f713eb 100644
--- a/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
+++ b/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
@@ -2642,6 +2642,10 @@ bool Function::returnsReference(const Function* function, bool unknown)
     const Token* start = function->retDef;
     while (Token::Match(start, "const|volatile"))
         start = start->next();
+    if (Token::Match(start, ":: %name%"))
+        start = start->next();
+    while (Token::Match(start, "%name% :: %name%"))
+        start = start->tokAt(2);
     if (start->tokAt(1) == defEnd && !start->type() && !start->isStandardType())
         return unknown;
     // TODO: Try to deduce the type of the expression
diff --git a/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp b/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp
index 3fcd0518f..d74262373 100644
--- a/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp
+++ b/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ private:
 
         TEST_CASE(functionStatic);
 
+        TEST_CASE(functionReturnsReference); // Function::returnsReference
+
         TEST_CASE(namespaces1);
         TEST_CASE(namespaces2);
         TEST_CASE(namespaces3);  // #3854 - unknown macro
@@ -2467,6 +2469,14 @@ private:
         ASSERT(func->isStatic());
     }
 
+    void functionReturnsReference() {
+        GET_SYMBOL_DB("Fred::Reference foo();");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS(1, db->scopeList.back().functionList.size());
+        const Function &func = *db->scopeList.back().functionList.begin();
+        ASSERT(!Function::returnsReference(&func, false));
+        ASSERT(Function::returnsReference(&func, true));
+    }
+
     void namespaces1() {
         GET_SYMBOL_DB("namespace fred {\n"
                       "    namespace barney {\n"