diff --git a/lib/checkother.cpp b/lib/checkother.cpp
index 22b57edca24..a0d2677ad58 100644
--- a/lib/checkother.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkother.cpp
@@ -1074,11 +1074,13 @@ bool CheckOther::checkInnerScope(const Token *tok, const Variable* var, bool& us
             if (var->isArrayOrPointer()) {
                 int argn{};
                 if (const Token* ftok = getTokenArgumentFunction(tok, argn)) { // var passed to function?
-                    if (ftok->function() && Function::returnsPointer(ftok->function()))
-                        return false;
-                    const std::string ret = mSettings->library.returnValueType(ftok); // assume that var is returned
-                    if (!ret.empty() && ret.back() == '*')
-                        return false;
+                    if (ftok->next()->astParent()) { // return value used?
+                        if (ftok->function() && Function::returnsPointer(ftok->function()))
+                            return false;
+                        const std::string ret = mSettings->library.returnValueType(ftok); // assume that var is returned
+                        if (!ret.empty() && ret.back() == '*')
+                            return false;
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/test/testother.cpp b/test/testother.cpp
index 8e3799f5251..ed348a18a46 100644
--- a/test/testother.cpp
+++ b/test/testother.cpp
@@ -1656,6 +1656,16 @@ class TestOther : public TestFixture {
               "    printf(\"%d: %s\\n\", err, msg);\n"
               "}\n");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+
+        check("char* g(char* dst, const char* src);\n"
+              "void f(int err, const char* src) {\n"
+              "    const char* msg = \"Success\";\n"
+              "    char buf[42];\n"
+              "    if (err != 0)\n"
+              "        g(buf, src);\n"
+              "    printf(\"%d: %s\\n\", err, msg);\n"
+              "}\n");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:4]: (style) The scope of the variable 'buf' can be reduced.\n", errout.str());
     }
 
 #define checkOldStylePointerCast(code) checkOldStylePointerCast_(code, __FILE__, __LINE__)