diff --git a/lib/symboldatabase.cpp b/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
index bffafe3eaa3..25238d797a1 100644
--- a/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
+++ b/lib/symboldatabase.cpp
@@ -937,7 +937,7 @@ void SymbolDatabase::createSymbolDatabaseNeedInitialization()
                         bool unknown = false;
 
                         for (const Variable& var: scope.varlist) {
-                            if (var.isClass()) {
+                            if (var.isClass() && !var.isReference()) {
                                 if (var.type()) {
                                     // does this type need initialization?
                                     if (var.type()->needInitialization == Type::NeedInitialization::True && !var.hasDefault() && !var.isStatic())
diff --git a/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp b/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp
index 42fd7b33e63..93485ea322f 100644
--- a/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp
+++ b/test/testsymboldatabase.cpp
@@ -3002,17 +3002,25 @@ class TestSymbolDatabase : public TestFixture {
         ASSERT_EQUALS(2U, fredAType->classDef->linenr());
     }
 
-    void needInitialization() { // #10259
+    void needInitialization() {
         const auto oldSettings = settings1;
         settings1.debugwarnings = true;
-
-        GET_SYMBOL_DB("template <typename T>\n"
-                      "struct A {\n"
-                      "    using type = T;\n"
-                      "    type t_;\n"
-                      "};\n");
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
-
+        {
+            GET_SYMBOL_DB("template <typename T>\n" // #10259
+                          "struct A {\n"
+                          "    using type = T;\n"
+                          "    type t_;\n"
+                          "};\n");
+            ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+        }
+        {
+            GET_SYMBOL_DB("class T;\n" // #12367
+                          "struct S {\n"
+                          "    S(T& t);\n"
+                          "    T& _t;\n"
+                          "};\n");
+            ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+        }
         settings1 = oldSettings;
     }
 
diff --git a/test/testuninitvar.cpp b/test/testuninitvar.cpp
index 57209f0f9bf..0a4064a3bd8 100644
--- a/test/testuninitvar.cpp
+++ b/test/testuninitvar.cpp
@@ -5562,7 +5562,9 @@ class TestUninitVar : public TestFixture {
                         "        p = new S(io);\n"
                         "    p->Write();\n"
                         "}");
-        ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+        TODO_ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:8] -> [test.cpp:10]: (warning) Uninitialized variable: p\n",
+                           "[test.cpp:8] -> [test.cpp:10]: (warning) Uninitialized variable: p.rIo\n",
+                           errout.str());
 
         // Unknown types
         {