diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/symboltable/ClassScope.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/symboltable/ClassScope.java
index 18c8211beb..f8fd19a57b 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/symboltable/ClassScope.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/symboltable/ClassScope.java
@@ -226,17 +226,15 @@ public class ClassScope extends AbstractJavaScope {
             result.add(finder.getDecl());
         }
 
-        // search inner classes
+        // search references to inner classes
         Map<ClassNameDeclaration, List<NameOccurrence>> classDeclarations = getClassDeclarations();
         if (result.isEmpty() && !classDeclarations.isEmpty()) {
+            Applier.apply(finder, classDeclarations.keySet().iterator());
+            if (finder.getDecl() != null) {
+                result.add(finder.getDecl());
+            }
             for (ClassNameDeclaration innerClass : getClassDeclarations().keySet()) {
-                ASTMethodDeclarator md = innerClass.getNode().getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTMethodDeclarator.class);
-                if (md != null) {
-                    images.add(md.getImage());
-                    finder = new ImageFinderFunction(images);
-                }
                 Applier.apply(finder, innerClass.getScope().getDeclarations(VariableNameDeclaration.class).keySet().iterator());
-                Applier.apply(finder, innerClass.getScope().getDeclarations(MethodNameDeclaration.class).keySet().iterator());
                 if (finder.getDecl() != null) {
                     result.add(finder.getDecl());
                 }
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/UnusedPrivateField.xml b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/UnusedPrivateField.xml
index 5d7bda8a23..261715d56d 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/UnusedPrivateField.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/UnusedPrivateField.xml
@@ -650,6 +650,24 @@ import lombok.RequiredArgsConstructor;
 @RequiredArgsConstructor
 public class Foo {
     private String bar;
+}
+        ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+
+    <test-code>
+        <description>False positive when referenced from within inner class</description>
+        <expected-problems>0</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+public class Foo {
+    private static final String OUTER_CONSTANT = "";
+
+    private static final class Empty {
+        private static final class Inner {
+            public boolean isEmpty(String s) {
+                return OUTER_CONSTANT.equals(s);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
         ]]></code>
     </test-code>
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/UnusedPrivateMethod.xml b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/UnusedPrivateMethod.xml
index 8adfa7a3b1..acd4e3b74c 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/UnusedPrivateMethod.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/bestpractices/xml/UnusedPrivateMethod.xml
@@ -1734,14 +1734,13 @@ public class Outer {
         <code><![CDATA[
 public class OuterClass {
 
-	public void foo() {
-		InnerClass.doSomething();
-	}
+    public void foo() {
+        InnerClass.doSomething();
+    }
 
-	static class InnerClass {
-		private static void doSomething() {
-		}
-	}
+    static class InnerClass {
+        private static void doSomething() {}
+    }
 }
         ]]></code>
     </test-code> 
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/xml/BeanMembersShouldSerialize.xml b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/xml/BeanMembersShouldSerialize.xml
index d7faf962fe..4675dbe234 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/xml/BeanMembersShouldSerialize.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/errorprone/xml/BeanMembersShouldSerialize.xml
@@ -278,4 +278,85 @@ public class Foo {
 }
         ]]></code>
     </test-code>
+
+    <test-code>
+        <description>False negatives for inner class references</description>
+        <expected-problems>4</expected-problems>
+        <expected-linenumbers>3,5,7,21</expected-linenumbers>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+// from https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/blob/checkstyle-9.1/src/test/resources-noncompilable/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/grammar/antlr4/InputAntlr4AstRegressionUncommon.java#L185
+class OtherClass {
+    Object x;
+    class SuperClassA{
+        protected SuperClassA bs;
+        protected SuperClassA s; // this is actually a false negative
+        Object s2;
+
+        private void method() {
+            x = new Object();
+        }
+    }
+    class SuperClassA2{}
+
+
+    /*
+     * Note: inherited fields of a nested class shadow outer scope variables
+     *      Note: only if they are accessible!
+     */
+    public class FieldAccessSuper extends SuperClassA {
+        private SuperClassA s;
+
+        public void foo() {
+            // simple super field access
+            // Primary[Prefix[Name[s]]]
+            s = new SuperClassA();
+
+            // access inherited field through primary
+            // Primary[ Prefix[Primary[(this)]], Suffix[s], Suffix[s2] ]
+            (this).s.s2 = new SuperClassA2();
+            this.s.s2 = new SuperClassA2();
+
+            // access inherited field, second 's' has inherited field 's2'
+            // Primary[Prefix[Name[s.s.s2]]]
+            s.s.s2 = new SuperClassA2();
+
+            // field access through super
+            // Primary[Prefix["super"], Suffix["field"]]
+            super.s = new SuperClassA();
+
+            // fully qualified case
+            // Primary[Prefix[Name[net...FieldAccessSuper]], Suffix[this], Suffix[s]]
+            FieldAccessSuper.this.s
+                    = new SuperClassA();
+        }
+
+        public class Nested extends SuperClassA {
+            SuperClassA a;
+            class SubscriptionAdapter{}
+            final /* synthetic */ SubscriptionAdapter this$0 = null;
+            final /* synthetic */ Object val$argHolder = null;
+
+            public void foo() {
+                // access enclosing super field
+                // Primary[Prefix[Name[s]]]
+                s = new SuperClassA();
+
+                // access Nested inherited field
+                // Primary[Prefix[Name[bs]]]
+                bs = new SuperClassA();
+
+                // access super field with fully qualified stuff
+                // Primary[Prefix["FieldAccessSuper"], Suffix[Nested],
+                //                  Suffix["super"], Suffix["bs"]]
+                FieldAccessSuper.Nested.super.bs = new SuperClassA();
+
+                // refers to the enclosing class's immediate super class's field
+                // Primary[Prefix["FieldAccessSuper"], Suffix["super"], Suffix["s"]]
+                FieldAccessSuper.super.s = new SuperClassA();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+]]></code>
+    </test-code>
 </test-data>