diff --git a/docs/pages/release_notes.md b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
index e64354df24..c1d07eb028 100644
--- a/docs/pages/release_notes.md
+++ b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ This is a {{ site.pmd.release_type }} release.
   * [#5293](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/5293): \[java] Deadlock when executing PMD in multiple threads
   * [#5324](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/5324): \[java] Issue with type inference of nested lambdas
   * [#5329](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/5329): \[java] Type inference issue with unknown method ref in call chain
+* java-bestpractices
+  * [#5083](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/5083): \[java] UnusedPrivateMethod false positive when method reference has no target type
 * java-performance
   * [#5314](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/5314): \[java] InsufficientStringBufferDeclarationRule: Lack of handling for char type parameters
 
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/Infer.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/Infer.java
index 7982304210..e51ef905f2 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/Infer.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/Infer.java
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types.internal.infer.ExprMirror.CtorInvocat
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types.internal.infer.ExprMirror.FunctionalExprMirror;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types.internal.infer.ExprMirror.InvocationMirror;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types.internal.infer.ExprMirror.InvocationMirror.MethodCtDecl;
-import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types.internal.infer.ExprMirror.LambdaExprMirror;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types.internal.infer.ExprMirror.MethodRefMirror;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types.internal.infer.ExprMirror.PolyExprMirror;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types.internal.infer.InferenceVar.BoundKind;
@@ -145,13 +144,19 @@ public final class Infer {
             LOG.logResolutionFail(rfe.getFailure());
             // here we set expected if not null, the lambda will have the target type
             expr.setInferredType(expected == null ? ts.UNKNOWN : expected);
+            expr.setFunctionalMethod(ts.UNRESOLVED_METHOD);
             if (expr instanceof MethodRefMirror) {
                 MethodRefMirror mref = (MethodRefMirror) expr;
-                mref.setFunctionalMethod(ts.UNRESOLVED_METHOD);
+                if (!TypeOps.isUnresolved(mref.getTypeToSearch())) {
+                    JMethodSig exactMethod = ExprOps.getExactMethod(mref);
+                    if (exactMethod != null) {
+                        // as a fallback, if the method reference is exact,
+                        // we populate the compile time decl anyway.
+                        mref.setCompileTimeDecl(exactMethod);
+                        return;
+                    }
+                }
                 mref.setCompileTimeDecl(ts.UNRESOLVED_METHOD);
-            } else {
-                LambdaExprMirror lambda = (LambdaExprMirror) expr;
-                lambda.setFunctionalMethod(ts.UNRESOLVED_METHOD);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/kotlin/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/MethodRefInferenceTest.kt b/pmd-java/src/test/kotlin/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/MethodRefInferenceTest.kt
index e928dda72b..ef10cf77df 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/kotlin/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/MethodRefInferenceTest.kt
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/kotlin/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/MethodRefInferenceTest.kt
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@
 package net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types.internal.infer
 
 import io.kotest.matchers.shouldBe
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.*
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types.*
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.test.ast.component6
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.test.ast.component7
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.test.ast.shouldBe
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.test.ast.shouldMatchN
-import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.*
-import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.types.*
 import java.util.*
 import java.util.function.*
 import java.util.stream.Collector
@@ -331,12 +331,13 @@ class MethodRefInferenceTest : ProcessorTestSpec({
 
         val t_Archive = acu.firstTypeSignature()
         val mref = acu.descendants(ASTMethodReference::class.java).firstOrThrow()
+        val (getName) = acu.declaredMethodSignatures().toList()
         val call = acu.firstMethodCall()
 
         spy.shouldHaveMissingCtDecl(call)
 
         acu.withTypeDsl {
-            mref.referencedMethod shouldBe ts.UNRESOLVED_METHOD
+            mref.referencedMethod shouldBe getName
             mref shouldHaveType ts.UNKNOWN
             call.methodType shouldBe ts.UNRESOLVED_METHOD
             call.overloadSelectionInfo.apply {
@@ -1093,4 +1094,38 @@ class Scratch {
             mref shouldHaveType t_Additioner
         }
     }
+
+    parserTest("Method ref without target type still populates CTDecl if exact") {
+        val (acu, spy) = parser.parseWithTypeInferenceSpy(
+            """
+            class GenerationType {
+                static {
+                    foo(GenerationType::isAndroidType);
+                }
+                {
+                    foo(this::instance);
+                }
+
+                private boolean instance(String data) {}
+                private static boolean isAndroidType(String data) {
+                    return "android".equals(data);
+                }
+            }
+            """.trimIndent()
+        )
+
+        val (instance, static) = acu.declaredMethodSignatures()
+
+        val mrefs = acu.descendants(ASTMethodReference::class.java).toList()
+        val (staticMref, instanceMref) = mrefs
+
+        spy.shouldBeOk {
+            mrefs.forEach {
+                it shouldHaveType ts.UNKNOWN
+                it.functionalMethod shouldBe ts.UNRESOLVED_METHOD
+            }
+            instanceMref.referencedMethod shouldBe instance
+            staticMref.referencedMethod shouldBe static
+        }
+    }
 })
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/kotlin/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/UnresolvedTypesRecoveryTest.kt b/pmd-java/src/test/kotlin/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/UnresolvedTypesRecoveryTest.kt
index 45c13cf569..7a8b14a2af 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/kotlin/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/UnresolvedTypesRecoveryTest.kt
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/kotlin/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/types/internal/infer/UnresolvedTypesRecoveryTest.kt
@@ -530,6 +530,7 @@ class C {
         val (mref) = acu.descendants(ASTMethodReference::class.java).toList()
 
         val (lambdaCall, mrefCall) = acu.descendants(ASTMethodCall::class.java).toList()
+        val (fooDecl) = acu.declaredMethodSignatures().toList()
 
         spy.shouldHaveNoApplicableMethods(lambdaCall)
         spy.shouldHaveNoApplicableMethods(mrefCall)
@@ -540,7 +541,7 @@ class C {
 
             mref shouldHaveType ts.UNKNOWN
             mref.functionalMethod shouldBe ts.UNRESOLVED_METHOD
-            mref.referencedMethod shouldBe ts.UNRESOLVED_METHOD
+            mref.referencedMethod shouldBe fooDecl // still populated because unambiguous
         }
     }
 
@@ -562,6 +563,7 @@ class C {
 
         val (lambda) = acu.descendants(ASTLambdaExpression::class.java).toList()
         val (mref) = acu.descendants(ASTMethodReference::class.java).toList()
+        val (fooDecl) = acu.declaredMethodSignatures().toList()
 
         spy.shouldHaveNoLambdaCtx(lambda)
         spy.shouldHaveNoLambdaCtx(mref)
@@ -572,7 +574,7 @@ class C {
 
             mref shouldHaveType ts.UNKNOWN
             mref.functionalMethod shouldBe ts.UNRESOLVED_METHOD
-            mref.referencedMethod shouldBe ts.UNRESOLVED_METHOD
+            mref.referencedMethod shouldBe fooDecl // still populated because unambiguous
         }
     }
 
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 ae0fc5e242..12b92436d9 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
@@ -2237,5 +2237,80 @@ public class ObtainViaTest {
             }
             ]]></code>
     </test-code>
+    <test-code>
+        <description>UnusedPrivateMethod #5083 - method reference without target type</description>
+        <expected-problems>0</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+            @Getter
+            @RequiredArgsConstructor
+            enum GenerationType {
+                APPLE_DESKTOP("https://apps.apple.com/app/id", GenerationType::isAppleType),
+                APPLE_ITUNES("https://itunes.apple.com/app/id", GenerationType::isAppleType),
+                SAMSUNG("https://www.samsung.com/us/appstore/app/", GenerationType::isSamsungType),
+                ROKU("https://channelstore.roku.com/details/", GenerationType::isRokuType),
+                AMAZON("https://www.amazon.com/dp/", GenerationType::isAmazonType),
+                ANDROID("https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=", GenerationType::isAndroidType);
+
+                private final String baseUrl;
+                private final Predicate<String> predicate;
+
+                private static boolean isAppleType(String data) {
+                    return "apple".equals(data);
+                }
+
+                private static boolean isRokuType(String data) {
+                    return "roku".equals(data);
+                }
+
+                private static boolean isSamsungType(String data) {
+                    return "samsung".equals(data);
+                }
+
+                private static boolean isAmazonType(String data) {
+                    return "amazon".equals(data);
+                }
+
+                private static boolean isAndroidType(String data) {
+                    return "android".equals(data);
+                }
+            }
+            ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+
+    <test-code>
+        <description>UnusedPrivateMethod #5083 - method reference without target type (2)</description>
+        <expected-problems>0</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+            class GenerationType {
+                static {
+                    foo(GenerationType::isAndroidType);
+                }
+                {
+                    foo(this::instance);
+                }
+
+                private  boolean instance(String data) {}
+                private static boolean isAndroidType(String data) {
+                    return "android".equals(data);
+                }
+            }
+            ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+
+    <test-code>
+        <description>UnusedPrivateMethod #5083 - method reference without target type (3)</description>
+        <expected-problems>2</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+import java.util.Set;
+
+public class Foo {
+    private void foo(AnotherUnresolvedType baz) {}
+    private void foo(UnresolvedType baz) {}
+    public void bar(Set<UnresolvedType> s) {
+        s.forEach(this::foo);  // Not being able to resolve UnresolvedType and AnotherUnresolvedType means we can't tell which foo is being used here…
+    }
+}
+            ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
 
 </test-data>