diff --git a/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/JavaStructuralSearchProfile.java b/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/JavaStructuralSearchProfile.java
index c61f27201cd7..011172a0b768 100644
--- a/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/JavaStructuralSearchProfile.java
+++ b/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/JavaStructuralSearchProfile.java
@@ -189,8 +189,10 @@ public final class JavaStructuralSearchProfile extends StructuralSearchProfile {
   public @NotNull PsiElement extendMatchedByDownUp(@NotNull PsiElement targetNode) {
     if (targetNode instanceof PsiIdentifier) {
       targetNode = targetNode.getParent();
-      final PsiElement parent = targetNode.getParent();
-      if (parent instanceof PsiTypeElement || parent instanceof PsiStatement) targetNode = parent;
+    }
+    final PsiElement parent = targetNode.getParent();
+    if (parent instanceof PsiTypeElement || parent instanceof PsiStatement || parent instanceof PsiLocalVariable) {
+      targetNode = parent;
     }
     return targetNode;
   }
diff --git a/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/handlers/DeclarationStatementHandler.java b/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/handlers/DeclarationStatementHandler.java
index 5ed977250a24..728fc0110c91 100644
--- a/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/handlers/DeclarationStatementHandler.java
+++ b/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/handlers/DeclarationStatementHandler.java
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2000-2021 JetBrains s.r.o. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+// Copyright 2000-2021 JetBrains s.r.o. and contributors. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 package com.intellij.structuralsearch.impl.matcher.handlers;
 
 import com.intellij.dupLocator.iterators.ArrayBackedNodeIterator;
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class DeclarationStatementHandler extends MatchingHandler {
     final PsiElement[] declared = dcl.getDeclaredElements();
 
     // declaration statement could wrap class or dcl
-    if (declared.length > 0 && (!context.shouldRecursivelyMatch() || !(matchedNode.getParent() instanceof PsiDeclarationStatement)) /* skip twice matching for child*/) {
+    if (declared.length > 0 && !(matchedNode.getParent() instanceof PsiDeclarationStatement) /* skip twice matching for child*/) {
       if (!(matchedNode instanceof PsiField)) {
         return context.getMatcher().matchSequentially(
           new ArrayBackedNodeIterator(declared),
diff --git a/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/predicates/ReferencePredicate.java b/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/predicates/ReferencePredicate.java
index c039110472fd..f63a23f657fa 100644
--- a/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/predicates/ReferencePredicate.java
+++ b/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/predicates/ReferencePredicate.java
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2000-2019 JetBrains s.r.o. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+// Copyright 2000-2021 JetBrains s.r.o. and contributors. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 package com.intellij.structuralsearch.impl.matcher.predicates;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.fileTypes.LanguageFileType;
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import com.intellij.psi.PsiElement;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiReference;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiReferenceService;
 import com.intellij.structuralsearch.Matcher;
+import com.intellij.structuralsearch.StructuralSearchProfile;
 import com.intellij.structuralsearch.StructuralSearchUtil;
 import com.intellij.structuralsearch.impl.matcher.MatchContext;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
@@ -29,6 +30,9 @@ public final class ReferencePredicate extends MatchPredicate {
   public boolean match(@NotNull PsiElement matchedNode, int start, int end, @NotNull MatchContext context) {
     matchedNode = StructuralSearchUtil.getParentIfIdentifier(matchedNode);
     final List<PsiReference> references = PsiReferenceService.getService().getReferences(matchedNode, PsiReferenceService.Hints.NO_HINTS);
-    return references.stream().map(PsiReference::resolve).filter(Objects::nonNull).anyMatch(t -> matcher.matchNode(t));
+    return references.stream().map(PsiReference::resolve).filter(Objects::nonNull).anyMatch(t -> {
+      StructuralSearchProfile profile = StructuralSearchUtil.getProfileByPsiElement(t);
+      return profile != null && matcher.matchNode(profile.extendMatchedByDownUp(t));
+    });
   }
 }
diff --git a/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/inspection/SSBasedInspection.java b/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/inspection/SSBasedInspection.java
index a41deac229b5..4d5916a4c01d 100644
--- a/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/inspection/SSBasedInspection.java
+++ b/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/inspection/SSBasedInspection.java
@@ -357,7 +357,10 @@ public class SSBasedInspection extends LocalInspectionTool implements DynamicGro
       else {
         final Matcher newMatcher = buildCompiledConfiguration(configuration, project);
         if (newMatcher != null) {
-          newMatcher.getMatchContext().setSink(new InspectionResultSink());
+          MatchContext context = newMatcher.getMatchContext();
+          context.setSink(new InspectionResultSink());
+          // ssr should never match recursively because this is handled by the inspection visitor
+          context.setShouldRecursivelyMatch(false);
         }
         result.put(configuration, newMatcher);
       }