diff --git a/python/python-common-tests/com/jetbrains/python/PyCommonResolveTest.java b/python/python-common-tests/com/jetbrains/python/PyCommonResolveTest.java
index 143c223a9861..2b9e7af91279 100644
--- a/python/python-common-tests/com/jetbrains/python/PyCommonResolveTest.java
+++ b/python/python-common-tests/com/jetbrains/python/PyCommonResolveTest.java
@@ -2133,6 +2133,18 @@ public abstract class PyCommonResolveTest extends PyCommonResolveTestCase {
     assertResolvedElement(LanguageLevel.PYTHON34, starImport, TestCase::assertNull);
   }
 
+  // PY-77168
+  public void testResolveFromUnderUnmatchedVersionCheck() {
+    assertResolvesTo("""
+                       import sys
+                       
+                       Alias = int
+                       if sys.version_info < (3, 12):
+                           name: Alias
+                       #          <ref>
+                       """, PyTargetExpression.class, "Alias");
+  }
+
   private void assertResolvedElement(@NotNull LanguageLevel languageLevel, @NotNull String text, @NotNull Consumer<PsiElement> assertion) {
     runWithLanguageLevel(languageLevel, () -> {
       myFixture.configureByText(PythonFileType.INSTANCE, text);
diff --git a/python/python-psi-impl/src/com/jetbrains/python/refactoring/PyDefUseUtil.java b/python/python-psi-impl/src/com/jetbrains/python/refactoring/PyDefUseUtil.java
index c9e9836b639e..816b73ea287d 100644
--- a/python/python-psi-impl/src/com/jetbrains/python/refactoring/PyDefUseUtil.java
+++ b/python/python-psi-impl/src/com/jetbrains/python/refactoring/PyDefUseUtil.java
@@ -86,9 +86,6 @@ public final class PyDefUseUtil {
     final HashMap<PyCallSiteExpression, ConditionalInstruction> pendingTypeGuard = new HashMap<>();
     ControlFlowUtil.iteratePrev(startNum, instructions,
                                 instruction -> {
-                                  if (unreachableDueToVersionGuard(instruction)) {
-                                    return ControlFlowUtil.Operation.CONTINUE;
-                                  }
                                   if (acceptTypeAssertions && instruction instanceof CallInstruction callInstruction) {
                                     var typeGuardInstruction = pendingTypeGuard.get(instruction.getElement());
                                     if (typeGuardInstruction != null) {
@@ -123,14 +120,18 @@ public final class PyDefUseUtil {
                                     if (access.isWriteAccess() || acceptTypeAssertions && access.isAssertTypeAccess()) {
                                       final String name = elementName(element);
                                       if (Comparing.strEqual(name, varName)) {
-                                        result.add(rwInstruction);
+                                        if (isReachableWithVersionChecks(rwInstruction)) {
+                                          result.add(rwInstruction);
+                                        }
                                         return ControlFlowUtil.Operation.CONTINUE;
                                       }
                                     }
                                   }
                                   else if (acceptImplicitImports && element instanceof PyImplicitImportNameDefiner implicit) {
                                     if (!implicit.multiResolveName(varName).isEmpty()) {
-                                      result.add(instruction);
+                                      if (isReachableWithVersionChecks(instruction)) {
+                                        result.add(instruction);
+                                      }
                                       return ControlFlowUtil.Operation.CONTINUE;
                                     }
                                   }
@@ -139,12 +140,12 @@ public final class PyDefUseUtil {
     return result;
   }
 
-  private static boolean unreachableDueToVersionGuard(@NotNull Instruction instruction) {
+  private static boolean isReachableWithVersionChecks(@NotNull Instruction instruction) {
     PsiElement element = instruction.getElement();
-    if (element == null) return false;
+    if (element == null) return true;
     LanguageLevel languageLevel = PythonLanguageLevelPusher.getLanguageLevelForFile(element.getContainingFile());
     Version version = new Version(languageLevel.getMajorVersion(), languageLevel.getMinorVersion(), 0);
-    return !evaluateVersionsForElement(element).contains(version);
+    return evaluateVersionsForElement(element).contains(version);
   }
 
   @Nullable
diff --git a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyTypingTest.java b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyTypingTest.java
index 8cbaf4a4a241..6fc30e68ffc6 100644
--- a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyTypingTest.java
+++ b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyTypingTest.java
@@ -5959,6 +5959,28 @@ public class PyTypingTest extends PyTestCase {
       """);
   }
 
+  // PY-77168
+  public void testReferencingImportedTypeFromUnmatchedVersionGuard() {
+    doTest("Literal[42]", """
+      from typing import Literal
+      import sys
+      
+      if sys.version_info < (3, 0):
+          expr: Literal[42]
+      """);
+  }
+
+  // PY-77168
+  public void testReferencingTopLevelTypeFromUnmatchedVersionGuard() {
+    doTest("int", """
+      import sys
+      
+      type Alias = int
+      if sys.version_info < (3, 0):
+          expr: Alias
+      """);
+  }
+  
   // PY-76243
   public void testGenericClassDeclaredInStubPackage() {
     runWithAdditionalClassEntryInSdkRoots("types/" + getTestName(false) + "/site-packages", () -> {
diff --git a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/inspections/Py3UnresolvedReferencesInspectionTest.java b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/inspections/Py3UnresolvedReferencesInspectionTest.java
index fa78a5f4e9a6..a9047e540ca1 100644
--- a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/inspections/Py3UnresolvedReferencesInspectionTest.java
+++ b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/inspections/Py3UnresolvedReferencesInspectionTest.java
@@ -341,4 +341,18 @@ public class Py3UnresolvedReferencesInspectionTest extends PyInspectionTestCase
                            pass
                    """);
   }
+
+  // PY-77168
+  public void testReferenceFromUnderUnmatchedVersionCheck() {
+    doTestByText("""
+                   import sys
+                   from typing import overload
+                   
+                   Alias = int
+                   if sys.version_info < (3, 12):
+                       @overload
+                       def f() -> Alias:
+                           ...
+                   """);
+  }
 }