diff --git a/compiler/fir/fir2ir/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/FirBlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java b/compiler/fir/fir2ir/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/FirBlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java
index a55b02735f2..f4de4deb7ba 100644
--- a/compiler/fir/fir2ir/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/FirBlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java
+++ b/compiler/fir/fir2ir/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/FirBlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java
@@ -4116,6 +4116,12 @@ public class FirBlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated extends AbstractFirBlackBoxCodegenT
                 runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/kt47741.kt");
             }
 
+            @Test
+            @TestMetadata("kt53794_protectedJavaMember.kt")
+            public void testKt53794_protectedJavaMember() throws Exception {
+                runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/kt53794_protectedJavaMember.kt");
+            }
+
             @Test
             @TestMetadata("nestedConstructorFromClass.kt")
             public void testNestedConstructorFromClass() throws Exception {
diff --git a/compiler/fir/fir2ir/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/FirBytecodeTextTestGenerated.java b/compiler/fir/fir2ir/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/FirBytecodeTextTestGenerated.java
index f5d041886ce..960a114903e 100644
--- a/compiler/fir/fir2ir/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/FirBytecodeTextTestGenerated.java
+++ b/compiler/fir/fir2ir/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/FirBytecodeTextTestGenerated.java
@@ -958,6 +958,12 @@ public class FirBytecodeTextTestGenerated extends AbstractFirBytecodeTextTest {
             runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/bytecodeText/callableReference/nameIntrinsicWithImplicitThis.kt");
         }
 
+        @Test
+        @TestMetadata("noMetadata.kt")
+        public void testNoMetadata() throws Exception {
+            runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/bytecodeText/callableReference/noMetadata.kt");
+        }
+
         @Test
         @TestMetadata("unboundFieldReferenceInInline.kt")
         public void testUnboundFieldReferenceInInline() throws Exception {
diff --git a/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/lower/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/lower/FunctionReferenceLowering.kt b/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/lower/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/lower/FunctionReferenceLowering.kt
index a0412c70f2c..aeea6016a57 100644
--- a/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/lower/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/lower/FunctionReferenceLowering.kt
+++ b/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/lower/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/lower/FunctionReferenceLowering.kt
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ internal class FunctionReferenceLowering(private val context: JvmBackendContext)
             }
             createImplicitParameterDeclarationWithWrappedDescriptor()
             copyAttributes(irFunctionReference)
-            if (!isLightweightLambda) {
+            if (isHeavyweightLambda) {
                 metadata = irFunctionReference.symbol.owner.metadata
             }
         }
diff --git a/compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/kt53794_protectedJavaMember.kt b/compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/kt53794_protectedJavaMember.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8892e62a4e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/kt53794_protectedJavaMember.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// TARGET_BACKEND: JVM
+// FILE: B.kt
+
+class B : C() {
+    fun test(): String = bar(this::foo)
+}
+
+fun bar(f: () -> String): String = f()
+
+fun box(): String = B().test()
+
+// FILE: C.java
+
+public class C {
+    protected final String foo() {
+        return "OK";
+    }
+}
diff --git a/compiler/testData/codegen/bytecodeText/callableReference/noMetadata.kt b/compiler/testData/codegen/bytecodeText/callableReference/noMetadata.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ca59edba5b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/codegen/bytecodeText/callableReference/noMetadata.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// TARGET_BACKEND: JVM_IR
+
+fun f() {}
+fun g() = ::f
+
+// This regexp checks that there's only one class annotated with kotlin.Metadata with the actual data (which is in the `d1` field).
+// That class is the file facade. The synthetic class for the reference `::f` should be generated with synthetic metadata, i.e.
+// which has nothing in the `d1` field.
+// 1 @Lkotlin/Metadata;\(.*d1.*\)
diff --git a/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/BlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java b/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/BlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java
index 7e031cf5e06..ea60211f29d 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/BlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java
+++ b/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/BlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java
@@ -4002,6 +4002,12 @@ public class BlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated extends AbstractBlackBoxCodegenTest {
                 runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/kt47741.kt");
             }
 
+            @Test
+            @TestMetadata("kt53794_protectedJavaMember.kt")
+            public void testKt53794_protectedJavaMember() throws Exception {
+                runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/kt53794_protectedJavaMember.kt");
+            }
+
             @Test
             @TestMetadata("nestedConstructorFromClass.kt")
             public void testNestedConstructorFromClass() throws Exception {
diff --git a/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/IrBlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java b/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/IrBlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java
index 5f640b2f136..f4608a1f5af 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/IrBlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java
+++ b/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/IrBlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated.java
@@ -4116,6 +4116,12 @@ public class IrBlackBoxCodegenTestGenerated extends AbstractIrBlackBoxCodegenTes
                 runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/kt47741.kt");
             }
 
+            @Test
+            @TestMetadata("kt53794_protectedJavaMember.kt")
+            public void testKt53794_protectedJavaMember() throws Exception {
+                runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/kt53794_protectedJavaMember.kt");
+            }
+
             @Test
             @TestMetadata("nestedConstructorFromClass.kt")
             public void testNestedConstructorFromClass() throws Exception {
diff --git a/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/IrBytecodeTextTestGenerated.java b/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/IrBytecodeTextTestGenerated.java
index 1ecaf08c58e..dfb37ee1dbe 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/IrBytecodeTextTestGenerated.java
+++ b/compiler/tests-common-new/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/test/runners/codegen/IrBytecodeTextTestGenerated.java
@@ -958,6 +958,12 @@ public class IrBytecodeTextTestGenerated extends AbstractIrBytecodeTextTest {
             runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/bytecodeText/callableReference/nameIntrinsicWithImplicitThis.kt");
         }
 
+        @Test
+        @TestMetadata("noMetadata.kt")
+        public void testNoMetadata() throws Exception {
+            runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/bytecodeText/callableReference/noMetadata.kt");
+        }
+
         @Test
         @TestMetadata("unboundFieldReferenceInInline.kt")
         public void testUnboundFieldReferenceInInline() throws Exception {
diff --git a/compiler/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/LightAnalysisModeTestGenerated.java b/compiler/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/LightAnalysisModeTestGenerated.java
index fc742ca4654..71d9c854e48 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/LightAnalysisModeTestGenerated.java
+++ b/compiler/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/LightAnalysisModeTestGenerated.java
@@ -3498,6 +3498,11 @@ public class LightAnalysisModeTestGenerated extends AbstractLightAnalysisModeTes
                 runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/kt47741.kt");
             }
 
+            @TestMetadata("kt53794_protectedJavaMember.kt")
+            public void testKt53794_protectedJavaMember() throws Exception {
+                runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/kt53794_protectedJavaMember.kt");
+            }
+
             @TestMetadata("nestedConstructorFromClass.kt")
             public void testNestedConstructorFromClass() throws Exception {
                 runTest("compiler/testData/codegen/box/callableReference/function/nestedConstructorFromClass.kt");