diff --git a/kotlin-native/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/ToplevelPhases.kt b/kotlin-native/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/ToplevelPhases.kt
index 719d0c944b9..8603555cb98 100644
--- a/kotlin-native/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/ToplevelPhases.kt
+++ b/kotlin-native/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/ToplevelPhases.kt
@@ -199,12 +199,19 @@ internal val copyDefaultValuesToActualPhase = konanUnitPhase(
  */
 internal val checkSamSuperTypesPhase = konanUnitPhase(
         op = {
+            // Handling types in current module not recursively:
+            // psi2ir can produce SAM conversions with variances in type arguments of type arguments.
+            // See https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/KT-49384.
+            // So don't go deeper than top-level arguments to avoid the compiler emitting false-positive errors.
+            // Lowerings can handle this.
+            // Also such variances are allowed in the language for manual implementations of interfaces.
             irModule!!.files
-                    .forEach { SamSuperTypesChecker(this, it, mode = SamSuperTypesChecker.Mode.THROW).run() }
+                    .forEach { SamSuperTypesChecker(this, it, mode = SamSuperTypesChecker.Mode.THROW, recurse = false).run() }
             // TODO: This is temporary for handling klibs produced with earlier compiler versions.
+            // Handling types in dependencies recursively, just to be extra safe: don't change something that works.
             irModules.values
                     .flatMap { it.files }
-                    .forEach { SamSuperTypesChecker(this, it, mode = SamSuperTypesChecker.Mode.ERASE).run() }
+                    .forEach { SamSuperTypesChecker(this, it, mode = SamSuperTypesChecker.Mode.ERASE, recurse = true).run() }
         },
         name = "CheckSamSuperTypes",
         description = "Check SAM conversions super types"
diff --git a/kotlin-native/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/lower/SamSuperTypesChecker.kt b/kotlin-native/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/lower/SamSuperTypesChecker.kt
index 7ed908b2f37..720c7c3ea21 100644
--- a/kotlin-native/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/lower/SamSuperTypesChecker.kt
+++ b/kotlin-native/backend.native/compiler/ir/backend.native/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/konan/lower/SamSuperTypesChecker.kt
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.Variance
 
 internal class SamSuperTypesChecker(private val context: Context,
                                     private val irFile: IrFile,
-                                    private val mode: Mode) {
+                                    private val mode: Mode,
+                                    private val recurse: Boolean) {
     enum class Mode {
         ERASE,
         THROW
@@ -43,7 +44,13 @@ internal class SamSuperTypesChecker(private val context: Context,
                         context.reportCompilationError(
                                 "Unexpected variance in super type argument: ${argument.variance} @$index", irFile, owner)
                     }
-                    makeTypeProjection(argument.type.eraseProjections(owner), Variance.INVARIANT)
+                    val newArgumentType = if (recurse) {
+                        argument.type.eraseProjections(owner)
+                    } else {
+                        // See the explanation at the SamSuperTypesChecker constructor call sites.
+                        argument.type
+                    }
+                    makeTypeProjection(newArgumentType, Variance.INVARIANT)
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/kotlin-native/backend.native/tests/build.gradle b/kotlin-native/backend.native/tests/build.gradle
index 573f90b4a4a..e691ca1d4f2 100644
--- a/kotlin-native/backend.native/tests/build.gradle
+++ b/kotlin-native/backend.native/tests/build.gradle
@@ -3181,6 +3181,10 @@ task funInterface_kt43887(type: KonanLocalTest) {
     source = "codegen/funInterface/kt43887.kt"
 }
 
+task funInterface_kt49384(type: KonanLocalTest) {
+    source = "codegen/funInterface/kt49384.kt"
+}
+
 task objectExpression1(type: KonanLocalTest) {
     useGoldenData = true
     source = "codegen/objectExpression/expr1.kt"
diff --git a/kotlin-native/backend.native/tests/codegen/funInterface/kt49384.kt b/kotlin-native/backend.native/tests/codegen/funInterface/kt49384.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..15d46218f90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kotlin-native/backend.native/tests/codegen/funInterface/kt49384.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2010-2021 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.
+ */
+
+package codegen.funInterface.kt49384
+
+import kotlin.test.*
+
+interface A<T>
+
+// https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/KT-49384
+class B<T> {
+    init {
+        mutableListOf<A<out T>>()
+                .sortWith { _, _ -> 1 }
+    }
+}
+
+@Test
+fun test1() {
+    val b = B<Any>()
+    assertEquals(b, b) // Just to ensure B is not deleted by DCE
+}
+
+fun interface Foo<T> {
+    fun same(obj: T): T
+}
+
+fun getSame(obj: A<out Any>, foo: Foo<A<out Any>>) = foo.same(obj)
+
+@Test
+fun test2() {
+    val obj = object : A<Any> {}
+    assertSame(obj, getSame(obj) { it })
+}