diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/DescriptorResolver.java b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/DescriptorResolver.java
index ceb4309a7d6..13245b0a210 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/DescriptorResolver.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/DescriptorResolver.java
@@ -1358,28 +1358,20 @@ public class DescriptorResolver {
             @NotNull PsiElement reportErrorsOn,
             @NotNull ClassDescriptor target
     ) {
-        ClassDescriptor thisClass = getContainingClass(scope);
-        if (thisClass == null) return true;
-        if (!isAncestor(target, thisClass, true)) return true;
-
-        if (!hasOuterClassInstance(thisClass, target)) {
-            trace.report(INACCESSIBLE_OUTER_CLASS_EXPRESSION.on(reportErrorsOn, thisClass));
-            return false;
-        }
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    private static boolean hasOuterClassInstance(@NotNull ClassDescriptor thisClass, @NotNull ClassDescriptor outerClass) {
-        DeclarationDescriptor descriptor = thisClass;
-        while (true) {
-            assert descriptor != null : "outerClass must be an ancestor of thisClass: " + thisClass + " " + outerClass;
-            if (descriptor instanceof ClassDescriptor && isSubclass((ClassDescriptor) descriptor, outerClass)) {
-                return true;
-            }
-            if (isStaticNestedClass(descriptor)) {
-                return false;
+        DeclarationDescriptor descriptor = getContainingClass(scope);
+        while (descriptor != null) {
+            if (descriptor instanceof ClassDescriptor) {
+                ClassDescriptor classDescriptor = (ClassDescriptor) descriptor;
+                if (isSubclass(classDescriptor, target)) {
+                    return true;
+                }
+                if (isStaticNestedClass(classDescriptor)) {
+                    trace.report(INACCESSIBLE_OUTER_CLASS_EXPRESSION.on(reportErrorsOn, classDescriptor));
+                    return false;
+                }
             }
             descriptor = descriptor.getContainingDeclaration();
         }
+        return true;
     }
 }
diff --git a/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/inner/outerSuperClassMember.kt b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/inner/outerSuperClassMember.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..66b2a768e90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/inner/outerSuperClassMember.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+open class Base {
+    fun foo() {}
+}
+
+class Derived : Base() {
+    class Nested {
+        fun bar() = <!INACCESSIBLE_OUTER_CLASS_EXPRESSION!>foo()<!>
+    }
+}
diff --git a/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/JetDiagnosticsTestGenerated.java b/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/JetDiagnosticsTestGenerated.java
index 8e706b00785..1786913b5b7 100644
--- a/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/JetDiagnosticsTestGenerated.java
+++ b/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/JetDiagnosticsTestGenerated.java
@@ -2481,6 +2481,11 @@ public class JetDiagnosticsTestGenerated extends AbstractDiagnosticsTestWithEage
                 doTest("compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/inner/outerProtectedMember.kt");
             }
             
+            @TestMetadata("outerSuperClassMember.kt")
+            public void testOuterSuperClassMember() throws Exception {
+                doTest("compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/inner/outerSuperClassMember.kt");
+            }
+            
             @TestMetadata("traits.kt")
             public void testTraits() throws Exception {
                 doTest("compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/inner/traits.kt");
diff --git a/idea/testData/diagnosticMessage/inaccessibleOuterClassExpression.kt b/idea/testData/diagnosticMessage/inaccessibleOuterClassExpression.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..26519e93036
--- /dev/null
+++ b/idea/testData/diagnosticMessage/inaccessibleOuterClassExpression.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+class A {
+    class B {
+        val r = object {
+            fun bar() = this@A
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/idea/testData/diagnosticMessage/inaccessibleOuterClassExpression1.txt b/idea/testData/diagnosticMessage/inaccessibleOuterClassExpression1.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4dc4ea621cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/idea/testData/diagnosticMessage/inaccessibleOuterClassExpression1.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+<!-- inaccessibleOuterClassExpression1 -->
+Expression is inaccessible from a nested class 'B', use 'inner' keyword to make the class inner
diff --git a/idea/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/plugin/highlighter/DiagnosticMessageTest.java b/idea/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/plugin/highlighter/DiagnosticMessageTest.java
index 1ef601edfca..e12c58bc93f 100644
--- a/idea/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/plugin/highlighter/DiagnosticMessageTest.java
+++ b/idea/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/plugin/highlighter/DiagnosticMessageTest.java
@@ -98,4 +98,8 @@ public class DiagnosticMessageTest extends JetLiteFixture {
     public void testRenderCollectionOfTypes() throws Exception {
         doTest("renderCollectionOfTypes", 1, Errors.EXPECTED_PARAMETERS_NUMBER_MISMATCH);
     }
+
+    public void testInaccessibleOuterClassExpression() throws Exception {
+        doTest("inaccessibleOuterClassExpression", 1, Errors.INACCESSIBLE_OUTER_CLASS_EXPRESSION);
+    }
 }