diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/types/CastDiagnosticsUtil.kt b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/types/CastDiagnosticsUtil.kt
index 3fbf0e8fa7c..d16097d4259 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/types/CastDiagnosticsUtil.kt
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/types/CastDiagnosticsUtil.kt
@@ -213,13 +213,14 @@ object CastDiagnosticsUtil {
         return isRefinementUseless(possibleTypes, refinedTargetType, typeChecker, shouldCheckForExactType(expression, context.expectedType))
     }
 
+    // It is a warning "useless cast" for `as` and a warning "redundant is" for `is`
     fun isRefinementUseless(
             possibleTypes: Collection<KotlinType>,
             targetType: KotlinType,
             typeChecker: KotlinTypeChecker,
             shouldCheckForExactType: Boolean
     ): Boolean {
-        val intersectedType = TypeIntersector.intersectTypes(typeChecker, possibleTypes) ?: return false
+        val intersectedType = TypeIntersector.intersectTypes(typeChecker, possibleTypes.map { it.upperIfFlexible() }) ?: return false
 
         return if (shouldCheckForExactType)
             isExactTypeCast(intersectedType, targetType)
diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/types/expressions/PatternMatchingTypingVisitor.kt b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/types/expressions/PatternMatchingTypingVisitor.kt
index 554bef0949e..0b9db5e62c9 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/types/expressions/PatternMatchingTypingVisitor.kt
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/types/expressions/PatternMatchingTypingVisitor.kt
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.expressions.ControlStructureTypingUtils.*
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.expressions.typeInfoFactory.createTypeInfo
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.expressions.typeInfoFactory.noTypeInfo
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.typeUtil.containsError
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.typeUtil.isSubtypeOf
 import java.util.*
 
 class PatternMatchingTypingVisitor internal constructor(facade: ExpressionTypingInternals) : ExpressionTypingVisitor(facade) {
@@ -464,8 +463,7 @@ class PatternMatchingTypingVisitor internal constructor(facade: ExpressionTyping
         if (subjectType.containsError() || targetType.containsError()) return
 
         val possibleTypes = DataFlowAnalyzer.getAllPossibleTypes(subjectType, context, subjectDataFlowValue)
-        val intersection = TypeIntersector.intersectTypes(KotlinTypeChecker.DEFAULT, possibleTypes.map { it.upperIfFlexible() })
-        if (intersection?.isSubtypeOf(targetType) ?: false) {
+        if (CastDiagnosticsUtil.isRefinementUseless(possibleTypes, targetType, KotlinTypeChecker.DEFAULT, false)) {
             context.trace.report(Errors.USELESS_IS_CHECK.on(isCheck, !negated))
         }
     }
diff --git a/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/cast/FlexibleTargetType.kt b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/cast/FlexibleTargetType.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ad11f75fe95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/cast/FlexibleTargetType.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// FILE: Foo.java
+
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
+
+public class Foo {
+    static Foo create() { return null; }
+
+    @Nullable
+    static Foo createN() { return null; }
+
+    @NotNull
+    static Foo createNN() { return null; }
+}
+
+// FILE: sample.kt
+
+fun test() {
+    Foo.create() as Foo
+    Foo.createN() as Foo
+    Foo.createNN() <!USELESS_CAST!>as Foo<!>
+
+    Foo.create() <!USELESS_CAST!>as Foo?<!>
+    Foo.createN() <!USELESS_CAST!>as Foo?<!>
+    Foo.createNN() <!USELESS_CAST!>as Foo?<!>
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/cast/FlexibleTargetType.txt b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/cast/FlexibleTargetType.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e8d4bf6e82f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/cast/FlexibleTargetType.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package
+
+public fun test(): kotlin.Unit
+
+public open class Foo {
+    public constructor Foo()
+    public open override /*1*/ /*fake_override*/ fun equals(/*0*/ other: kotlin.Any?): kotlin.Boolean
+    public open override /*1*/ /*fake_override*/ fun hashCode(): kotlin.Int
+    public open override /*1*/ /*fake_override*/ fun toString(): kotlin.String
+
+    // Static members
+    public/*package*/ open fun create(): Foo!
+    @org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable public/*package*/ open fun createN(): Foo?
+    @org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull public/*package*/ open fun createNN(): Foo
+}
diff --git a/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/checkers/DiagnosticsTestGenerated.java b/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/checkers/DiagnosticsTestGenerated.java
index 146bc4344d7..22de66cf3e8 100644
--- a/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/checkers/DiagnosticsTestGenerated.java
+++ b/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/checkers/DiagnosticsTestGenerated.java
@@ -2746,6 +2746,12 @@ public class DiagnosticsTestGenerated extends AbstractDiagnosticsTest {
                 doTest(fileName);
             }
 
+            @TestMetadata("FlexibleTargetType.kt")
+            public void testFlexibleTargetType() throws Exception {
+                String fileName = KotlinTestUtils.navigationMetadata("compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/cast/FlexibleTargetType.kt");
+                doTest(fileName);
+            }
+
             @TestMetadata("IsErasedAllowForDerivedWithOneSubstitutedAndOneSameGeneric.kt")
             public void testIsErasedAllowForDerivedWithOneSubstitutedAndOneSameGeneric() throws Exception {
                 String fileName = KotlinTestUtils.navigationMetadata("compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/cast/IsErasedAllowForDerivedWithOneSubstitutedAndOneSameGeneric.kt");