diff --git a/compiler/rustc_lint/src/context.rs b/compiler/rustc_lint/src/context.rs
index 460d54739a2..3c5cde4309b 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_lint/src/context.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_lint/src/context.rs
@@ -1316,6 +1316,40 @@ impl<'tcx> LateContext<'tcx> {
             })
     }
 
+    /// If the given expression is a local binding, find the initializer expression.
+    /// If that initializer expression is another local binding, find its initializer again.
+    ///
+    /// This process repeats as long as possible (but usually no more than once).
+    /// Type-check adjustments are not taken in account in this function.
+    ///
+    /// Examples:
+    /// ```
+    /// let abc = 1;
+    /// let def = abc + 2;
+    /// //        ^^^^^^^ output
+    /// let def = def;
+    /// dbg!(def);
+    /// //   ^^^ input
+    /// ```
+    pub fn expr_or_init<'a>(&self, mut expr: &'a hir::Expr<'tcx>) -> &'a hir::Expr<'tcx> {
+        expr = expr.peel_blocks();
+
+        while let hir::ExprKind::Path(ref qpath) = expr.kind
+            && let Some(parent_node) = match self.qpath_res(qpath, expr.hir_id) {
+                Res::Local(hir_id) => self.tcx.hir().find_parent(hir_id),
+                _ => None,
+            }
+            && let Some(init) = match parent_node {
+                hir::Node::Expr(expr) => Some(expr),
+                hir::Node::Local(hir::Local { init, .. }) => *init,
+                _ => None
+            }
+        {
+            expr = init.peel_blocks();
+        }
+        expr
+    }
+
     /// If the given expression is a local binding, find the initializer expression.
     /// If that initializer expression is another local or **outside** (`const`/`static`)
     /// binding, find its initializer again.
@@ -1338,7 +1372,10 @@ impl<'tcx> LateContext<'tcx> {
     /// dbg!(def);
     /// //   ^^^ input
     /// ```
-    pub fn expr_or_init<'a>(&self, mut expr: &'a hir::Expr<'tcx>) -> &'a hir::Expr<'tcx> {
+    pub fn expr_or_init_with_outside_body<'a>(
+        &self,
+        mut expr: &'a hir::Expr<'tcx>,
+    ) -> &'a hir::Expr<'tcx> {
         expr = expr.peel_blocks();
 
         while let hir::ExprKind::Path(ref qpath) = expr.kind
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_lint/src/invalid_from_utf8.rs b/compiler/rustc_lint/src/invalid_from_utf8.rs
index 1841e7c85a8..e398059ade9 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_lint/src/invalid_from_utf8.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_lint/src/invalid_from_utf8.rs
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ impl<'tcx> LateLintPass<'tcx> for InvalidFromUtf8 {
                 )
             };
 
-            let mut init = cx.expr_or_init(arg);
+            let mut init = cx.expr_or_init_with_outside_body(arg);
             while let ExprKind::AddrOf(.., inner) = init.kind {
-                init = cx.expr_or_init(inner);
+                init = cx.expr_or_init_with_outside_body(inner);
             }
             match init.kind {
                 ExprKind::Lit(Spanned { node: lit, .. }) => {
diff --git a/tests/ui/lint/reference_casting.rs b/tests/ui/lint/reference_casting.rs
index 3d73c261e55..fba8789e999 100644
--- a/tests/ui/lint/reference_casting.rs
+++ b/tests/ui/lint/reference_casting.rs
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ unsafe fn assign_to_ref() {
     }
 }
 
+const RAW_PTR: *mut u8 = 1 as *mut u8;
 unsafe fn no_warn() {
     let num = &3i32;
     let mut_num = &mut 3i32;
@@ -144,6 +145,9 @@ unsafe fn no_warn() {
     let mut value = 3;
     let value: *const i32 = &mut value;
     *(value as *const i16 as *mut i16) = 42;
+    *RAW_PTR = 42; // RAW_PTR is defined outside the function body,
+                   // make sure we don't ICE on it when trying to
+                   // determine if we should lint on it or not.
 
     fn safe_as_mut<T>(x: &std::cell::UnsafeCell<T>) -> &mut T {
         unsafe { &mut *std::cell::UnsafeCell::raw_get(x as *const _ as *const _) }