diff --git a/src/V3LinkDot.cpp b/src/V3LinkDot.cpp
index 30efc7884..e0926534a 100644
--- a/src/V3LinkDot.cpp
+++ b/src/V3LinkDot.cpp
@@ -2739,13 +2739,15 @@ private:
                 ok = m_ds.m_dotPos == DP_SCOPE;
             } else if (const AstNodeFTask* const ftaskp = VN_CAST(foundp->nodep(), NodeFTask)) {
                 if (!ftaskp->isFunction()) {
-                    // The condition is true for tasks, properties and void functions.
-                    // In these cases, the parentheses may be skipped.
-                    AstFuncRef* const funcRefp
-                        = new AstFuncRef{nodep->fileline(), nodep->name(), nullptr};
-                    nodep->replaceWith(funcRefp);
-                    VL_DO_DANGLING(pushDeletep(nodep), nodep);
                     ok = m_ds.m_dotPos == DP_NONE;
+                    if (ok) {
+                        // The condition is true for tasks, properties and void functions.
+                        // In these cases, the parentheses may be skipped.
+                        AstFuncRef* const funcRefp
+                            = new AstFuncRef{nodep->fileline(), nodep->name(), nullptr};
+                        nodep->replaceWith(funcRefp);
+                        VL_DO_DANGLING(pushDeletep(nodep), nodep);
+                    }
                 }
             }
             //
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_var_xref_bad.out b/test_regress/t/t_var_xref_bad.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7ae4ada15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_var_xref_bad.out
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+%Error: t/t_var_xref_bad.v:11:12: Found definition of 'tsk' as a TASK but expected a scope/variable
+   11 |    initial tsk.bad_missing_ref = 0;
+      |            ^~~
+%Error: Exiting due to
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_var_xref_bad.pl b/test_regress/t/t_var_xref_bad.pl
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..59ba0d6c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_var_xref_bad.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env perl
+if (!$::Driver) { use FindBin; exec("$FindBin::Bin/bootstrap.pl", @ARGV, $0); die; }
+# DESCRIPTION: Verilator: Verilog Test driver/expect definition
+#
+# Copyright 2003 by Wilson Snyder. This program is free software; you
+# can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either the GNU
+# Lesser General Public License Version 3 or the Perl Artistic License
+# Version 2.0.
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-only OR Artistic-2.0
+
+scenarios(linter => 1);
+
+lint(
+    fails => $Self->{vlt_all},
+    expect_filename => $Self->{golden_filename},
+    );
+
+ok(1);
+1;
diff --git a/test_regress/t/t_var_xref_bad.v b/test_regress/t/t_var_xref_bad.v
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ec7be7c09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_regress/t/t_var_xref_bad.v
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+// DESCRIPTION: Verilator: Verilog Test module
+//
+// This file ONLY is placed under the Creative Commons Public Domain, for
+// any use, without warranty, 2023 by Wilson Snyder.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
+
+module t;
+   task tsk;
+   endtask
+
+   initial tsk.bad_missing_ref = 0;
+endmodule