diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index 26ae27300a..5c9a4f7d5e 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -13399,6 +13399,7 @@ tests/test/units/variants/tcustomvariant.pp svneol=native#text/plain
 tests/test/units/variants/tvararrayofintf.pp svneol=native#text/plain
 tests/test/units/variants/tw26370.pp svneol=native#text/plain
 tests/test/units/variants/tw27044.pp svneol=native#text/plain
+tests/test/units/variants/tw30546.pp svneol=native#text/plain
 tests/test/units/windows/twinrawinput32.pp svneol=native#text/plain
 tests/test/units/windows/twinrawinput64.pp svneol=native#text/plain
 tests/test/uobjc24.pp svneol=native#text/plain
diff --git a/compiler/nld.pas b/compiler/nld.pas
index 5f656e1cd0..a4966bf312 100644
--- a/compiler/nld.pas
+++ b/compiler/nld.pas
@@ -836,6 +836,7 @@ implementation
         { call helpers for variant, they can contain non ref. counted types like
           vararrays which must be really copied }
         else if (left.resultdef.typ=variantdef) and
+            not(is_const(left)) and
             not(target_info.system in systems_garbage_collected_managed_types)  then
          begin
            { remove property flag to avoid errors, see comments for }
diff --git a/tests/test/units/variants/tw30546.pp b/tests/test/units/variants/tw30546.pp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d20bacfe77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test/units/variants/tw30546.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+{ %opt=-gh }
+
+{$mode objfpc}
+{$h+}
+{$inline on}
+
+uses
+  variants;
+var
+  vv: variant;
+
+function func: variant; inline;
+begin
+  result:=vv;
+end;
+
+function varconstinl(const v: variant): boolean; inline;
+begin
+  result:=v='abc';
+end;
+
+function test: boolean; inline;
+begin
+  result:=varconstinl(func);
+end;
+
+procedure dotest;
+begin
+  HaltOnNotReleased:=true;
+  vv:='abc';
+  if not test then
+    halt(1);
+end;
+
+begin
+  dotest;
+end.