diff --git a/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl b/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
index 6e843f460ac5d..93ead3207fce2 100644
--- a/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/abstractinterpretation.jl
@@ -2823,7 +2823,7 @@ function typeinf_local(interp::AbstractInterpreter, frame::InferenceState)
     @assert !frame.inferred
     frame.dont_work_on_me = true # mark that this function is currently on the stack
     W = frame.ip
-    nargs = narguments(frame)
+    nargs = narguments(frame, #=include_va=#false)
     slottypes = frame.slottypes
     ssavaluetypes = frame.ssavaluetypes
     bbs = frame.cfg.blocks
diff --git a/base/compiler/inferencestate.jl b/base/compiler/inferencestate.jl
index df7bb67d625e8..e3f4cb2866aa3 100644
--- a/base/compiler/inferencestate.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/inferencestate.jl
@@ -607,9 +607,11 @@ get_curr_ssaflag(sv::InferenceState) = sv.src.ssaflags[sv.currpc]
 add_curr_ssaflag!(sv::InferenceState, flag::UInt8) = sv.src.ssaflags[sv.currpc] |= flag
 sub_curr_ssaflag!(sv::InferenceState, flag::UInt8) = sv.src.ssaflags[sv.currpc] &= ~flag
 
-function narguments(sv::InferenceState)
+function narguments(sv::InferenceState, include_va::Bool=true)
     def = sv.linfo.def
-    isva = isa(def, Method) && def.isva
-    nargs = length(sv.result.argtypes) - isva
+    nargs = length(sv.result.argtypes)
+    if !include_va
+        nargs -= isa(def, Method) && def.isva
+    end
     return nargs
 end
diff --git a/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl b/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl
index 35a2e25e62d11..ab7ca4b56a9bd 100644
--- a/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl
+++ b/base/compiler/typeinfer.jl
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ function adjust_effects(sv::InferenceState)
         # always throwing an error counts or never returning both count as consistent
         ipo_effects = Effects(ipo_effects; consistent=ALWAYS_TRUE)
     end
-    if is_inaccessiblemem_or_argmemonly(ipo_effects) && all(1:narguments(sv)) do i::Int
+    if is_inaccessiblemem_or_argmemonly(ipo_effects) && all(1:narguments(sv, #=include_va=#true)) do i::Int
             return is_mutation_free_argtype(sv.slottypes[i])
         end
         ipo_effects = Effects(ipo_effects; inaccessiblememonly=ALWAYS_TRUE)
diff --git a/test/compiler/effects.jl b/test/compiler/effects.jl
index dceb737ed6ae7..33420efc91d3c 100644
--- a/test/compiler/effects.jl
+++ b/test/compiler/effects.jl
@@ -603,6 +603,21 @@ global inconsistent_condition_ref = Ref{Bool}(false)
     end
 end |> !Core.Compiler.is_consistent
 
+# should handle va-method properly
+callgetfield1(xs...) = getfield(getfield(xs, 1), 1)
+@test !Core.Compiler.is_inaccessiblememonly(Base.infer_effects(callgetfield1, (Base.RefValue{Symbol},)))
+const GLOBAL_XS = Ref(:julia)
+global_getfield() = callgetfield1(GLOBAL_XS)
+@test let
+    Base.Experimental.@force_compile
+    global_getfield()
+end === :julia
+GLOBAL_XS[] = :julia2
+@test let
+    Base.Experimental.@force_compile
+    global_getfield()
+end === :julia2
+
 # the `:inaccessiblememonly` helper effect allows us to prove `:effect_free`-ness of frames
 # including `setfield!` modifying local mutable object