diff --git a/compiler/sem/sigmatch.nim b/compiler/sem/sigmatch.nim
index 8ab39d6b255..b4a36d6e743 100644
--- a/compiler/sem/sigmatch.nim
+++ b/compiler/sem/sigmatch.nim
@@ -475,19 +475,23 @@ proc isSubtypeOfGenericInstance(c: var TCandidate; a, f: PType, fGenericOrigin:
   ## where `f` is a ``tyGenericInst``. The inheritance depth is returned,
   ## or, if the types are not related, -1.
   ##
-  ## In case of a match, the unresolved generic parameters of `f` are bound to
-  ## the arguments taken from the base type of actual that matched.
+  ## In case of a subtype relationship existing, the unbound generic parameters
+  ## of `f` are bound to the respective parameters of `a`.
   assert f.kind == tyGenericInst
   var
     askip = skippedNone
     fskip = skippedNone
 
     t = a.skipToObject(askip)
-    last = t ## the unskipped type
+    last = t ## the most recently compared unskipped type
 
   assert t != nil, "'a' is not object-like type"
   discard f.skipToObject(fskip) # only compute the skip kind
 
+  if fskip != askip:
+    # one is a ref|ptr object while the other is not -> no relationship
+    return -1
+
   proc isEqual(c: var TCandidate, f, a: PType): bool {.nimcall.} =
     if f.id == a.id: # fast equality check
       result = true
@@ -507,15 +511,16 @@ proc isSubtypeOfGenericInstance(c: var TCandidate; a, f: PType, fGenericOrigin:
 
   # traverse the type hieararchy until we either reach the end or find a type
   # that is equal to `f`
-  while t != nil and askip == fskip and not isEqual(c, f, last):
+  while t != nil and not isEqual(c, f, last):
     t = t.base
     if t.isNil:
       break # we reached the end
     last = t
-    t = t.skipToObject(askip)
+    var skip: SkippedPtr # ignore skip
+    t = t.skipToObject(skip)
     inc result
 
-  if t != nil and askip == fskip:
+  if t != nil:
     genericParamPut(c, last, f)
   else:
     result = -1 # no relationship
diff --git a/tests/typerel/tphantom_type_as_base.nim b/tests/typerel/tphantom_type_as_base.nim
index ec7e8b74eb9..7c3e754ff5c 100644
--- a/tests/typerel/tphantom_type_as_base.nim
+++ b/tests/typerel/tphantom_type_as_base.nim
@@ -72,4 +72,25 @@ block with_ptr_object:
 
   proc p(x: ptr Sub): int = 3
   # the more precise overload matches:
-  doAssert p(addr obj) == 3
\ No newline at end of file
+  doAssert p(addr obj) == 3
+
+block with_intermediate_non_object_base:
+  # test the case where an intermediate base type is a ``ref`` or
+  # ``ptr`` while formal type is not
+  type
+    Root[T] = object of RootObj
+
+    First   = ref object of Root[int]
+    Second  = object of First
+
+    GFirst[T] = ref object of Root[T]
+    GSecond   = object of GFirst[float]
+
+  proc p(x: Root[int]): int = 1
+  proc p(x: Root[float]): int = 2
+
+  # test with non-generic intermediate base:
+  doAssert p(Second()) == 1
+
+  # test with generic intermediate base:
+  doAssert p(GSecond()) == 2
\ No newline at end of file