diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.core.tests.compiler/src/org/eclipse/jdt/core/tests/compiler/regression/NegativeLambdaExpressionsTest.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.core.tests.compiler/src/org/eclipse/jdt/core/tests/compiler/regression/NegativeLambdaExpressionsTest.java
index c13c014..f677887 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.core.tests.compiler/src/org/eclipse/jdt/core/tests/compiler/regression/NegativeLambdaExpressionsTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.core.tests.compiler/src/org/eclipse/jdt/core/tests/compiler/regression/NegativeLambdaExpressionsTest.java
@@ -9131,7 +9131,7 @@
 		"----------\n");
 }
 // https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=438945, [1.8] NullPointerException InferenceContext18.checkExpression in java 8 with generics, primitives, and overloading
-public void _test438945() {
+public void test438945() {
 	this.runNegativeTest(
 		new String[] {
 			"X.java",
@@ -9494,4 +9494,4 @@
 public static Class testClass() {
 	return NegativeLambdaExpressionsTest.class;
 }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/ast/ReferenceExpression.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/ast/ReferenceExpression.java
index 9396583..310c53d 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/ast/ReferenceExpression.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/ast/ReferenceExpression.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
  *							Bug 438383 - [1.8][null] Bogus warning: Null type safety at method return type
  *							Bug 434483 - [1.8][compiler][inference] Type inference not picked up with method reference
  *							Bug 441734 - [1.8][inference] Generic method with nested parameterized type argument fails on method reference
+ *							Bug 438945 - [1.8] NullPointerException InferenceContext18.checkExpression in java 8 with generics, primitives, and overloading
  *        Andy Clement (GoPivotal, Inc) aclement@gopivotal.com - Contribution for
  *                          Bug 383624 - [1.8][compiler] Revive code generation support for type annotations (from Olivier's work)
  *******************************************************************************/
@@ -719,6 +720,10 @@
 		return this.exactMethodBinding != null;
 	}
 	
+	public MethodBinding getExactMethod() {
+		return this.exactMethodBinding;
+	}
+	
 	public boolean isMethodReference() {
 		return !CharOperation.equals(this.selector,  ConstantPool.Init);
 	}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/lookup/InferenceContext18.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/lookup/InferenceContext18.java
index ed52407..61fbcc0 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/lookup/InferenceContext18.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.core/compiler/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/compiler/lookup/InferenceContext18.java
@@ -792,19 +792,19 @@
 			}
 			return reduceAndIncorporate(ConstraintTypeFormula.create(r1, r2, ReductionResult.SUBTYPE));
 		} else if (expri instanceof ReferenceExpression && ((ReferenceExpression)expri).isExactMethodReference()) {
+			ReferenceExpression reference = (ReferenceExpression) expri;
 			for (int i = 0; i < u.length; i++) {
-				ReferenceExpression reference = (ReferenceExpression) expri;
 				if (!reduceAndIncorporate(ConstraintTypeFormula.create(u[i], v[i], ReductionResult.SAME)))
 					return false;
-				if (r2.id == TypeIds.T_void)
-					return true;
-				MethodBinding method = reference.findCompileTimeMethodTargeting(null, this.scope); // TODO directly access exactMethodBinding!
-				TypeBinding returnType = method.isConstructor() ? method.declaringClass : method.returnType;
-				if (r1.isPrimitiveType() && !r2.isPrimitiveType() && returnType.isPrimitiveType()) 
-					return true;
-				if (r2.isPrimitiveType() && !r1.isPrimitiveType() && !returnType.isPrimitiveType())
-					return true;
 			}
+			if (r2.id == TypeIds.T_void)
+				return true;
+			MethodBinding method = reference.getExactMethod();
+			TypeBinding returnType = method.isConstructor() ? method.declaringClass : method.returnType;
+			if (r1.isPrimitiveType() && !r2.isPrimitiveType() && returnType.isPrimitiveType()) 
+				return true;
+			if (r2.isPrimitiveType() && !r1.isPrimitiveType() && !returnType.isPrimitiveType())
+				return true;
 			return reduceAndIncorporate(ConstraintTypeFormula.create(r1, r2, ReductionResult.SUBTYPE));
 		} else if (expri instanceof ConditionalExpression) {
 			ConditionalExpression cond = (ConditionalExpression) expri;