diff --git a/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/Property/ReadOnlyPropertyRector/Fixture/skip_used_as_assign_expr_by_ref.php.inc b/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/Property/ReadOnlyPropertyRector/Fixture/skip_used_as_assign_expr_by_ref.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2bc1736dfd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/Property/ReadOnlyPropertyRector/Fixture/skip_used_as_assign_expr_by_ref.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\Php81\Rector\Property\ReadOnlyPropertyRector\Fixture;
+
+/**
+ * @see https://3v4l.org/e6q3d used by ref readonly is got fatal error
+ */
+class SkipUsedAsAssignByRef
+{
+    public function __construct(private string $foo)
+    {}
+
+    public function run()
+    {
+        $data['data'] = &$this->foo;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/Property/ReadOnlyPropertyRector/Fixture/used_as_assign_expr.php.inc b/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/Property/ReadOnlyPropertyRector/Fixture/used_as_assign_expr.php.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f736447e58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rules-tests/Php81/Rector/Property/ReadOnlyPropertyRector/Fixture/used_as_assign_expr.php.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\Php81\Rector\Property\ReadOnlyPropertyRector\Fixture;
+
+class UsedAsAssignExpr
+{
+    public function __construct(private string $foo)
+    {}
+
+    public function run()
+    {
+        $data['data'] = $this->foo;
+    }
+}
+
+?>
+-----
+<?php
+
+namespace Rector\Tests\Php81\Rector\Property\ReadOnlyPropertyRector\Fixture;
+
+class UsedAsAssignExpr
+{
+    public function __construct(private readonly string $foo)
+    {}
+
+    public function run()
+    {
+        $data['data'] = $this->foo;
+    }
+}
+
+?>
diff --git a/src/NodeManipulator/AssignManipulator.php b/src/NodeManipulator/AssignManipulator.php
index 4b6af9f037..a71313d59f 100644
--- a/src/NodeManipulator/AssignManipulator.php
+++ b/src/NodeManipulator/AssignManipulator.php
@@ -67,7 +67,11 @@ public function isLeftPartOfAssign(Node $node): bool
             return true;
         }
 
-        return $node->getAttribute(AttributeKey::IS_ASSIGNED_TO) === true;
+        if ($node->getAttribute(AttributeKey::IS_ASSIGN_REF_EXPR) === true) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        return $node->getAttribute(AttributeKey::IS_ASSIGN_OP_VAR) === true;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php b/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php
index 4aeed346fe..3305711dcd 100644
--- a/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php
+++ b/src/NodeTypeResolver/Node/AttributeKey.php
@@ -181,6 +181,16 @@ final class AttributeKey
      */
     public const IS_BEING_ASSIGNED = 'is_being_assigned';
 
+    /**
+     * @var string
+     */
+    public const IS_ASSIGN_OP_VAR = 'is_assign_op_var';
+
+    /**
+     * @var string
+     */
+    public const IS_ASSIGN_REF_EXPR = 'is_assign_ref_expr';
+
     /**
      * @var string
      */
diff --git a/src/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/NodeVisitor/AssignedToNodeVisitor.php b/src/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/NodeVisitor/AssignedToNodeVisitor.php
index 119b30be0b..e0872f9b90 100644
--- a/src/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/NodeVisitor/AssignedToNodeVisitor.php
+++ b/src/NodeTypeResolver/PHPStan/Scope/NodeVisitor/AssignedToNodeVisitor.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 use PhpParser\Node;
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\Assign;
 use PhpParser\Node\Expr\AssignOp;
+use PhpParser\Node\Expr\AssignRef;
 use PhpParser\NodeVisitorAbstract;
 use Rector\NodeTypeResolver\Node\AttributeKey;
 use Rector\NodeTypeResolver\PHPStan\Scope\Contract\NodeVisitor\ScopeResolverNodeVisitorInterface;
@@ -19,7 +20,12 @@ final class AssignedToNodeVisitor extends NodeVisitorAbstract implements ScopeRe
     public function enterNode(Node $node): ?Node
     {
         if ($node instanceof AssignOp) {
-            $node->var->setAttribute(AttributeKey::IS_ASSIGNED_TO, true);
+            $node->var->setAttribute(AttributeKey::IS_ASSIGN_OP_VAR, true);
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        if ($node instanceof AssignRef) {
+            $node->expr->setAttribute(AttributeKey::IS_ASSIGN_REF_EXPR, true);
             return null;
         }