diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c91380b..ea6400b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- Fix (`play build` / `check` versionCode source warning): a variable set from the property first
+  (`def code = (project.findProperty('versionCode') ?: ...).toInteger()`, then `versionCode code`; also `ext.` and Kotlin
+  `val`) is followed to its definition and no longer flagged.
+
 - Fix (`apple iap-submit`, `apple resubmit`): after the owner canceled a submission, every IAP version was
   DEVELOPER_REJECTED and the plan skipped them all ("change it in App Store Connect (or --new-version)", then
   "nothing to submit"). Apple accepts the same version again (201 READY_FOR_REVIEW, then the submit 200), so
diff --git a/cli/lib/gradle.ts b/cli/lib/gradle.ts
index b1bcd90..7ecfc8c 100644
--- a/cli/lib/gradle.ts
+++ b/cli/lib/gradle.ts
@@ -128,8 +128,15 @@ export function versionSourceIssues(file: string, src = readFileSync(file, 'utf8
       continue;
     }
     const h = hit as { line: number; text: string; value: string };
-    const reads = new RegExp(`(?:findProperty|property|hasProperty|getProperty|gradleProperty)\\s*\\(\\s*['"]${field}['"]|properties\\s*\\[\\s*['"]${field}['"]`).test(h.value);
-    if (reads) continue;
+    const readsRe = new RegExp(`(?:findProperty|property|hasProperty|getProperty|gradleProperty)\\s*\\(\\s*['"]${field}['"]|properties\\s*\\[\\s*['"]${field}['"]`);
+    if (readsRe.test(h.value)) continue;
+    // a variable set from the property first (`def code = (project.findProperty('versionCode') ?: ...).toInteger()`,
+    // then `versionCode code`): follow the name to its definition anywhere in the file
+    const id = /^\(?\s*(?:project\.)?(?:ext\.)?([A-Za-z_]\w*)\s*(?:\.\s*\w+\s*\(\s*\)\s*)*(?:as\s+\w+\s*)?\)?$/.exec(h.value)?.[1];
+    if (id && !/^\d/.test(id)) {
+      const def = new RegExp(`(?:\\b(?:def|val|var|final)\\s+(?:\\w+\\s+)?|\\bext\\.|\\bextra\\[\\s*["']|^\\s*)${id}\\b["']?\\s*\\]?\\s*(?::\\s*\\w+\\??\\s*)?=\\s*([^\\n]+)`, 'm').exec(code);
+      if (def && readsRe.test(def[1]!)) continue;
+    }
     const lit = /^\(?\s*(\d+|"[^"]*"|'[^']*')\s*\)?$/.exec(h.value);
     const current = lit ? lit[1]!.replace(/^['"]|['"]$/g, '')
       : field === 'versionCode' ? (/(?:\?:|\|\||,)\s*['"]?(\d+)['"]?/.exec(h.value)?.[1] ?? /\b(\d+)\b/.exec(h.value)?.[1] ?? fallback)
diff --git a/tests/build-sign.test.ts b/tests/build-sign.test.ts
index 83b2bc3..6d186f1 100644
--- a/tests/build-sign.test.ts
+++ b/tests/build-sign.test.ts
@@ -319,6 +319,16 @@ describe('versionCode / versionName source in the build file', () => {
     // commented out lines do not count; nothing set at all is said too
     expect(kinds('app/build.gradle', gv("    // versionCode 1\n    /* versionName '1.0' */")).map(k => [k[0], k[1]])).toEqual([['versionCode', 'missing'], ['versionName', 'missing']]);
   });
+  test('a variable read from the property first, then used, is not flagged (STAR DASH pattern); an env-only variable is', () => {
+    const top = (def: string, body: string) => `plugins { id 'com.android.application' }\n${def}\nandroid {\n  defaultConfig {\n${body}\n  }\n}\n`;
+    const ok = top("def erVersionCode = (project.findProperty('versionCode') ?: System.getenv('ER_ANDROID_VERSION_CODE') ?: '1').toString().toInteger()\ndef erVersionName = project.findProperty('versionName') ?: '1.0.0'",
+      '    versionCode erVersionCode\n    versionName erVersionName');
+    expect(kinds('app/build.gradle', ok)).toEqual([]);
+    expect(kinds('app/build.gradle', top("ext.vc = (project.findProperty('versionCode') ?: 1) as Integer\next.vn = project.findProperty('versionName') ?: '1.0'", '    versionCode vc\n    versionName vn'))).toEqual([]);
+    expect(kinds('app/build.gradle.kts', `val vc = (project.findProperty("versionCode") as String?)?.toInt() ?: 1\nval vn: String = project.findProperty("versionName") as String? ?: "1.0"\nandroid {\n  defaultConfig {\n    versionCode = vc\n    versionName = vn\n  }\n}\n`)).toEqual([]);
+    const env = top("def code = (System.getenv('VERSION_CODE') ?: '1').toInteger()", "    versionCode code\n    versionName project.findProperty('versionName') ?: '1.0'");
+    expect(kinds('app/build.gradle', env).map(k => [k[0], k[1]])).toEqual([['versionCode', 'other']]);
+  });
   test('Kotlin: literal and env var warn with the exact line; findProperty does not', () => {
     expect(kinds('app/build.gradle.kts', kv('    versionCode = 5\n    versionName = "2.0"'))).toEqual([
       ['versionCode', 'literal', 6, '5', 'versionCode = (project.findProperty("versionCode") as String?)?.toInt() ?: 5'],