diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.core.tests.model/src/org/eclipse/jdt/core/tests/model/JavaSearchBugsTests.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.core.tests.model/src/org/eclipse/jdt/core/tests/model/JavaSearchBugsTests.java
index 4e2e33787ab..af709b59074 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.core.tests.model/src/org/eclipse/jdt/core/tests/model/JavaSearchBugsTests.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.core.tests.model/src/org/eclipse/jdt/core/tests/model/JavaSearchBugsTests.java
@@ -15689,6 +15689,32 @@ void methodHelper() {
 	);
 }
 
+// https://github.com/eclipse-jdt/eclipse.jdt.core/issues/5262
+// [Search] Search for references to local declared inside static initializer block brings up nothing
+public void testIssue5262() throws CoreException {
+	this.workingCopies = new ICompilationUnit[1];
+	this.workingCopies[0] = getWorkingCopy("/JavaSearchBugs/src/X.java",
+			"public class X {\n" +
+			"    static {\n" +
+			"        int /*here*/x = 0;\n" +
+			"        x++;\n" +
+			"        System.out.println(x);\n" +
+			"    }\n" +
+			"}\n");
+
+	String str = this.workingCopies[0].getSource();
+	String selection = "/*here*/x";
+	int start = str.indexOf(selection);
+	int length = selection.length();
+
+	IJavaElement[] elements = this.workingCopies[0].codeSelect(start, length);
+	ILocalVariable local = (ILocalVariable) elements[0];
+	search(local, REFERENCES, EXACT_RULE);
+	assertSearchResults(
+			"src/X.java X.static {} [x] EXACT_MATCH\n" +
+			"src/X.java X.static {} [x] EXACT_MATCH");
+}
+
 private static String toString(char[][] modules) {
 	StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
 	for (char[] m : modules) {
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.core/search/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/core/search/matching/LocalVariableLocator.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.core/search/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/core/search/matching/LocalVariableLocator.java
index 14cd6931da3..9f42eee0596 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.core/search/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/core/search/matching/LocalVariableLocator.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.core/search/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/core/search/matching/LocalVariableLocator.java
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ protected void matchReportReference(ASTNode reference, IJavaElement element, Bin
 }
 @Override
 protected int matchContainer() {
-	return METHOD_CONTAINER;
+	return this.pattern.focus instanceof LocalVariable local && local.getParent() instanceof org.eclipse.jdt.internal.core.Initializer ? FIELD_CONTAINER : METHOD_CONTAINER;
 }
 protected int matchLocalVariable(LocalVariableBinding variable, boolean matchName) {
 	if (variable == null) return INACCURATE_MATCH;