Index: clang-tidy/performance/UnnecessaryValueParamCheck.cpp
===================================================================
--- clang-tidy/performance/UnnecessaryValueParamCheck.cpp
+++ clang-tidy/performance/UnnecessaryValueParamCheck.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@
   return true;
 }
 
+bool isReferencedOutsideOfCallExpr(const FunctionDecl &Function,
+                                   ASTContext &Context) {
+  auto Matches = match(declRefExpr(to(functionDecl(equalsNode(&Function))),
+                                   unless(hasAncestor(callExpr()))),
+                       Context);
+  return !Matches.empty();
+}
+
 } // namespace
 
 UnnecessaryValueParamCheck::UnnecessaryValueParamCheck(
@@ -118,10 +126,14 @@
                               "invocation but only used as a const reference; "
                               "consider making it a const reference")
       << paramNameOrIndex(Param->getName(), Index);
-  // Do not propose fixes in macros since we cannot place them correctly, or if
-  // function is virtual as it might break overrides.
+  // Do not propose fixes when:
+  // 1. in macros since we cannot place them correctly
+  // 2. the function is virtual as it might break overrides
+  // 3. the function is referenced outside of a call expression within the
+  //    compilation unit as the signature change could introduce build errors.
   const auto *Method = llvm::dyn_cast<CXXMethodDecl>(Function);
-  if (Param->getLocStart().isMacroID() || (Method && Method->isVirtual()))
+  if (Param->getLocStart().isMacroID() || (Method && Method->isVirtual()) ||
+      isReferencedOutsideOfCallExpr(*Function, *Result.Context))
     return;
   for (const auto *FunctionDecl = Function; FunctionDecl != nullptr;
        FunctionDecl = FunctionDecl->getPreviousDecl()) {
Index: test/clang-tidy/performance-unnecessary-value-param.cpp
===================================================================
--- test/clang-tidy/performance-unnecessary-value-param.cpp
+++ test/clang-tidy/performance-unnecessary-value-param.cpp
@@ -237,3 +237,21 @@
   ExpensiveToCopyType B;
   B = A;
 }
+
+void PositiveOnlyMessageAsReferencedInCompilationUnit(ExpensiveToCopyType A) {
+  // CHECK-MESSAGES: [[@LINE-1]]:75: warning: the parameter 'A' is copied
+  // CHECK-FIXES: void PositiveOnlyMessageAsReferencedInCompilationUnit(ExpensiveToCopyType A) {
+}
+
+void ReferenceFunctionOutsideOfCallExpr() {
+  void (*ptr)(ExpensiveToCopyType) = &PositiveOnlyMessageAsReferencedInCompilationUnit;
+}
+
+void PositiveMessageAndFixAsFunctionIsCalled(ExpensiveToCopyType A) {
+  // CHECK-MESSAGES: [[@LINE-1]]:66: warning: the parameter 'A' is copied
+  // CHECK-FIXES: void PositiveMessageAndFixAsFunctionIsCalled(const ExpensiveToCopyType& A) {
+}
+
+void ReferenceFunctionByCallingIt() {
+  PositiveMessageAndFixAsFunctionIsCalled(ExpensiveToCopyType());
+}