diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Erasure.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Erasure.scala
index 3fc92aa5e4ca..5fa75d7633d6 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Erasure.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/transform/Erasure.scala
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import core.Annotations.BodyAnnotation
 import typer.{NoChecking, LiftErased}
 import typer.Inliner
 import typer.ProtoTypes._
+import typer.ErrorReporting.errorTree
 import core.TypeErasure._
 import core.Decorators._
 import dotty.tools.dotc.ast.{tpd, untpd}
@@ -684,24 +685,52 @@ object Erasure {
           qual
       }
 
+      /** Can we safely use `cls` as a qualifier without getting a runtime error on
+       *  the JVM due to its accessibility checks?
+       */
+      def isJvmAccessible(cls: Symbol): Boolean =
+        // Scala classes are always emitted as public, unless the
+        // `private` modifier is used, but a non-private class can never
+        // extend a private class, so such a class will never be a cast target.
+        !cls.is(Flags.JavaDefined) || {
+          // We can't rely on `isContainedWith` here because packages are
+          // not nested from the JVM point of view.
+          val boundary = cls.accessBoundary(cls.owner)(using preErasureCtx)
+          (boundary eq defn.RootClass) ||
+          (ctx.owner.enclosingPackageClass eq boundary)
+        }
+
       def recur(qual: Tree): Tree = {
         val qualIsPrimitive = qual.tpe.widen.isPrimitiveValueType
         val symIsPrimitive = sym.owner.isPrimitiveValueClass
+
+        def originalQual: Type =
+          erasure(tree.qualifier.typeOpt.widen.finalResultType)
+
         if (qualIsPrimitive && !symIsPrimitive || qual.tpe.widenDealias.isErasedValueType)
           recur(box(qual))
         else if (!qualIsPrimitive && symIsPrimitive)
           recur(unbox(qual, sym.owner.typeRef))
         else if (sym.owner eq defn.ArrayClass)
-          selectArrayMember(qual, erasure(tree.qualifier.typeOpt.widen.finalResultType))
+          selectArrayMember(qual, originalQual)
         else {
           val qual1 = adaptIfSuper(qual)
           if (qual1.tpe.derivesFrom(sym.owner) || qual1.isInstanceOf[Super])
             select(qual1, sym)
           else
             val castTarget = // Avoid inaccessible cast targets, see i8661
-              if sym.owner.isAccessibleFrom(qual1.tpe)(using preErasureCtx)
-              then sym.owner.typeRef
-              else erasure(tree.qualifier.typeOpt.widen)
+              if isJvmAccessible(sym.owner)
+              then
+                sym.owner.typeRef
+              else
+                // If the owner is inaccessible, try going through the qualifier,
+                // but be careful to not go in an infinite loop in case that doesn't
+                // work either.
+                val tp = originalQual
+                if tp =:= qual1.tpe.widen then
+                  return errorTree(qual1,
+                    ex"Unable to emit reference to ${sym.showLocated}, ${sym.owner} is not accessible in ${ctx.owner.enclosingClass}")
+                tp
             recur(cast(qual1, castTarget))
         }
       }
diff --git a/tests/neg/java-trait-access/A.java b/tests/neg/java-trait-access/A.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..827a1a0c4a8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/java-trait-access/A.java
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+package pkg;
+
+class A {
+  public void foo() {}
+}
diff --git a/tests/neg/java-trait-access/B.scala b/tests/neg/java-trait-access/B.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4c932888f124
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/java-trait-access/B.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package pkg {
+  trait B extends A
+  class C extends B
+}
+
+object Test {
+  def test1: Unit = {
+    val c = new pkg.C
+    c.foo() // OK
+    val b: pkg.B = c
+    b.foo() // error: Unable to emit reference to method foo in class A, class A is not accessible in object Test
+  }
+
+  val c2 = new pkg.C
+  c2.foo() // OK
+  val b2: pkg.B = c2
+  b2.foo() // error: Unable to emit reference to method foo in class A, class A is not accessible in object Test
+}
diff --git a/tests/pos/trait-access.scala b/tests/pos/trait-access.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3498d1f0f58d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pos/trait-access.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package foo {
+  protected[foo] trait A {
+    def a: Unit = {}
+  }
+  class B extends A
+}
+trait C extends foo.B
+object Test {
+  def test: Unit = {
+    val c = new C {}
+    c.a
+  }
+}