--- a/langtools/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/comp/Attr.java	Fri Aug 08 17:38:20 2008 +0100
+++ b/langtools/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/javac/comp/Attr.java	Fri Aug 08 17:43:24 2008 +0100
@@ -730,9 +730,8 @@
                     // In order to catch self-references, we set the variable's
                     // declaration position to maximal possible value, effectively
                     // marking the variable as undefined.
-                    v.pos = Position.MAXPOS;
+                    initEnv.info.enclVar = v;
                     attribExpr(tree.init, initEnv, v.type);
-                    v.pos = tree.pos;
                 }
             }
             result = tree.type = v.type;
@@ -2198,18 +2197,19 @@
             // This check applies only to class and instance
             // variables.  Local variables follow different scope rules,
             // and are subject to definite assignment checking.
-            if (v.pos > tree.pos &&
+            if ((env.info.enclVar == v || v.pos > tree.pos) &&
                 v.owner.kind == TYP &&
                 canOwnInitializer(env.info.scope.owner) &&
                 v.owner == env.info.scope.owner.enclClass() &&
                 ((v.flags() & STATIC) != 0) == Resolve.isStatic(env) &&
                 (env.tree.getTag() != JCTree.ASSIGN ||
                  TreeInfo.skipParens(((JCAssign) env.tree).lhs) != tree)) {
-
+                String suffix = (env.info.enclVar == v) ?
+                                "self.ref" : "forward.ref";
                 if (!onlyWarning || isStaticEnumField(v)) {
-                    log.error(tree.pos(), "illegal.forward.ref");
+                    log.error(tree.pos(), "illegal." + suffix);
                 } else if (useBeforeDeclarationWarning) {
-                    log.warning(tree.pos(), "forward.ref", v);
+                    log.warning(tree.pos(), suffix, v);
                 }
             }