diff --git a/vndk/tools/header-checker/header-abi-util/src/abi_diff_helpers.cpp b/vndk/tools/header-checker/header-abi-util/src/abi_diff_helpers.cpp
index 3985c5ba6..3d19d71c7 100644
--- a/vndk/tools/header-checker/header-abi-util/src/abi_diff_helpers.cpp
+++ b/vndk/tools/header-checker/header-abi-util/src/abi_diff_helpers.cpp
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ DiffStatus AbiDiffHelper::CompareRecordTypes(
   }
   DiffStatus final_diff_status = DiffStatus::no_diff;
   record_type_diff_ir->SetName(old_type->GetName());
-  if (old_type->GetAccess() != new_type->GetAccess()) {
+  if (IsAccessDownGraded(old_type->GetAccess(), new_type->GetAccess())) {
     final_diff_status = DiffStatus::indirect_diff;
     record_type_diff_ir->SetAccessDiff(
         std::make_unique<abi_util::AccessSpecifierDiffIR>(
diff --git a/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/integration/cpp/gold/include/abstract_class.h b/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/integration/cpp/gold/include/abstract_class.h
index 08b7d51d2..8dce7c855 100644
--- a/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/integration/cpp/gold/include/abstract_class.h
+++ b/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/integration/cpp/gold/include/abstract_class.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ class SuperSpeaker {
 #else
   int mSpeakderId;
 #endif
+
 #if GOLDEN_FUNCTION_POINTER
 #if GOLDEN_FUNCTION_POINTER_ADD_PARAM
   SuperSpeaker * (*speaker_fp)(int, char, int);
@@ -67,4 +68,17 @@ class SuperSpeaker {
   SuperSpeaker * (*speaker_fp)(int, char);
 #endif
 #endif
+
+#if GOLDEN_WITH_INTERNAL_STRUCT
+#ifdef GOLDEN_WITH_PUBLIC_INTERNAL_STRUCT
+ public:
+#else
+ private:
+#endif
+  struct InternalStruct {
+    int internal;
+  };
+ private:
+  InternalStruct a;
+#endif // GOLDEN_WITH_INTERNAL_STRUCT
 };
diff --git a/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/module.py b/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/module.py
index 4f859fffe..327769803 100755
--- a/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/module.py
+++ b/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/module.py
@@ -398,6 +398,32 @@ TEST_MODULES = [
         arch = '',
         api = 'current',
     ),
+    Module(
+        name = 'libgolden_cpp_internal_public_struct',
+        srcs = ['integration/cpp/gold/golden_1.cpp',
+                'integration/cpp/gold/high_volume_speaker.cpp',
+                'integration/cpp/gold/low_volume_speaker.cpp',
+                ],
+        version_script = 'integration/cpp/gold/map.txt',
+        export_include_dirs = ['integration/cpp/gold/include'],
+        cflags = ['-DGOLDEN_WITH_INTERNAL_STRUCT',
+                  '-DGOLDEN_WITH_PUBLIC_INTERNAL_STRUCT'],
+        arch = '',
+        api = 'current',
+    ),
+    Module(
+        name = 'libgolden_cpp_internal_private_struct',
+        srcs = ['integration/cpp/gold/golden_1.cpp',
+                'integration/cpp/gold/high_volume_speaker.cpp',
+                'integration/cpp/gold/low_volume_speaker.cpp',
+                ],
+        version_script = 'integration/cpp/gold/map.txt',
+        export_include_dirs = ['integration/cpp/gold/include'],
+        cflags = ['-DGOLDEN_WITH_INTERNAL_STRUCT'],
+        arch = '',
+        api = 'current',
+    ),
+
 ]
 
 TEST_MODULES = { m.name: m for m in TEST_MODULES }
diff --git a/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/test.py b/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/test.py
index 1c76444e5..f6d9c9122 100755
--- a/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/test.py
+++ b/vndk/tools/header-checker/tests/test.py
@@ -238,6 +238,17 @@ class MyTest(unittest.TestCase):
             "libgolden_cpp_function_pointer_parameter_added", 8, [], True,
             True)
 
+    def test_libgolden_cpp_internal_struct_access_upgraded(self):
+        self.prepare_and_run_abi_diff_all_archs(
+            "libgolden_cpp_internal_private_struct",
+            "libgolden_cpp_internal_public_struct", 0, [], True,
+            True)
+
+    def test_libgolden_cpp_internal_struct_access_downgraded(self):
+        self.prepare_and_run_abi_diff_all_archs(
+            "libgolden_cpp_internal_public_struct",
+            "libgolden_cpp_internal_private_struct", 8, [], True,
+            True)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':