diff --git a/community-build/test/scala/dotty/communitybuild/CommunityBuildTest.scala b/community-build/test/scala/dotty/communitybuild/CommunityBuildTest.scala
index 8837f7319117..bf6b6d431509 100644
--- a/community-build/test/scala/dotty/communitybuild/CommunityBuildTest.scala
+++ b/community-build/test/scala/dotty/communitybuild/CommunityBuildTest.scala
@@ -93,11 +93,7 @@ class CommunityBuildTestC:
   @Test def sconfig = projects.sconfig.run()
   @Test def shapeless = projects.shapeless.run()
   @Test def sourcecode = projects.sourcecode.run()
-
-  // Disabled. Currently fails in FutureMatchers.scala. The call to
-  // `checkResultFailure` goes to a protected method which is not accessible.
-  // I tried to fix it, but get test failures.
-  // @Test def specs2 = projects.specs2.run()
+  @Test def specs2 = projects.specs2.run()
 
   @Test def stdLib213 = projects.stdLib213.run()
   @Test def ujson = projects.ujson.run()
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SymDenotations.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SymDenotations.scala
index aa97435d64bb..988a37be4388 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SymDenotations.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/SymDenotations.scala
@@ -907,10 +907,13 @@ object SymDenotations {
           false
         val cls = owner.enclosingSubClass
         if !cls.exists then
-          val encl = if ctx.owner.isConstructor then ctx.owner.enclosingClass.owner.enclosingClass else ctx.owner.enclosingClass
-          fail(i"""
-               | Access to protected $this not permitted because enclosing ${encl.showLocated}
-               | is not a subclass of ${owner.showLocated} where target is defined""")
+          if pre.termSymbol.isPackageObject && accessWithin(pre.termSymbol.owner) then
+            true
+          else
+            val encl = if ctx.owner.isConstructor then ctx.owner.enclosingClass.owner.enclosingClass else ctx.owner.enclosingClass
+            fail(i"""
+                 | Access to protected $this not permitted because enclosing ${encl.showLocated}
+                 | is not a subclass of ${owner.showLocated} where target is defined""")
         else if isType || pre.derivesFrom(cls) || isConstructor || owner.is(ModuleClass) then
           // allow accesses to types from arbitrary subclasses fixes #4737
           // don't perform this check for static members
diff --git a/tests/pos/i18124/definition.scala b/tests/pos/i18124/definition.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1377c94fe7cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pos/i18124/definition.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// definition.scala
+package oolong.bson:
+
+  trait BsonValue
+  protected def merge(
+      base: BsonValue,
+      patch: BsonValue,
+      arraySubvalues: Boolean = false
+  ): BsonValue = ???
+
+  private def foo: Int = 1
+
+  package inner:
+    protected[bson] def bar = 2
+
diff --git a/tests/pos/i18124/usage.scala b/tests/pos/i18124/usage.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0bc0417c01ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pos/i18124/usage.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+// usage.scala
+package oolong.bson
+
+extension (bv: BsonValue)
+  def :+(other: BsonValue): BsonValue = merge(other, bv, false)
+
+val x = foo
+val y = inner.bar