diff --git a/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/events/EventReferenceProvider.java b/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/events/EventReferenceProvider.java
index f2c218a25..813e3ab17 100644
--- a/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/events/EventReferenceProvider.java
+++ b/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/main/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/events/EventReferenceProvider.java
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public class EventReferenceProvider implements ReferenceProvider {
 					.flatMap(bean -> bean.getChildren().stream())
 					.filter(element -> element instanceof EventPublisherIndexElement)
 					.map(element -> (EventPublisherIndexElement) element)
-					.filter(publisher -> publisher.getEventType().equals(eventType))
+					.filter(publisher -> publisher.getEventType().equals(eventType) || publisher.getEventTypesFromHierarchy().contains(eventType))
 					.map(publisher -> publisher.getLocation())
 					.toList();
 				
diff --git a/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/events/test/EventsReferencesProviderTest.java b/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/events/test/EventsReferencesProviderTest.java
index 512a1a036..2f040a552 100644
--- a/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/events/test/EventsReferencesProviderTest.java
+++ b/headless-services/spring-boot-language-server/src/test/java/org/springframework/ide/vscode/boot/java/events/test/EventsReferencesProviderTest.java
@@ -84,12 +84,18 @@ public class EventsReferencesProviderTest {
         		}""", tempJavaDocUri);
 		
 		List<? extends Location> references = editor.getReferences();
-		assertEquals(1, references.size());
+		assertEquals(2, references.size());
 		
 		String expectedDefinitionUri1 = directory.toPath().resolve("src/main/java/com/example/events/demo/CustomEventPublisher.java").toUri().toString();
 		Location expectedLocation1 = new Location(expectedDefinitionUri1, new Range(new Position(15, 2), new Position(15, 48)));
 		
 		assertTrue(references.contains(expectedLocation1));
+
+		// from type hierarchy of specialzed custom event
+		String expectedDefinitionUri2 = directory.toPath().resolve("src/main/java/com/example/events/demo/SpecializedCustomEventPublisher.java").toUri().toString();
+		Location expectedLocation2 = new Location(expectedDefinitionUri2, new Range(new Position(15, 2), new Position(15, 59)));
+		
+		assertTrue(references.contains(expectedLocation2));
 	}
 
 	@Test