diff --git a/mlir/lib/IR/SymbolTable.cpp b/mlir/lib/IR/SymbolTable.cpp
index 4f8418fac7b9d..4e191e7d612ad 100644
--- a/mlir/lib/IR/SymbolTable.cpp
+++ b/mlir/lib/IR/SymbolTable.cpp
@@ -424,7 +424,9 @@ static LogicalResult lookupSymbolInImpl(
     if (!symbolOp->hasTrait<OpTrait::SymbolTable>())
       return failure();
     symbolOp = lookupSymbolFn(symbolOp, ref.getAttr());
-    if (!symbolOp)
+    // If the nested symbol is private, lookup failed.
+    if (!symbolOp || SymbolTable::getSymbolVisibility(symbolOp) ==
+                         SymbolTable::Visibility::Private)
       return failure();
     symbols.push_back(symbolOp);
   }
diff --git a/mlir/test/Dialect/GPU/invalid.mlir b/mlir/test/Dialect/GPU/invalid.mlir
index ad6ad7338ff38..9c338e06f1b26 100644
--- a/mlir/test/Dialect/GPU/invalid.mlir
+++ b/mlir/test/Dialect/GPU/invalid.mlir
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ module attributes {gpu.container_module} {
 module attributes {gpu.container_module} {
   gpu.module @kernels {
     // expected-note@+1 {{see the kernel definition here}}
-    memref.global "private" @kernel_1 : memref<4xi32>
+    memref.global @kernel_1 : memref<4xi32>
   }
 
   func.func @launch_func_undefined_function(%sz : index) {
diff --git a/mlir/test/IR/test-symbol-uses.mlir b/mlir/test/IR/test-symbol-uses.mlir
index 54e3ef1812510..d9d839e9fc307 100644
--- a/mlir/test/IR/test-symbol-uses.mlir
+++ b/mlir/test/IR/test-symbol-uses.mlir
@@ -68,3 +68,28 @@ func.func @symbol_bar() {
   "foo.possibly_unknown_symbol_table"() ({
   }) : () -> ()
 }
+
+// -----
+
+module {
+  // expected-remark@below {{symbol has 2 uses}}
+  module @inner_module {
+    // expected-remark@below {{symbol has 1 uses}}
+    func.func private @private_inner()
+    // expected-remark@below {{symbol has 1 uses}}
+    func.func nested @nested_inner()
+  }
+
+
+  // expected-remark@below {{symbol has no uses}}
+  // expected-remark@below {{symbol contains 2 nested references}}
+  func.func @outer_caller() {
+    // expected-remark@below {{found use of symbol : @inner_module::@nested_inner : "inner_module"}}
+    // expected-remark@below {{found use of symbol : @inner_module::@nested_inner : "nested_inner"}}
+    "foo.op"() { use = @inner_module::@nested_inner } : () -> ()
+    // expected-remark@below {{failed to resolve use of symbol : @inner_module::@private_inner : "inner_module"}}
+    // expected-remark@below {{failed to resolve use of symbol : @inner_module::@private_inner : "private_inner"}}
+    "foo.op"() { use = @inner_module::@private_inner } : () -> ()
+    return
+  }
+}
diff --git a/mlir/test/lib/IR/TestSymbolUses.cpp b/mlir/test/lib/IR/TestSymbolUses.cpp
index e841e142c6563..24f7d8505bebd 100644
--- a/mlir/test/lib/IR/TestSymbolUses.cpp
+++ b/mlir/test/lib/IR/TestSymbolUses.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ struct SymbolUsesPass
         symbolUse.getUser()->emitRemark()
             << "found use of symbol : " << symbolUse.getSymbolRef() << " : "
             << symbol.getNameAttr();
+      } else {
+        symbolUse.getUser()->emitRemark()
+            << "failed to resolve use of symbol : " << symbolUse.getSymbolRef()
+            << " : " << symbol.getNameAttr();
       }
     }
     symbol->emitRemark() << "symbol has " << llvm::size(*symbolUses) << " uses";