diff --git a/internal/planner/planner.go b/internal/planner/planner.go
index 75e286b60d..9c3fd7332d 100644
--- a/internal/planner/planner.go
+++ b/internal/planner/planner.go
@@ -2286,10 +2286,28 @@ outer:
 			break
 		}
 
-		for _, node := range nodes {
-			if len(node.Rules()) > 0 {
-				p.debugf("ref %s: at least one rule has 1+ rules, break", ref[0:index+1])
-				break outer
+		// NOTE(sr): we only need this check for the penultimate part:
+		// When planning the ref data.pkg.a[input.x][input.y],
+		// We want to capture this situation:
+		//   a.b[c] := "x" if c := "c"
+		//   a.b.d := "y"
+		//
+		// Not this:
+		//   a.b[c] := "x" if c := "c"
+		//   a.d := "y"
+		// since the length doesn't add up. Even if input.x was "d", the second
+		// rule (a.d) wouldn't contribute anything to the result, since we cannot
+		// "dot it".
+		if index == len(ref)-2 {
+			for _, node := range nodes {
+				anyNonGround := false
+				for _, r := range node.Rules() {
+					anyNonGround = anyNonGround || !r.Ref().IsGround()
+				}
+				if anyNonGround {
+					p.debugf("ref %s: at least one node has 1+ non-ground ref rules, break", ref[0:index+1])
+					break outer
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/test/cases/testdata/planner-ir/test-call-dynamic.yaml b/test/cases/testdata/planner-ir/test-call-dynamic.yaml
index 2993cb794f..1f57dd22f6 100644
--- a/test/cases/testdata/planner-ir/test-call-dynamic.yaml
+++ b/test/cases/testdata/planner-ir/test-call-dynamic.yaml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ cases:
     package test
     import future.keywords.if
     p := a[b].c if b := "b"
-    a.b.c := "C" if b := "b"
+    a.b.c := "C"
     a.x.d := "D"
   query: data.test.p = x
   want_result:
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ cases:
     import future.keywords.if
     p := a.b[c] if c := "c"
     a.b[c] := "C" if c := "c"
-    a.b["d"] := "D"
+    a.b.d := "D"
   query: data.test.p = x
   want_result:
   - x: C
@@ -66,4 +66,28 @@ cases:
     a.x.d := "D"
   query: data.test.p = x
   want_result:
-  - x: C
\ No newline at end of file
+  - x: C
+- note: ir/call-dynamic with ref heads, issue 5839
+  modules:
+  - |
+    package test
+    import future.keywords.if
+    p := a[b][c].allow if { b := "b"; c := "c" }
+    a.b.c.allow if true
+    a.x.d.allow if true
+    a.y[x] := "E" if x := "x"
+  query: data.test.p = x
+  want_result:
+  - x: true
+- note: ir/call-dynamic with ref heads, issue 5839, penultimate
+  modules:
+  - |
+    package test
+    import future.keywords.if
+    p := a[b][c] if { b := "b"; c := "c" }
+    a.b.c if true
+    a.x.d if true
+    a.y := "E"
+  query: data.test.p = x
+  want_result:
+  - x: true
\ No newline at end of file