diff --git a/clang/lib/Sema/SemaSYCL.cpp b/clang/lib/Sema/SemaSYCL.cpp
index fac53fcfbf94a..971b8eadec6f6 100644
--- a/clang/lib/Sema/SemaSYCL.cpp
+++ b/clang/lib/Sema/SemaSYCL.cpp
@@ -914,42 +914,6 @@ class KernelBodyTransform : public TreeTransform<KernelBodyTransform> {
   Sema &SemaRef;
 };
 
-// Searches for a call to PFWG lambda function and captures it.
-class FindPFWGLambdaFnVisitor
-    : public RecursiveASTVisitor<FindPFWGLambdaFnVisitor> {
-public:
-  // LambdaObjTy - lambda type of the PFWG lambda object
-  FindPFWGLambdaFnVisitor(const CXXRecordDecl *LambdaObjTy)
-      : LambdaFn(nullptr), LambdaObjTy(LambdaObjTy) {}
-
-  bool VisitCallExpr(CallExpr *Call) {
-    auto *M = dyn_cast<CXXMethodDecl>(Call->getDirectCallee());
-    if (!M || (M->getOverloadedOperator() != OO_Call))
-      return true;
-
-    unsigned int NumPFWGLambdaArgs =
-        M->getNumParams() + 1; // group, optional kernel_handler and lambda obj
-    if (Call->getNumArgs() != NumPFWGLambdaArgs)
-      return true;
-    if (!Util::isSyclType(Call->getArg(1)->getType(), "group", true /*Tmpl*/))
-      return true;
-    if ((Call->getNumArgs() > 2) &&
-        !Util::isSyclKernelHandlerType(Call->getArg(2)->getType()))
-      return true;
-    if (Call->getArg(0)->getType()->getAsCXXRecordDecl() != LambdaObjTy)
-      return true;
-    LambdaFn = M; // call to PFWG lambda found - record the lambda
-    return false; // ... and stop searching
-  }
-
-  // Returns the captured lambda function or nullptr;
-  CXXMethodDecl *getLambdaFn() const { return LambdaFn; }
-
-private:
-  CXXMethodDecl *LambdaFn;
-  const CXXRecordDecl *LambdaObjTy;
-};
-
 class MarkWIScopeFnVisitor : public RecursiveASTVisitor<MarkWIScopeFnVisitor> {
 public:
   MarkWIScopeFnVisitor(ASTContext &Ctx) : Ctx(Ctx) {}
@@ -2541,10 +2505,16 @@ class SyclKernelBodyCreator : public SyclKernelFieldHandler {
   void markParallelWorkItemCalls() {
     if (getKernelInvocationKind(KernelCallerFunc) ==
         InvokeParallelForWorkGroup) {
-      FindPFWGLambdaFnVisitor V(KernelObj);
-      V.TraverseStmt(KernelCallerFunc->getBody());
-      CXXMethodDecl *WGLambdaFn = V.getLambdaFn();
-      assert(WGLambdaFn && "PFWG lambda not found");
+      // Fetch the kernel object and the associated call operator
+      // (of either the lambda or the function object).
+      CXXRecordDecl *KernelObj =
+          GetSYCLKernelObjectType(KernelCallerFunc)->getAsCXXRecordDecl();
+      CXXMethodDecl *WGLambdaFn = nullptr;
+      if (KernelObj->isLambda())
+        WGLambdaFn = KernelObj->getLambdaCallOperator();
+      else
+        WGLambdaFn = getOperatorParens(KernelObj);
+      assert(WGLambdaFn && "non callable object is passed as kernel obj");
       // Mark the function that it "works" in a work group scope:
       // NOTE: In case of parallel_for_work_item the marker call itself is
       // marked with work item scope attribute, here  the '()' operator of the
diff --git a/clang/test/SemaSYCL/sycl-pfwg-invalid-code.cpp b/clang/test/SemaSYCL/sycl-pfwg-invalid-code.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..db8e77a678998
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clang/test/SemaSYCL/sycl-pfwg-invalid-code.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+// RUN: %clang_cc1 -fsycl-is-device %s -verify
+
+// Tests that the compiler does not crash (due to a triggered assertion)
+// if definition of kernel_parallel_for_work_group is invalid.
+template <typename, typename, typename K>
+__attribute__((sycl_kernel)) void kernel_parallel_for_work_group(const K &) {
+  unknown(); // expected-error{{use of undeclared identifier 'unknown'}}
+}
+void foo() {
+  auto lambda = [] {};
+  kernel_parallel_for_work_group<int, int>(lambda);
+}