diff --git a/lib/rules/require-meta-type.js b/lib/rules/require-meta-type.js
index fbad8cad..d9cb5206 100644
--- a/lib/rules/require-meta-type.js
+++ b/lib/rules/require-meta-type.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ module.exports = {
 
   create (context) {
     const sourceCode = context.getSourceCode();
-    const info = utils.getRuleInfo(sourceCode.ast);
+    const info = utils.getRuleInfo(sourceCode.ast, sourceCode.scopeManager);
 
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
     // Helpers
diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index 92a1d13b..bfc29731 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -6,7 +6,58 @@
 * @returns {boolean} `true` if the node is a normal function expression
 */
 function isNormalFunctionExpression (node) {
-  return (node.type === 'FunctionExpression' || node.type === 'ArrowFunctionExpression') && !node.generator && !node.async;
+  const functionTypes = [
+    'FunctionExpression',
+    'ArrowFunctionExpression',
+    'FunctionDeclaration',
+  ];
+  return functionTypes.includes(node.type) && !node.generator && !node.async;
+}
+
+/**
+* Determines whether a node is a reference to function expression.
+* @param {ASTNode} node The node in question
+* @param {ScopeManager} scopeManager The scope manager to use for resolving references
+* @returns {boolean} `true` if the node is a reference to a function expression
+*/
+function isNormalFunctionExpressionReference (node, scopeManager) {
+  if (!node || !scopeManager) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  if (node.type !== 'Identifier') {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  const scope = scopeManager.acquire(node) || scopeManager.globalScope;
+  if (!scope) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  const references = scope.references;
+  const createReference = references.find(reference => {
+    return reference.identifier === node;
+  });
+
+  if (!createReference || !createReference.resolved) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  const definitions = createReference.resolved.defs;
+  if (!definitions || !definitions.length) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  // Assumes it is immediately initialized to a function
+  let definitionNode = definitions[0].node;
+
+  // If we find something like `const create = () => {}` then send the
+  // righthand side into the type check.
+  if (definitionNode.type === 'VariableDeclarator') {
+    definitionNode = definitionNode.init;
+  }
+
+  return isNormalFunctionExpression(definitionNode);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -33,7 +84,7 @@ module.exports = {
   is an object, and `false` if module.exports is just the `create` function. If no valid ESLint rule info can be extracted
   from the file, the return value will be `null`.
   */
-  getRuleInfo (ast) {
+  getRuleInfo (ast, scopeManager) {
     const INTERESTING_KEYS = new Set(['create', 'meta']);
     let exportsVarOverridden = false;
     let exportsIsFunction = false;
@@ -90,9 +141,19 @@ module.exports = {
         return currentExports;
       }, {});
 
-    return Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(exportNodes, 'create') && isNormalFunctionExpression(exportNodes.create)
-      ? Object.assign({ isNewStyle: !exportsIsFunction, meta: null }, exportNodes)
-      : null;
+    const createExists = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(exportNodes, 'create');
+    if (!createExists) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    const createIsFunction = isNormalFunctionExpression(exportNodes.create);
+    const createIsFunctionReference = isNormalFunctionExpressionReference(exportNodes.create, scopeManager);
+
+    if (!createIsFunction && !createIsFunctionReference) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    return Object.assign({ isNewStyle: !exportsIsFunction, meta: null }, exportNodes);
   },
 
   /**
diff --git a/tests/lib/rules/require-meta-type.js b/tests/lib/rules/require-meta-type.js
index e22bbcd7..41bd6d9f 100644
--- a/tests/lib/rules/require-meta-type.js
+++ b/tests/lib/rules/require-meta-type.js
@@ -40,6 +40,16 @@ ruleTester.run('require-meta-type', rule, {
     `module.exports = {
       create(context) {}
     }`,
+    {
+      code: `
+        const create = {};
+        module.exports = {
+          meta: {},
+          create,
+        };
+      `,
+      errors: [{ messageId: 'missing' }],
+    },
   ],
 
   invalid: [
@@ -52,6 +62,36 @@ ruleTester.run('require-meta-type', rule, {
       `,
       errors: [{ messageId: 'missing' }],
     },
+    {
+      code: `
+        function create(context) {}
+        module.exports = {
+          meta: {},
+          create,
+        };
+      `,
+      errors: [{ messageId: 'missing' }],
+    },
+    {
+      code: `
+        const create = function(context) {};
+        module.exports = {
+          meta: {},
+          create,
+        };
+      `,
+      errors: [{ messageId: 'missing' }],
+    },
+    {
+      code: `
+        const create = (context) => {};
+        module.exports = {
+          meta: {},
+          create,
+        };
+      `,
+      errors: [{ messageId: 'missing' }],
+    },
     {
       code: `
         module.exports = {