diff --git a/edelta.parent/edelta.tests/src/edelta/tests/EdeltaInterpreterTest.xtend b/edelta.parent/edelta.tests/src/edelta/tests/EdeltaInterpreterTest.xtend
index 7a59423d8..c23a47ccb 100644
--- a/edelta.parent/edelta.tests/src/edelta/tests/EdeltaInterpreterTest.xtend
+++ b/edelta.parent/edelta.tests/src/edelta/tests/EdeltaInterpreterTest.xtend
@@ -785,6 +785,28 @@ class EdeltaInterpreterTest extends EdeltaAbstractTest {
 		]
 	}
 
+	@Test def void testEcoreRefExpForExistingEClass() {
+		'''
+			import org.eclipse.emf.ecore.EcoreFactory
+			
+			metamodel "foo"
+			
+			modifyEcore aTest epackage foo {
+				ecoreref(FooClass)
+			}
+		'''.parseWithTestEcore => [
+			interpretProgram
+			val ecoreRefs = allEcoreReferenceExpressions
+			ecoreRefs.head => [
+				val exp = derivedStateHelper
+					.getEcoreReferenceExpressionState(it)
+					.getEnamedElementXExpressionMap
+					.get(reference.enamedelement)
+				assertNull(exp)
+			]
+		]
+	}
+
 	@Test def void testEcoreRefExpForCreatedEClassRenamedInInitializer() {
 		'''
 			import org.eclipse.emf.ecore.EcoreFactory
diff --git a/edelta.parent/edelta.tests/xtend-gen/edelta/tests/EdeltaInterpreterTest.java b/edelta.parent/edelta.tests/xtend-gen/edelta/tests/EdeltaInterpreterTest.java
index 62cf18264..f8a15550c 100644
--- a/edelta.parent/edelta.tests/xtend-gen/edelta/tests/EdeltaInterpreterTest.java
+++ b/edelta.parent/edelta.tests/xtend-gen/edelta/tests/EdeltaInterpreterTest.java
@@ -1179,6 +1179,36 @@ public void testEcoreRefExpForCreatedEClassRenamed() {
     ObjectExtensions.<EdeltaProgram>operator_doubleArrow(_parseWithTestEcore, _function);
   }
   
+  @Test
+  public void testEcoreRefExpForExistingEClass() {
+    StringConcatenation _builder = new StringConcatenation();
+    _builder.append("import org.eclipse.emf.ecore.EcoreFactory");
+    _builder.newLine();
+    _builder.newLine();
+    _builder.append("metamodel \"foo\"");
+    _builder.newLine();
+    _builder.newLine();
+    _builder.append("modifyEcore aTest epackage foo {");
+    _builder.newLine();
+    _builder.append("\t");
+    _builder.append("ecoreref(FooClass)");
+    _builder.newLine();
+    _builder.append("}");
+    _builder.newLine();
+    EdeltaProgram _parseWithTestEcore = this.parseWithTestEcore(_builder);
+    final Procedure1<EdeltaProgram> _function = (EdeltaProgram it) -> {
+      this.interpretProgram(it);
+      final List<EdeltaEcoreReferenceExpression> ecoreRefs = this.getAllEcoreReferenceExpressions(it);
+      EdeltaEcoreReferenceExpression _head = IterableExtensions.<EdeltaEcoreReferenceExpression>head(ecoreRefs);
+      final Procedure1<EdeltaEcoreReferenceExpression> _function_1 = (EdeltaEcoreReferenceExpression it_1) -> {
+        final XExpression exp = this.derivedStateHelper.getEcoreReferenceExpressionState(it_1).getEnamedElementXExpressionMap().get(it_1.getReference().getEnamedelement());
+        Assert.assertNull(exp);
+      };
+      ObjectExtensions.<EdeltaEcoreReferenceExpression>operator_doubleArrow(_head, _function_1);
+    };
+    ObjectExtensions.<EdeltaProgram>operator_doubleArrow(_parseWithTestEcore, _function);
+  }
+  
   @Test
   public void testEcoreRefExpForCreatedEClassRenamedInInitializer() {
     StringConcatenation _builder = new StringConcatenation();