diff --git a/__test__/entry-editable.test.ts b/__test__/entry-editable.test.ts
index dc6fdc7..2b3f983 100644
--- a/__test__/entry-editable.test.ts
+++ b/__test__/entry-editable.test.ts
@@ -372,6 +372,151 @@ describe('Entry editable test', () => {
             
             done()
         })
+
+        it('Reference fields should not inherit parent variants when they have no applied_variants', done => {
+            const entryWithReferenceAndVariants = {
+                "title": "home",
+                "url": "/data/all_test/first",
+                "single_line": "ssd",
+                "tags": ["hi"],
+                "locale": "en-us",
+                "uid": "blt827e0ad3608248be",
+                "created_by": "bltf0d59057590e9b09",
+                "updated_by": "bltf0d59057590e9b09",
+                "created_at": "2025-08-25T09:43:49.935Z",
+                "updated_at": "2025-10-09T11:45:19.967Z",
+                "ACL": [] as any[],
+                "_version": 40,
+                "_in_progress": false,
+                "json_rte": "<p>hisdassf</p>",
+                "select": "1",
+                "group": {
+                    "single_line": ""
+                },
+                "non_single_line_textbox": "",
+                "reference": [
+                    {
+                        "title": "base variant",
+                        "single_line": "bases",
+                        "tags": [] as any[],
+                        "locale": "en-us",
+                        "uid": "blt07a6c7258ddba844",
+                        "created_by": "bltf0d59057590e9b09",
+                        "updated_by": "bltf0d59057590e9b09",
+                        "created_at": "2025-10-01T03:10:10.701Z",
+                        "updated_at": "2025-10-09T11:44:44.981Z",
+                        "_content_type_uid": "all_test_3",
+                        "ACL": [] as any[],
+                        "_version": 3,
+                        "_in_progress": false,
+                        "multi_line_reference": "hii\n"
+                        // Note: This reference object has NO _applied_variants
+                    }
+                ],
+                "taxonomies": [] as any[],
+                "multi_line": "woek",
+                "_applied_variants": {
+                    "single_line": "csfff653e89df54e8c",
+                    "tags": "csfff653e89df54e8c",
+                    "multi_line": "csfff653e89df54e8c"
+                }
+            }
+            
+            addTags(entryWithReferenceAndVariants, 'all_test', false)
+            
+            // Parent entry fields with variants should get v2 prefix
+            expect((entryWithReferenceAndVariants as any)['$']['single_line']).toEqual('data-cslp=v2:all_test.blt827e0ad3608248be_csfff653e89df54e8c.en-us.single_line')
+            expect((entryWithReferenceAndVariants as any)['$']['tags']).toEqual('data-cslp=v2:all_test.blt827e0ad3608248be_csfff653e89df54e8c.en-us.tags')
+            expect((entryWithReferenceAndVariants as any)['$']['multi_line']).toEqual('data-cslp=v2:all_test.blt827e0ad3608248be_csfff653e89df54e8c.en-us.multi_line')
+            
+            // Reference fields should NOT get v2 prefix since they have no _applied_variants
+            expect((entryWithReferenceAndVariants as any)['reference'][0]['$']['title']).toEqual('data-cslp=all_test_3.blt07a6c7258ddba844.en-us.title')
+            expect((entryWithReferenceAndVariants as any)['reference'][0]['$']['single_line']).toEqual('data-cslp=all_test_3.blt07a6c7258ddba844.en-us.single_line')
+            expect((entryWithReferenceAndVariants as any)['reference'][0]['$']['tags']).toEqual('data-cslp=all_test_3.blt07a6c7258ddba844.en-us.tags')
+            expect((entryWithReferenceAndVariants as any)['reference'][0]['$']['multi_line_reference']).toEqual('data-cslp=all_test_3.blt07a6c7258ddba844.en-us.multi_line_reference')
+            
+            done()
+        })
+
+        it('Reference fields with their own applied_variants should use their variants', done => {
+            const entryWithReferenceHavingVariants = {
+                "title": "home",
+                "locale": "en-us",
+                "uid": "blt827e0ad3608248be",
+                "ACL": [] as any[],
+                "_version": 40,
+                "_in_progress": false,
+                "single_line": "parent field",
+                "reference": [
+                    {
+                        "title": "base variant",
+                        "single_line": "reference field",
+                        "locale": "en-us",
+                        "uid": "blt07a6c7258ddba844",
+                        "_content_type_uid": "all_test_3",
+                        "ACL": [] as any[],
+                        "_version": 3,
+                        "_in_progress": false,
+                        "_applied_variants": {
+                            "single_line": "ref_variant_123"
+                        }
+                    }
+                ],
+                "_applied_variants": {
+                    "single_line": "parent_variant_456"
+                }
+            }
+            
+            addTags(entryWithReferenceHavingVariants, 'all_test', false)
+            
+            // Parent entry field should get parent variant
+            expect((entryWithReferenceHavingVariants as any)['$']['single_line']).toEqual('data-cslp=v2:all_test.blt827e0ad3608248be_parent_variant_456.en-us.single_line')
+            
+            // Reference field should get its own variant, not parent variant
+            expect((entryWithReferenceHavingVariants as any)['reference'][0]['$']['title']).toEqual('data-cslp=all_test_3.blt07a6c7258ddba844.en-us.title')
+            expect((entryWithReferenceHavingVariants as any)['reference'][0]['$']['single_line']).toEqual('data-cslp=v2:all_test_3.blt07a6c7258ddba844_ref_variant_123.en-us.single_line')
+            
+            done()
+        })
+
+        it('Reference fields should work correctly with tagsAsObject=true', done => {
+            const entryWithReferenceAndVariants = {
+                "title": "home",
+                "single_line": "ssd",
+                "locale": "en-us",
+                "uid": "blt827e0ad3608248be",
+                "ACL": [] as any[],
+                "_version": 40,
+                "_in_progress": false,
+                "reference": [
+                    {
+                        "title": "base variant",
+                        "single_line": "bases",
+                        "locale": "en-us",
+                        "uid": "blt07a6c7258ddba844",
+                        "_content_type_uid": "all_test_3",
+                        "ACL": [] as any[],
+                        "_version": 3,
+                        "_in_progress": false
+                        // No _applied_variants
+                    }
+                ],
+                "_applied_variants": {
+                    "single_line": "csfff653e89df54e8c"
+                }
+            }
+            
+            addTags(entryWithReferenceAndVariants, 'all_test', true)
+            
+            // Parent entry field with variant should get v2 prefix as object
+            expect((entryWithReferenceAndVariants as any)['$']['single_line']).toEqual({'data-cslp': 'v2:all_test.blt827e0ad3608248be_csfff653e89df54e8c.en-us.single_line'})
+            
+            // Reference fields should NOT get v2 prefix as objects
+            expect((entryWithReferenceAndVariants as any)['reference'][0]['$']['title']).toEqual({'data-cslp': 'all_test_3.blt07a6c7258ddba844.en-us.title'})
+            expect((entryWithReferenceAndVariants as any)['reference'][0]['$']['single_line']).toEqual({'data-cslp': 'all_test_3.blt07a6c7258ddba844.en-us.single_line'})
+            
+            done()
+        })
     })
 
 })
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/entry-editable.ts b/src/entry-editable.ts
index 06f833e..6492a08 100644
--- a/src/entry-editable.ts
+++ b/src/entry-editable.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ function getTag(content: object, prefix: string, tagsAsObject: boolean, locale:
                              *  }]
                              * }
                              */
-                            const newAppliedVariants = obj._applied_variants || obj?.system?.applied_variants || _applied_variants;
+                            const newAppliedVariants = obj._applied_variants || obj?.system?.applied_variants || null //check for _applied_variants in the reference object only return null if not present , do not check in the parent object;
                             const newShouldApplyVariant = !!newAppliedVariants
                             value[index].$ = getTag(obj, `${obj._content_type_uid}.${obj.uid}.${obj.locale || locale}`, tagsAsObject, locale, { _applied_variants: newAppliedVariants, shouldApplyVariant: newShouldApplyVariant, metaKey: "" })
                         } else if (typeof obj === "object") {