diff --git a/gridsome/lib/graphql/__tests__/createFieldTypes.spec.js b/gridsome/lib/graphql/__tests__/createFieldTypes.spec.js
index bbeb450b1..fbf930a34 100644
--- a/gridsome/lib/graphql/__tests__/createFieldTypes.spec.js
+++ b/gridsome/lib/graphql/__tests__/createFieldTypes.spec.js
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@ const nodes = [
     refList: [
       { typeName: 'Post1', id: '1' },
       { typeName: 'Post2', id: '1' },
-      { typeName: 'Post3', id: '1' }
+      { typeName: 'Post3', id: '1' },
+      { typeName: undefined, id: '1' }
     ],
+    invalidRef: { typeName: undefined, id: '1' },
     simpleObj: {
       foo: 'bar'
     },
@@ -94,6 +96,7 @@ test('merge node fields', () => {
   expect(fields.simpleObj).toMatchObject({ foo: 'bar' })
   expect(fields.extendObj).toMatchObject({ bar: 'foo' })
   expect(fields.obj).toMatchObject({ foo: 'bar', bar: 'foo', test: { foo: 'bar' }})
+  expect(fields.invalidRef).toBeUndefined()
 })
 
 test('create graphql types from node fields', () => {
diff --git a/gridsome/lib/graphql/__tests__/nodes.spec.js b/gridsome/lib/graphql/__tests__/nodes.spec.js
index 4d255ac01..6267ceb34 100644
--- a/gridsome/lib/graphql/__tests__/nodes.spec.js
+++ b/gridsome/lib/graphql/__tests__/nodes.spec.js
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ test('create node reference', async () => {
     }
   })
 
-  authors.addNode({
+  const author = authors.addNode({
     id: '2'
   })
 
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ test('create node reference', async () => {
 
   posts.addNode({
     id: '2',
-    customRef: api.store.createReference('TestAuthor', '2')
+    customRef: api.store.createReference(author)
   })
 
   const query = `{
@@ -281,9 +281,7 @@ test('create node reference', async () => {
 })
 
 test('create node reference to same typeName', async () => {
-  const { addNode } = api.store.addContentType({
-    typeName: 'TestPost'
-  })
+  const { addNode } = api.store.addContentType('TestPost')
 
   const post = addNode({ id: '1' })
 
diff --git a/gridsome/lib/graphql/createFieldDefinitions.js b/gridsome/lib/graphql/createFieldDefinitions.js
index 395bf4010..c01822662 100644
--- a/gridsome/lib/graphql/createFieldDefinitions.js
+++ b/gridsome/lib/graphql/createFieldDefinitions.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const { omit, isPlainObject, isNumber, isInteger } = require('lodash')
 const { isRefField, isRefFieldDefinition } = require('./utils')
+const { warn } = require('../utils/log')
 
 module.exports = function createFieldDefinitions (nodes) {
   let fields = {}
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ module.exports = function createFieldDefinitions (nodes) {
   return fields
 }
 
-function fieldValues (obj, currentObj = {}) {
+function fieldValues (obj, currentObj = {}, path = []) {
   const res = { ...currentObj }
 
   for (const key in obj) {
@@ -22,13 +23,13 @@ function fieldValues (obj, currentObj = {}) {
     if (value === undefined) continue
     if (value === null) continue
 
-    res[key] = fieldValue(value, currentObj[key])
+    res[key] = fieldValue(value, currentObj[key], path.concat(key))
   }
 
   return res
 }
 
-function fieldValue (value, currentValue) {
+function fieldValue (value, currentValue, path = []) {
   if (Array.isArray(value)) {
     const arr = Array.isArray(currentValue) ? currentValue : []
     const length = value.length
@@ -39,7 +40,9 @@ function fieldValue (value, currentValue) {
       }
 
       for (let i = 0; i < length; i++) {
-        if (!currentValue.typeName.includes(value[i].typeName)) {
+        if (!value[i].typeName) {
+          warn(`Missing typeName for reference at: ${path.join('.')}.${i}`)
+        } else if (!currentValue.typeName.includes(value[i].typeName)) {
           currentValue.typeName.push(value[i].typeName)
         }
       }
@@ -52,19 +55,24 @@ function fieldValue (value, currentValue) {
     }
 
     for (let i = 0; i < length; i++) {
-      arr[0] = fieldValue(value[i], arr[0])
+      arr[0] = fieldValue(value[i], arr[0], path.concat(i))
     }
 
     return arr
   } else if (isPlainObject(value)) {
     if (isRefField(value)) {
+      if (!value.typeName) {
+        warn(`Missing typeName for reference in field: ${path.join('.')}`)
+        return currentValue
+      }
+
       const ref = currentValue || { typeName: value.typeName }
       ref.isList = ref.isList || Array.isArray(value.id)
 
       return ref
     }
 
-    return fieldValues(value, currentValue)
+    return fieldValues(value, currentValue, path)
   } else if (isNumber(value)) {
     return isNumber(currentValue) && isInteger(value)
       ? currentValue
diff --git a/gridsome/lib/graphql/resolvers.js b/gridsome/lib/graphql/resolvers.js
index 5aa5c9ada..eb926761b 100644
--- a/gridsome/lib/graphql/resolvers.js
+++ b/gridsome/lib/graphql/resolvers.js
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ function createRefResolver ({ typeName, isList = false }) {
     const query = {}
     let chain
 
+    if (fieldValue.hasOwnProperty('typeName') && !fieldValue.typeName) {
+      return isList ? [] : null
+    }
+
     if (id) {
       query.id = Array.isArray(id) ? { $in: id } : id
       query['internal.typeName'] = Array.isArray(typeName) ? { $in: typeName } : typeName
diff --git a/gridsome/lib/store/PluginStore.js b/gridsome/lib/store/PluginStore.js
index 0e2ceb608..bfe565c5b 100644
--- a/gridsome/lib/store/PluginStore.js
+++ b/gridsome/lib/store/PluginStore.js
@@ -184,7 +184,11 @@ class PluginStore {
 
   createReference (typeName, id) {
     if (isPlainObject(typeName)) {
-      return { typeName: typeName.typeName, id: typeName.id }
+      if (!typeName.$loki) {
+        throw new Error(`store.createReference() expected a node.`)
+      }
+
+      return { typeName: typeName.internal.typeName, id: typeName.id }
     }
 
     return { typeName, id }