diff --git a/src/quorum/test/mock.py b/src/quorum/test/mock.py
index 02502999..ad949454 100644
--- a/src/quorum/test/mock.py
+++ b/src/quorum/test/mock.py
@@ -61,6 +61,13 @@ class Person(quorum.Model):
         type = int
     )
 
+    father = quorum.field(
+        type = quorum.reference(
+            "Person",
+            name = "identifier"
+        )
+    )
+
     cats = quorum.field(
         type = quorum.references(
             "Cat",
diff --git a/src/quorum/test/model.py b/src/quorum/test/model.py
index e7432555..93cfe778 100644
--- a/src/quorum/test/model.py
+++ b/src/quorum/test/model.py
@@ -278,3 +278,25 @@ def test_references(self):
         self.assertEqual(isinstance(person, dict), True)
         self.assertEqual(isinstance(person["cats"], list), True)
         self.assertEqual(len(person["cats"]), 0)
+
+        father = mock.Person()
+        father.name = "father"
+        father.save()
+
+        person = mock.Person.get(identifier = 1)
+        person.father = father
+        person.save()
+
+        person = mock.Person.get(identifier = 1)
+
+        self.assertEqual(isinstance(person.father, quorum.Reference), True)
+        self.assertEqual(person.father.name, "father")
+
+        person = mock.Person.get(identifier = 1)
+
+        person.father.name = "father_changed"
+        person.father.save()
+
+        person = mock.Person.get(identifier = 1)
+
+        self.assertEqual(person.father.name, "father_changed")
diff --git a/src/quorum/typesf.py b/src/quorum/typesf.py
index 6731d303..dc0cf60c 100644
--- a/src/quorum/typesf.py
+++ b/src/quorum/typesf.py
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@ def reference(target, name = None, eager = False):
     name = name or "id"
     target_t = type(target)
     is_reference = target_t in legacy.STRINGS
+    reserved = ("id", "_target", "_object", "_type", "__dict__")
 
     class _Reference(Reference):
 
@@ -405,6 +406,11 @@ def __getattr__(self, name):
             raise AttributeError("'%s' not found" % name)
 
         def __setattr__(self, name, value):
+            # in case the name that is being set is not part of the reserved
+            # names for the reference underlying structure the object resolution
+            # is triggered to make sure the underlying object exists and is loaded
+            if not name in reserved: self.resolve()
+
             # verifies if the reference object exists in the current
             # reference instance, that's the case if the object name is
             # defined in the dictionary and the referenced object contains