diff --git a/reframe/core/logging.py b/reframe/core/logging.py
index bf68067157..ec1273602a 100644
--- a/reframe/core/logging.py
+++ b/reframe/core/logging.py
@@ -484,8 +484,15 @@ def _update_check_extras(self):
             self.extra['check_system'] = self.check.current_system.name
 
         if self.check.current_partition:
+            cp = self.check.current_partition.fullname
             self.extra['check_partition'] = self.check.current_partition.name
 
+            # When logging performance references, we need only those of the
+            # current system
+            self.extra['check_reference'] = jsonext.dumps(
+                self.check.reference.scope(cp)
+            )
+
         if self.check.current_environ:
             self.extra['check_environ'] = self.check.current_environ.name
 
diff --git a/reframe/utility/__init__.py b/reframe/utility/__init__.py
index 62c5352a4e..df8eb20d9c 100644
--- a/reframe/utility/__init__.py
+++ b/reframe/utility/__init__.py
@@ -672,6 +672,7 @@ class ScopedDict(UserDict):
     ``d['*:k1']`` are all equivalent.
     If you try to retrieve a whole scope, e.g., ``d['a:b']``,
     :class:`KeyError` will be raised.
+    For retrieving scopes, you should use the :func:`scope` function.
 
     Key deletion follows the same resolution mechanism as key retrieval,
     except that you are allowed to delete whole scopes. For example, ``del
@@ -727,6 +728,29 @@ def update(self, other):
             for k, v in scope_dict.items():
                 self.data[scope][k] = v
 
+    def scope(self, name):
+        '''Retrieve a whole scope.
+
+        :arg scope: The name of the scope to retrieve.
+        :returns: A dictionary with the keys that are within the requested
+            scope.
+        '''
+
+        ret = {}
+        curr_scope = name
+        while curr_scope is not None:
+            if curr_scope in self.data:
+                for k, v in self.data[curr_scope].items():
+                    if k not in ret:
+                        ret[k] = v
+
+            if curr_scope == self._global_scope:
+                curr_scope = None
+            else:
+                curr_scope = self._parent_scope(curr_scope)
+
+        return ret
+
     def __str__(self):
         # just return the internal dictionary
         return str(self.data)
diff --git a/unittests/test_utility.py b/unittests/test_utility.py
index 86388d1d3f..2350ad1762 100644
--- a/unittests/test_utility.py
+++ b/unittests/test_utility.py
@@ -952,6 +952,16 @@ def test_scoped_dict_key_resolution():
     with pytest.raises(KeyError):
         scoped_dict['']
 
+    # Scopes must be requested with scope()
+    assert scoped_dict.scope('a') == {'k1': 1, 'k2': 2, 'k3': 9, 'k4': 10}
+    assert scoped_dict.scope('a:b') == {'k1': 3, 'k2': 2, 'k3': 4, 'k4': 10}
+    assert scoped_dict.scope('a:b:c') == {'k1': 3, 'k2': 5, 'k3': 6, 'k4': 10}
+    assert scoped_dict.scope('*') == {'k1': 7, 'k3': 9, 'k4': 10}
+
+    # This is resolved in scope 'a'
+    assert scoped_dict.scope('a:z') == {'k1': 1, 'k2': 2, 'k3': 9, 'k4': 10}
+    assert scoped_dict.scope(None) == {}
+
 
 def test_scoped_dict_setitem():
     scoped_dict = reframe.utility.ScopedDict({