diff --git a/src/ast/reference.js b/src/ast/reference.js
index b9393e5..6c466c6 100644
--- a/src/ast/reference.js
+++ b/src/ast/reference.js
@@ -15,8 +15,13 @@ util.assign(Reference.prototype, {
     return ['reference', this.refName];
   },
 
-  compile: function(builder, address) {
+  compile: function(builder, address, action) {
     builder.jump_(address, this.refName);
+    if (action) {
+      builder.ifNode_(address, function(builder){
+        builder.assign_(address, builder.action_(address, action));
+      }, this);
+    }
   }
 });
 
diff --git a/src/builders/java.js b/src/builders/java.js
index 6def96d..5909cae 100644
--- a/src/builders/java.js
+++ b/src/builders/java.js
@@ -464,6 +464,12 @@ util.assign(Builder.prototype, {
     this.conditional_('while', expression + ' != ' + this.nullNode_(), block, context);
   },
 
+  action_: function(address, action) {
+    var args = ['input', -1, -1, address];
+    action = 'actions.' + action;
+    return action + '(' + args.join(', ') + ')';
+  },
+
   stringMatch_: function(expression, string) {
     return expression + ' != null && ' + expression + '.equals(' + this._quote(string) + ')';
   },
diff --git a/src/builders/javascript.js b/src/builders/javascript.js
index 2088c98..1ae6126 100644
--- a/src/builders/javascript.js
+++ b/src/builders/javascript.js
@@ -350,6 +350,12 @@ util.assign(Builder.prototype, {
     this.conditional_('while', expression + ' !== ' + this.nullNode_(), block, context);
   },
 
+  action_: function(address, action) {
+    var args = ['this._input', -1, -1, address];
+    action = 'this._actions.' + action;
+    return action + '(' + args.join(', ') + ')';
+  },
+
   stringMatch_: function(expression, string) {
     return expression + ' === ' + this._quote(string);
   },
diff --git a/src/builders/python.js b/src/builders/python.js
index 35eb671..59eb4ac 100644
--- a/src/builders/python.js
+++ b/src/builders/python.js
@@ -322,6 +322,12 @@ util.assign(Builder.prototype, {
     this._indent(block, context);
   },
 
+  action_: function(address, action) {
+    var args = ['self._input', -1, -1, address];
+    action = 'self._actions.' + action;
+    return action + '(' + args.join(', ') + ')';
+  },
+
   stringMatch_: function(expression, string) {
     return expression + ' == ' + this._quote(string);
   },
diff --git a/src/builders/ruby.js b/src/builders/ruby.js
index e9b22eb..cf6f6a9 100644
--- a/src/builders/ruby.js
+++ b/src/builders/ruby.js
@@ -339,6 +339,12 @@ util.assign(Builder.prototype, {
     this._line('end');
   },
 
+  action_: function(address, action) {
+    var args = ['@input', -1, -1, address];
+    action = '@actions.' + action;
+    return action + '(' + args.join(', ') + ')';
+  },
+
   stringMatch_: function(expression, string) {
     return expression + ' == ' + this._quote(string);
   },
diff --git a/src/meta_grammar.js b/src/meta_grammar.js
index 936aecd..10d0fb3 100644
--- a/src/meta_grammar.js
+++ b/src/meta_grammar.js
@@ -1173,88 +1173,95 @@
           address0 = this._read_maybe_atom();
           if (address0 === FAILURE) {
             this._offset = index1;
-            address0 = this._read_terminal();
+            address0 = this._read_reference();
             if (address0 === FAILURE) {
               this._offset = index1;
-              var index2 = this._offset, elements0 = new Array(5);
-              var address1 = FAILURE;
-              var chunk0 = null, max0 = this._offset + 1;
-              if (max0 <= this._inputSize) {
-                chunk0 = this._input.substring(this._offset, max0);
-              }
-              if (chunk0 === '(') {
-                address1 = new TreeNode(this._input.substring(this._offset, this._offset + 1), this._offset, []);
-                this._offset = this._offset + 1;
-              } else {
-                address1 = FAILURE;
-                if (this._offset > this._failure) {
-                  this._failure = this._offset;
-                  this._expected = [];
-                }
-                if (this._offset === this._failure) {
-                  this._expected.push('"("');
-                }
-              }
-              if (address1 !== FAILURE) {
-                elements0[0] = address1;
-                var address2 = FAILURE;
-                var remaining0 = 0, index3 = this._offset, elements1 = [], address3 = true;
-                while (address3 !== FAILURE) {
-                  address3 = this._read__();
-                  if (address3 !== FAILURE) {
-                    elements1.push(address3);
-                    --remaining0;
-                  }
+              address0 = this._read_terminal();
+              if (address0 === FAILURE) {
+                this._offset = index1;
+                var index2 = this._offset, elements0 = new Array(5);
+                var address1 = FAILURE;
+                var chunk0 = null, max0 = this._offset + 1;
+                if (max0 <= this._inputSize) {
+                  chunk0 = this._input.substring(this._offset, max0);
                 }
-                if (remaining0 <= 0) {
-                  address2 = new TreeNode(this._input.substring(index3, this._offset), index3, elements1);
-                  this._offset = this._offset;
+                if (chunk0 === '(') {
+                  address1 = new TreeNode(this._input.substring(this._offset, this._offset + 1), this._offset, []);
+                  this._offset = this._offset + 1;
                 } else {
-                  address2 = FAILURE;
+                  address1 = FAILURE;
+                  if (this._offset > this._failure) {
+                    this._failure = this._offset;
+                    this._expected = [];
+                  }
+                  if (this._offset === this._failure) {
+                    this._expected.push('"("');
+                  }
                 }
-                if (address2 !== FAILURE) {
-                  elements0[1] = address2;
-                  var address4 = FAILURE;
-                  address4 = this._read_actionable();
-                  if (address4 !== FAILURE) {
-                    elements0[2] = address4;
-                    var address5 = FAILURE;
-                    var remaining1 = 0, index4 = this._offset, elements2 = [], address6 = true;
-                    while (address6 !== FAILURE) {
-                      address6 = this._read__();
-                      if (address6 !== FAILURE) {
-                        elements2.push(address6);
-                        --remaining1;
-                      }
-                    }
-                    if (remaining1 <= 0) {
-                      address5 = new TreeNode(this._input.substring(index4, this._offset), index4, elements2);
-                      this._offset = this._offset;
-                    } else {
-                      address5 = FAILURE;
+                if (address1 !== FAILURE) {
+                  elements0[0] = address1;
+                  var address2 = FAILURE;
+                  var remaining0 = 0, index3 = this._offset, elements1 = [], address3 = true;
+                  while (address3 !== FAILURE) {
+                    address3 = this._read__();
+                    if (address3 !== FAILURE) {
+                      elements1.push(address3);
+                      --remaining0;
                     }
-                    if (address5 !== FAILURE) {
-                      elements0[3] = address5;
-                      var address7 = FAILURE;
-                      var chunk1 = null, max1 = this._offset + 1;
-                      if (max1 <= this._inputSize) {
-                        chunk1 = this._input.substring(this._offset, max1);
+                  }
+                  if (remaining0 <= 0) {
+                    address2 = new TreeNode(this._input.substring(index3, this._offset), index3, elements1);
+                    this._offset = this._offset;
+                  } else {
+                    address2 = FAILURE;
+                  }
+                  if (address2 !== FAILURE) {
+                    elements0[1] = address2;
+                    var address4 = FAILURE;
+                    address4 = this._read_actionable();
+                    if (address4 !== FAILURE) {
+                      elements0[2] = address4;
+                      var address5 = FAILURE;
+                      var remaining1 = 0, index4 = this._offset, elements2 = [], address6 = true;
+                      while (address6 !== FAILURE) {
+                        address6 = this._read__();
+                        if (address6 !== FAILURE) {
+                          elements2.push(address6);
+                          --remaining1;
+                        }
                       }
-                      if (chunk1 === ')') {
-                        address7 = new TreeNode(this._input.substring(this._offset, this._offset + 1), this._offset, []);
-                        this._offset = this._offset + 1;
+                      if (remaining1 <= 0) {
+                        address5 = new TreeNode(this._input.substring(index4, this._offset), index4, elements2);
+                        this._offset = this._offset;
                       } else {
-                        address7 = FAILURE;
-                        if (this._offset > this._failure) {
-                          this._failure = this._offset;
-                          this._expected = [];
+                        address5 = FAILURE;
+                      }
+                      if (address5 !== FAILURE) {
+                        elements0[3] = address5;
+                        var address7 = FAILURE;
+                        var chunk1 = null, max1 = this._offset + 1;
+                        if (max1 <= this._inputSize) {
+                          chunk1 = this._input.substring(this._offset, max1);
                         }
-                        if (this._offset === this._failure) {
-                          this._expected.push('")"');
+                        if (chunk1 === ')') {
+                          address7 = new TreeNode(this._input.substring(this._offset, this._offset + 1), this._offset, []);
+                          this._offset = this._offset + 1;
+                        } else {
+                          address7 = FAILURE;
+                          if (this._offset > this._failure) {
+                            this._failure = this._offset;
+                            this._expected = [];
+                          }
+                          if (this._offset === this._failure) {
+                            this._expected.push('")"');
+                          }
+                        }
+                        if (address7 !== FAILURE) {
+                          elements0[4] = address7;
+                        } else {
+                          elements0 = null;
+                          this._offset = index2;
                         }
-                      }
-                      if (address7 !== FAILURE) {
-                        elements0[4] = address7;
                       } else {
                         elements0 = null;
                         this._offset = index2;
@@ -1271,18 +1278,15 @@
                   elements0 = null;
                   this._offset = index2;
                 }
-              } else {
-                elements0 = null;
-                this._offset = index2;
-              }
-              if (elements0 === null) {
-                address0 = FAILURE;
-              } else {
-                address0 = this._actions.paren_expr(this._input, index2, this._offset, elements0);
-                this._offset = this._offset;
-              }
-              if (address0 === FAILURE) {
-                this._offset = index1;
+                if (elements0 === null) {
+                  address0 = FAILURE;
+                } else {
+                  address0 = this._actions.paren_expr(this._input, index2, this._offset, elements0);
+                  this._offset = this._offset;
+                }
+                if (address0 === FAILURE) {
+                  this._offset = index1;
+                }
               }
             }
           }
diff --git a/src/meta_grammar.peg b/src/meta_grammar.peg
index 5e177be..836e552 100644
--- a/src/meta_grammar.peg
+++ b/src/meta_grammar.peg
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ action_expression     <-  actionable _+ action_tag %action
 actionable            <-  sequence
                        /  repeated_atom
                        /  maybe_atom
+                       /  reference
                        /  terminal
                        /  "(" _* actionable _* ")" %paren_expr
 
diff --git a/test/canopy/compiler/action_spec.js b/test/canopy/compiler/action_spec.js
index 01f7b4f..94156b6 100644
--- a/test/canopy/compiler/action_spec.js
+++ b/test/canopy/compiler/action_spec.js
@@ -191,4 +191,39 @@ jstest.describe("Compiler.Action", function() { with(this) {
       assertEqual( 0, ChoiceActionTest.parse('0', {actions: actions}) )
     }})
   }})
+
+  describe('constructing a referenced node', function() { with(this) {
+    before(function() { with(this) {
+      compile('grammar global.RefActionTest \
+        rule <- begin %override \
+		begin <- "begin" %begin')
+
+      this.actions = {
+        begin: function() { return {type: 'tBEGIN'} },
+        override: function(input, start, end, elements) { return elements.type.toLowerCase(); }
+      }
+    }})
+
+    it('creates nodes using the named action', function() { with(this) {
+      assertEqual('tbegin', RefActionTest.parse('begin', {actions: actions}) )
+    }})
+  }})
+  describe('constructing another referenced node', function() { with(this) {
+    before(function() { with(this) {
+      compile('grammar global.RefActionTest \
+        rule <- (notbegin %override) / (begin %override) \
+		notbegin <- "notbegin" %notbegin\
+		begin <- "begin" %begin')
+
+      this.actions = {
+        begin: function() { return {type: 'tBEGIN'} },
+        notbegin: function() { return {type: 'tNOTBEGIN'} },
+        override: function(input, start, end, elements) { return elements.type.toLowerCase(); }
+      }
+    }})
+
+    it('creates nodes using the named action', function() { with(this) {
+      assertEqual('tbegin', RefActionTest.parse('begin', {actions: actions}) )
+    }})
+  }})
 }})
diff --git a/test/canopy/meta_grammar_spec.js b/test/canopy/meta_grammar_spec.js
index 37ab3d6..c4dd7d6 100644
--- a/test/canopy/meta_grammar_spec.js
+++ b/test/canopy/meta_grammar_spec.js
@@ -290,6 +290,27 @@ jstest.describe("MetaGrammar", function() { with(this) {
     }})
   }})
 
+  describe('with an actionable referencing rule', function() { with(this) {
+    before(function() { with(this) {
+      this.compiler = new Compiler(' \
+        grammar References \
+          first <- second %make_rep \
+          second <- "done" \
+      ')
+    }})
+
+    it('compiles a referencing-rule parser', function() { with(this) {
+      assertEqual(['grammar', 'References',
+                    ['rule', 'first',
+                      ['action', 'make_rep',
+                        ['reference', 'second']]],
+                    ['rule', 'second',
+                      ['string', 'done']]],
+
+          compiler.toSexp() )
+    }})
+  }})
+
   describe('with comments', function() { with(this) {
     before(function() { with(this) {
       this.compiler = new Compiler(' \