diff --git a/src/prelude/index.ts b/src/prelude/index.ts
index c67de8a..c2c77ec 100644
--- a/src/prelude/index.ts
+++ b/src/prelude/index.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ export const globals = {
   'var?': function (this: VM, v: string) {
     return typeof v !== 'string' || this.scope.has(v)
   },
+  ref: (fn: Function) => fn,
 
   // env
   args: Bun.argv.slice(1),
diff --git a/src/prelude/tests/info.test.ts b/src/prelude/tests/info.test.ts
index 1fa5e3b..39e2545 100644
--- a/src/prelude/tests/info.test.ts
+++ b/src/prelude/tests/info.test.ts
@@ -91,3 +91,15 @@ describe('environment', () => {
     await expect(`list.first args | str.ends-with? 'shrimp.test.ts'`).toEvaluateTo(true)
   })
 })
+
+describe('ref', () => {
+  expect(`rnd = do x: true end; rnd | type`).toEvaluateTo('boolean')
+  expect(`rnd = do x: true end; ref rnd | type`).toEvaluateTo('function')
+
+  expect(`math.random | type`).toEvaluateTo('number')
+  expect(`ref math.random | type`).toEvaluateTo('native')
+
+  expect(`rnd = math.random; rnd | type`).toEvaluateTo('number')
+  expect(`rnd = ref math.random; rnd | type`).toEvaluateTo('number')
+  expect(`rnd = ref math.random; ref rnd | type`).toEvaluateTo('native')
+})