diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/DocumentReferenceSource.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/DocumentReferenceSource.java
index 03e5eb0d5..89d7360e4 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/DocumentReferenceSource.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/DocumentReferenceSource.java
@@ -28,11 +28,11 @@ public class DocumentReferenceSource {
 
 	private final Object self;
 
-	@Nullable private final Object targetSource;
+	private final @Nullable Object targetSource;
 
 	/**
 	 * Create a new instance of {@link DocumentReferenceSource}.
-	 * 
+	 *
 	 * @param self the entire wrapper object holding references. Must not be {@literal null}.
 	 * @param targetSource the reference value source.
 	 */
@@ -60,4 +60,25 @@ public class DocumentReferenceSource {
 	public Object getTargetSource() {
 		return targetSource;
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Dereference a {@code targetSource} if it is a {@link DocumentReferenceSource} or return {@code source} otherwise.
+	 *
+	 * @param source
+	 * @return
+	 */
+	@Nullable
+	static Object getTargetSource(Object source) {
+		return source instanceof DocumentReferenceSource ? ((DocumentReferenceSource) source).getTargetSource() : source;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Dereference a {@code self} object if it is a {@link DocumentReferenceSource} or return {@code self} otherwise.
+	 *
+	 * @param self
+	 * @return
+	 */
+	static Object getSelf(Object self) {
+		return self instanceof DocumentReferenceSource ? ((DocumentReferenceSource) self).getSelf() : self;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/ReferenceLookupDelegate.java b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/ReferenceLookupDelegate.java
index e16f9024b..36ccc23a6 100644
--- a/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/ReferenceLookupDelegate.java
+++ b/spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/ReferenceLookupDelegate.java
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@ public final class ReferenceLookupDelegate {
 	 * @param <T>
 	 * @return can be {@literal null}.
 	 */
-	@Nullable
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	private <T> T parseValueOrGet(String value, ParameterBindingContext bindingContext, Supplier<T> defaultValue) {
 
@@ -199,16 +198,10 @@ public final class ReferenceLookupDelegate {
 
 	ParameterBindingContext bindingContext(MongoPersistentProperty property, Object source, SpELContext spELContext) {
 
-		ValueProvider valueProvider;
-		if (source instanceof DocumentReferenceSource) {
-			valueProvider = valueProviderFor(((DocumentReferenceSource) source).getTargetSource());
-		} else {
-			valueProvider = valueProviderFor(source);
-		}
+		ValueProvider valueProvider = valueProviderFor(DocumentReferenceSource.getTargetSource(source));
 
 		return new ParameterBindingContext(valueProvider, spELContext.getParser(),
 				() -> evaluationContextFor(property, source, spELContext));
-
 	}
 
 	ValueProvider valueProviderFor(Object source) {
@@ -232,8 +225,7 @@ public final class ReferenceLookupDelegate {
 
 		EvaluationContext ctx = spELContext.getEvaluationContext(target);
 		ctx.setVariable("target", target);
-		ctx.setVariable("self",
-				source instanceof DocumentReferenceSource ? ((DocumentReferenceSource) source).getSelf() : source);
+		ctx.setVariable("self", DocumentReferenceSource.getSelf(source));
 		ctx.setVariable(property.getName(), target);
 
 		return ctx;
@@ -255,11 +247,10 @@ public final class ReferenceLookupDelegate {
 
 		String lookup = documentReference.lookup();
 
-		Object value = source instanceof DocumentReferenceSource ? ((DocumentReferenceSource) source).getTargetSource()
-				: source;
+		Object value = DocumentReferenceSource.getTargetSource(source);
 
 		Document sort = parseValueOrGet(documentReference.sort(), bindingContext(property, source, spELContext),
-				() -> new Document());
+				Document::new);
 
 		if (property.isCollectionLike() && (value instanceof Collection || value == null)) {
 
diff --git a/src/main/asciidoc/reference/document-references.adoc b/src/main/asciidoc/reference/document-references.adoc
index 23bc025e8..b7d55678a 100644
--- a/src/main/asciidoc/reference/document-references.adoc
+++ b/src/main/asciidoc/reference/document-references.adoc
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ class Publisher {
 ====
 
 It is also possible to model relational style _One-To-Many_ references using a combination of `@ReadonlyProperty` and `@DocumentReference`.
-This approach allows to link types without explicitly storing the linking values within the document itself as shown in the snipped below.
+This approach allows link types without storing the linking values within the owning document but rather on the referencing document as shown in the example below.
 
 ====
 [source,java]
@@ -313,8 +313,9 @@ class Publisher {
   "name" : "Del Rey"
 }
 ----
-<1> Set up the link from `Book` to `Publisher` by storing the `Publisher.id` within the `Book` document.
-<2> Mark the property holding the references to be read only. This prevents storing references to individual ``Book``s with the `Publisher` document.
+<1> Set up the link from `Book` (reference) to `Publisher` (owner) by storing the `Publisher.id` within the `Book` document.
+<2> Mark the property holding the references to be readonly.
+This prevents storing references to individual ``Book``s with the `Publisher` document.
 <3> Use the `#self` variable to access values within the `Publisher` document and in this retrieve `Books` with matching `publisherId`.
 ====