diff --git a/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Expressions/ReferenceNode.cs b/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Expressions/ReferenceNode.cs
index 27f4c4f3..971be72c 100644
--- a/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Expressions/ReferenceNode.cs
+++ b/src/Spring/Spring.Core/Expressions/ReferenceNode.cs
@@ -18,78 +18,80 @@
 
 #endregion
 
-using System;
-using System.Runtime.Serialization;
 using Spring.Expressions;
 using Spring.Objects.Factory;
+using System;
+using System.Runtime.Serialization;
 
 namespace Spring.Context.Support
 {
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Represents a reference to a Spring-managed object.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <author>Aleksandar Seovic</author>
-    [Serializable]
-    public class ReferenceNode : BaseNode
-    {
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Create a new instance
-        /// </summary>
-        public ReferenceNode():base()
-        {
-        }
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Represents a reference to a Spring-managed object.
+	/// </summary>
+	/// <author>Aleksandar Seovic</author>
+	[Serializable]
+	public class ReferenceNode : BaseNode
+	{
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Create a new instance
+		/// </summary>
+		public ReferenceNode() { }
 
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Create a new instance from SerializationInfo
-        /// </summary>
-        protected ReferenceNode(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context)
-            : base(info, context)
-        {
-        }
-        
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Returns a value for the integer literal node.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="context">Context to evaluate expressions against.</param>
-        /// <param name="evalContext">Current expression evaluation context.</param>
-        /// <returns>Node's value.</returns>
-        protected override object Get(object context, EvaluationContext evalContext)
-        {
-            IApplicationContext ctx;
-            string objectName;
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Create a new instance from SerializationInfo
+		/// </summary>
+		protected ReferenceNode(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context)
+			: base(info, context) { }
 
-            if (this.getNumberOfChildren() == 2)
-            {
-                string contextName = this.getFirstChild().getText();
-                objectName = this.getFirstChild().getNextSibling().getText();
-                ctx = ContextRegistry.GetContext(contextName);
-                if (ctx == null)
-                {
-                    throw new ArgumentException(string.Format("Context '{0}' is not registered.", contextName));
-                }
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                objectName = this.getFirstChild().getText();
-                IObjectFactory currentObjectFactory = (evalContext.Variables != null)
-                                                          ? (IObjectFactory)evalContext.Variables[Expression.ReservedVariableNames.CurrentObjectFactory]
-                                                          : null;
+		/// <inheritdoc />
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Returns a value for the integer literal node.
+		/// </summary>
+		/// <param name="context">Context to evaluate expressions against.</param>
+		/// <param name="evalContext">Current expression evaluation context.</param>
+		/// <returns>Node's value.</returns>
+		protected override object Get(object context, EvaluationContext evalContext)
+		{
+			var objectName = ResolveNames(out var contextName);
 
-                // this is a local reference within an object factory
-                if (currentObjectFactory != null)
-                {
-                    return currentObjectFactory.GetObject(objectName);
-                }
+			var sourceContext = SelectSourceContext(evalContext, contextName);
 
-                // else lookup in default context
-                ctx = ContextRegistry.GetContext();
-                if (ctx == null)
-                {
-                    throw new ArgumentException("No context registered.");
-                }
-            }
+			return sourceContext.GetObject(objectName);
+		}
 
-            return ctx.GetObject(objectName);
-        }
-    }
+		private string ResolveNames(out string contextName)
+		{
+			var hasContextDefined = getNumberOfChildren() == 2;
+
+			if (hasContextDefined)
+			{
+				contextName = getFirstChild().getText();
+				return getFirstChild().getNextSibling().getText();
+			}
+
+			contextName = null;
+			return getFirstChild().getText();
+		}
+
+		private static IObjectFactory SelectSourceContext(EvaluationContext evalContext, string contextName)
+		{
+			if (contextName != null)
+				return ContextRegistry.GetContext(contextName) ?? throw new ArgumentException($"Context '{contextName}' is not registered.");
+
+			if (TryGetFromCurrentContext(evalContext, out var currentObjectFactory))
+				return (IObjectFactory)currentObjectFactory;
+
+			return ContextRegistry.GetContext() ?? throw new ArgumentException("No context registered.");
+		}
+
+		private static bool TryGetFromCurrentContext(EvaluationContext evalContext, out object currentObjectFactory)
+		{
+			currentObjectFactory = null;
+
+			if (evalContext.Variables is null)
+				return false;
+
+			return evalContext.Variables.TryGetValue(Expression.ReservedVariableNames.CurrentObjectFactory, out currentObjectFactory);
+		}
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Expressions/ReferenceNodeTests.cs b/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Expressions/ReferenceNodeTests.cs
index 80844794..39cfe1eb 100644
--- a/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Expressions/ReferenceNodeTests.cs
+++ b/test/Spring/Spring.Core.Tests/Expressions/ReferenceNodeTests.cs
@@ -20,46 +20,178 @@
 
 #region Imports
 
-using System.Text;
+using System;
+
 using NUnit.Framework;
+using Spring.Context;
+using Spring.Context.Support;
 using Spring.Core.IO;
 using Spring.Objects.Factory.Xml;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Text;
 
 #endregion
 
 namespace Spring.Expressions
 {
-    /// <summary>
-    /// 
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <author>Erich Eichinger</author>
-    [TestFixture]
-    public class ReferenceNodeTests
-    {
-        public class MyTestObject
-        {
-            public object MyField;    
-        }
+	/// <summary>
+	/// 
+	/// </summary>
+	/// <author>Erich Eichinger</author>
+	[TestFixture]
+	public class ReferenceNodeTests
+	{
+		private class MyTestObject
+		{
+			public object MyField { get; set; }
+		}
 
-        [Test]
-        public void DoesntCallContextRegistryForLocalObjectFactoryReferences()
-        {
-            string xml = string.Format(
-                @"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
+		[TearDown]
+		public void TearDown() => ContextRegistry.Clear();
+
+		[Test]
+		public void DoesNotCallContextRegistryForLocalObjectFactoryReferences()
+		{
+			var xml = $@"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
 <objects xmlns='http://www.springframework.net'>
-	<object id='foo' type='{0}'>
+	<object id='foo' type='{typeof(MyTestObject).AssemblyQualifiedName}'>
         <property name='MyField' expression='@(theObject)' />
     </object>
-</objects>"
-                            , typeof(MyTestObject).AssemblyQualifiedName
-                            );
+</objects>";
 
-            XmlObjectFactory of = new XmlObjectFactory(new StringResource(xml, Encoding.UTF8));
-            object theObject = new object();
-            of.RegisterSingleton("theObject", theObject);
+			var objectFactory = new XmlObjectFactory(new StringResource(xml, Encoding.UTF8));
+			var theObject = new object();
+			objectFactory.RegisterSingleton("theObject", theObject);
 
-            MyTestObject to = (MyTestObject) of.GetObject("foo");
-            Assert.AreSame( theObject, to.MyField );
-        }
-    }
+			var to = (MyTestObject)objectFactory.GetObject("foo");
+			Assert.That(theObject, Is.SameAs(to.MyField));
+		}
+
+		[Test]
+		public void UseDefaultContextRegistryWhenNoContextProvided()
+		{
+			var defaultXml = $@"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
+<objects xmlns='http://www.springframework.net'>
+	<object id='theObject' type='{typeof(MyTestObject).AssemblyQualifiedName}'/>
+</objects>";
+
+			var defaultContext = GetContextFromXmlString(defaultXml, AbstractApplicationContext.DefaultRootContextName);
+			ContextRegistry.RegisterContext(defaultContext);
+
+			var expectedObject = defaultContext.GetObject("theObject");
+
+			var expression = Expression.Parse("@(theObject)");
+			var value = expression.GetValue(null, new Dictionary<string, object>());
+
+			Assert.That(value, Is.SameAs(expectedObject));
+		}
+
+		[Test]
+		public void ThrowsApplicationContextException_WhenContextNotRegistered()
+		{
+			var defaultXml = $@"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
+<objects xmlns='http://www.springframework.net'>
+	<object id='theObject' type='{typeof(MyTestObject).AssemblyQualifiedName}'/>
+</objects>";
+
+			var defaultContext = GetContextFromXmlString(defaultXml, AbstractApplicationContext.DefaultRootContextName);
+			ContextRegistry.RegisterContext(defaultContext);
+
+			var expression = Expression.Parse("@(anotherContext:theObject).Value");
+			void Get() => expression.GetValue(null, new Dictionary<string, object>());
+
+			Assert.That(Get, Throws.InstanceOf<ApplicationContextException>());
+		}
+
+		[Test]
+		public void WhenContextNameSpecifiedInExpression_UseThatContext()
+		{
+			const string anotherContextName = "AnotherContext";
+
+			var defaultXml = $@"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
+<objects xmlns='http://www.springframework.net'>
+	<object id='theObject' type='{typeof(MyTestObject).AssemblyQualifiedName}'/>
+</objects>";
+
+			var anotherXml = $@"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
+<objects xmlns='http://www.springframework.net'>
+	<object id='theObject' type='{typeof(MyTestObject).AssemblyQualifiedName}'/>
+</objects>";
+
+			var defaultContext = GetContextFromXmlString(defaultXml, AbstractApplicationContext.DefaultRootContextName);
+			ContextRegistry.RegisterContext(defaultContext);
+
+			var anotherContext = GetContextFromXmlString(anotherXml, anotherContextName);
+			ContextRegistry.RegisterContext(anotherContext);
+
+			var expectedObject = anotherContext.GetObject("theObject");
+
+			var expression = Expression.Parse($"@({anotherContextName}:theObject)");
+			var resolvedObject = expression.GetValue(null, new Dictionary<string, object>());
+
+			Assert.That(resolvedObject, Is.SameAs(expectedObject));
+		}
+
+		[Test]
+		public void UseObjectFactoryFromVariables()
+		{
+			const string anotherContextName = "AnotherContext";
+
+			var defaultXml = $@"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
+<objects xmlns='http://www.springframework.net'>
+	<object id='theObject' type='{typeof(MyTestObject).AssemblyQualifiedName}'/>
+</objects>";
+
+			var anotherXml = $@"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
+<objects xmlns='http://www.springframework.net'>
+	<object id='theObject' type='{typeof(MyTestObject).AssemblyQualifiedName}'/>
+</objects>";
+
+			var defaultContext = GetContextFromXmlString(defaultXml, AbstractApplicationContext.DefaultRootContextName);
+			ContextRegistry.RegisterContext(defaultContext);
+
+			var anotherContext = GetContextFromXmlString(anotherXml, anotherContextName);
+			var variables = new Dictionary<string, object>
+			{
+				[Expression.ReservedVariableNames.RESERVEDPREFIX + "CurrentObjectFactory"] = anotherContext.ObjectFactory
+			};
+			var expectedObject = anotherContext.GetObject("theObject");
+
+			var expression = Expression.Parse("@(theObject)");
+			var resolvedObject = expression.GetValue(null, variables);
+
+			Assert.That(resolvedObject, Is.SameAs(expectedObject));
+		}
+
+		[Test]
+		public void ShouldThrowException_WhenFactoryProvidedInVariables_IsNotOfTypeIObjectFactory()
+		{
+			var defaultXml = $@"<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
+<objects xmlns='http://www.springframework.net'>
+	<object id='theObject' type='{typeof(MyTestObject).AssemblyQualifiedName}'/>
+</objects>";
+
+			var defaultContext = GetContextFromXmlString(defaultXml, AbstractApplicationContext.DefaultRootContextName);
+			ContextRegistry.RegisterContext(defaultContext);
+
+			var variables = new Dictionary<string, object>
+			{
+				[Expression.ReservedVariableNames.RESERVEDPREFIX + "CurrentObjectFactory"] = new object()
+			};
+
+			var expression = Expression.Parse("@(theObject)");
+
+			void Get() => expression.GetValue(null, variables);
+
+			Assert.That(Get, Throws.InstanceOf<InvalidCastException>());
+		}
+
+		private static GenericApplicationContext GetContextFromXmlString(string xmlString, string contextName)
+		{
+			var stringResource = new StringResource(xmlString, Encoding.UTF8);
+			var objectFactory = new XmlObjectFactory(stringResource);
+
+			return new GenericApplicationContext(objectFactory) { Name = contextName };
+		}
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file