diff --git a/snowfakery/template_funcs.py b/snowfakery/template_funcs.py
index df751d97..47e985f6 100644
--- a/snowfakery/template_funcs.py
+++ b/snowfakery/template_funcs.py
@@ -144,8 +144,20 @@ def random_number(self, min: int, max: int, step: int = 1) -> int:
             """Pick a random number between min and max like Python's randint."""
             return random.randrange(min, max + 1, step)
 
-        def reference(self, x: Any):
+        def reference(
+            self, x: Any = None, object: str = None, id: Union[str, int] = None
+        ):
             """YAML-embeddable function to Reference another object."""
+            if x is not None:
+                return self._reference_from_scalar(x)
+            elif object:
+                try:
+                    id = int(id)
+                except TypeError:
+                    raise DataGenError("Cannot interpret id as integer")
+                return ObjectReference(object, id)
+
+        def _reference_from_scalar(self, x: Any):
             if hasattr(x, "id"):  # reference to an object with an id
                 target = x
             elif isinstance(x, str):  # name of an object
diff --git a/tests/test_references.py b/tests/test_references.py
index 24574eb1..d7c6af55 100644
--- a/tests/test_references.py
+++ b/tests/test_references.py
@@ -518,3 +518,23 @@ def test_random_reference_to_nickname_fails(self):
         with pytest.raises(DataGenError) as e:
             generate(StringIO(yaml))
         assert "there is no table named parent" in str(e).lower()
+
+    def test_reference_by_id(self, generated_rows):
+        yaml = """
+              - object: Parent
+                nickname: ParentNickname
+                just_once: true
+
+              - object: Child
+                fields:
+                  parent1:
+                    reference: ParentNickname
+                  parent2:
+                    reference:
+                      object: Parent
+                      id: 1
+                """
+
+        generate(StringIO(yaml))
+        child = generated_rows.table_values("Child", 0)
+        assert child["parent1"] == child["parent2"]