diff --git a/src/Analysers/TokenScanner.php b/src/Analysers/TokenScanner.php
index 8d916e2cf..126eb00a7 100644
--- a/src/Analysers/TokenScanner.php
+++ b/src/Analysers/TokenScanner.php
@@ -144,6 +144,10 @@ protected function scanTokens(array $tokens): array
 
                 case T_FUNCTION:
                     $token = $this->nextToken($tokens);
+                    if ((!is_array($token) && '&' == $token)
+                        || (defined('T_AMPERSAND_NOT_FOLLOWED_BY_VAR_OR_VARARG') && T_AMPERSAND_NOT_FOLLOWED_BY_VAR_OR_VARARG == $token[0])) {
+                        $token = $this->nextToken($tokens);
+                    }
 
                     if (($unitLevel + 1) == count($stack) && $currentName) {
                         $units[$currentName]['methods'][] = $token[1];
diff --git a/tests/Analysers/TokenScannerTest.php b/tests/Analysers/TokenScannerTest.php
index 7e5bdfd3b..63004b9af 100644
--- a/tests/Analysers/TokenScannerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Analysers/TokenScannerTest.php
@@ -77,6 +77,24 @@ public function scanCases()
             ];
         }
 
+        yield 'references' => [
+            'PHP/References.php',
+            [
+                'OpenApi\Tests\Fixtures\PHP\References' => [
+                    'uses' => [
+                        'OA' => 'OpenApi\Annotations',
+                    ],
+                    'interfaces' => [],
+                    'traits' => [],
+                    'enums' => [],
+                    'methods' => [
+                        'return_ref',
+                    ],
+                    'properties' => [],
+                ],
+            ],
+        ];
+
         yield 'php7' => [
             'PHP/php7.php',
             [],
diff --git a/tests/Fixtures/PHP/References.php b/tests/Fixtures/PHP/References.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a313da236
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Fixtures/PHP/References.php
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+<?php declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * @license Apache 2.0
+ */
+
+namespace OpenApi\Tests\Fixtures\PHP;
+
+use OpenApi\Annotations as OA;
+
+/**
+ * @OA\Schema
+ */
+class References
+{
+    /**
+     * @OA\Property
+     */
+    public function &return_ref()
+    {
+        $var = 1;
+
+        return $var;
+    }
+}