diff --git a/c_src/geef.c b/c_src/geef.c
index 6488c81..5eca500 100644
--- a/c_src/geef.c
+++ b/c_src/geef.c
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ static ErlNifFunc geef_funcs[] =
 	{"reference_resolve", 1, geef_reference_resolve},
 	{"reference_target", 1, geef_reference_target},
 	{"reference_type", 1, geef_reference_type},
+	{"reference_name", 1, geef_reference_name},
 	{"reference_create", 5, geef_reference_create},
 	{"oid_fmt", 1, geef_oid_fmt},
 	{"oid_parse", 1, geef_oid_parse},
diff --git a/c_src/reference.c b/c_src/reference.c
index 4a0901e..4919e17 100644
--- a/c_src/reference.c
+++ b/c_src/reference.c
@@ -230,6 +230,28 @@ geef_reference_type(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[])
 	return term_type;
 }
 
+ERL_NIF_TERM
+geef_reference_name(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[])
+{
+	geef_ref *ref;
+	const char *name;
+	ErlNifBinary bin;
+	size_t len;
+
+	if (!enif_get_resource(env, argv[0], geef_ref_type, (void **) &ref))
+		return enif_make_badarg(env);
+
+	name = git_reference_name(ref->ref);
+	len = strlen(name);
+
+	if (enif_alloc_binary(len, &bin) < 0)
+		return geef_oom(env);
+
+	memcpy(bin.data, name, len + 1);
+
+	return enif_make_binary(env, &bin);
+}
+
 ERL_NIF_TERM
 geef_reference_create(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[])
 {
diff --git a/c_src/reference.h b/c_src/reference.h
index 241bd20..51594a2 100644
--- a/c_src/reference.h
+++ b/c_src/reference.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ ERL_NIF_TERM geef_reference_lookup(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM
 ERL_NIF_TERM geef_reference_resolve(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[]);
 ERL_NIF_TERM geef_reference_target(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[]);
 ERL_NIF_TERM geef_reference_type(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[]);
+ERL_NIF_TERM geef_reference_name(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[]);
 ERL_NIF_TERM geef_reference_create(ErlNifEnv *env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[]);
 
 void geef_ref_free(ErlNifEnv *env, void *cd);
diff --git a/src/geef_nif.erl b/src/geef_nif.erl
index 47d98d0..44f8295 100644
--- a/src/geef_nif.erl
+++ b/src/geef_nif.erl
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ reference_resolve(_Handle) ->
 reference_type(_Handle) ->
     nif_error(?LINE).
 
+reference_name(_Handle) ->
+    nif_error(?LINE).
+
 odb_object_exists(_Val, _Val) ->
     nif_error(?LINE).
 
diff --git a/src/geef_records.hrl b/src/geef_records.hrl
index 3037ec5..748c5ec 100644
--- a/src/geef_records.hrl
+++ b/src/geef_records.hrl
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--record(geef_ref, {handle, type :: atom(), target :: binary() | geef_oid()}).
+-record(geef_ref, {handle, name :: binary(), type :: atom(), target :: binary() | geef_oid()}).
 -record(geef_odb, {handle}).
 -record(geef_oid, {oid}).
 -record(geef_object, {type :: atom(), handle}).
diff --git a/src/geef_ref.erl b/src/geef_ref.erl
index 876e0a2..df6a001 100644
--- a/src/geef_ref.erl
+++ b/src/geef_ref.erl
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 -module(geef_ref).
 
--export([lookup/2, resolve/1, create/4, target/1]).
+-export([lookup/2, resolve/1, create/4, name/1, type/1, target/1]).
 
 -include("geef_records.hrl").
 
--spec new(term()) -> geef_ref().
-new(Handle) ->
+-spec new(binary(), term()) -> geef_ref().
+new(Name, Handle) ->
     Type = geef_nif:reference_type(Handle),
     Bin = geef_nif:reference_target(Handle),
     Target = case Type of
@@ -14,19 +14,20 @@ new(Handle) ->
 		 oid ->
 		     #geef_oid{oid=Bin}
 	     end,
-    #geef_ref{handle=Handle, type=Type, target=Target}.
+    #geef_ref{handle=Handle, name=Name, type=Type, target=Target}.
 
 -spec create(pid(), iolist(), geef_oid() | binary(), boolean()) -> {ok, geef_ref()} | {error, term()}
 .
 create(Repo, Refname, Target, Force) ->
     {ok, Ref} = geef_repo:create_reference(Repo, Refname, Target, Force),
-    {ok, new(Ref)}.
+    {ok, new(Refname, Ref)}.
 
 -spec lookup(pid(), iolist()) -> {ok, geef_ref()} | {error, term()}.
 lookup(Repo, Refname) ->
-    case geef_repo:lookup_reference(Repo, Refname) of
+    Name = iolist_to_binary(Refname),
+    case geef_repo:lookup_reference(Repo, Name) of
 	{ok, Ref} ->
-	    {ok, new(Ref)};
+	    {ok, new(Name, Ref)};
 	Other ->
 	    Other
     end.
@@ -35,7 +36,8 @@ lookup(Repo, Refname) ->
 resolve(#geef_ref{handle=Handle}) ->
     case geef_nif:reference_resolve(Handle) of
 	{ok, Ref} ->
-	    {ok, new(Ref)};
+	    {ok, Name} = geef_nif:reference_name(Ref),
+	    {ok, new(Name, Ref)};
 	Other ->
 	    Other
     end.
@@ -43,3 +45,11 @@ resolve(#geef_ref{handle=Handle}) ->
 -spec target(geef_ref()) -> {geef_oid(), binary()}.
 target(#geef_ref{target=Target}) ->
     Target.
+
+-spec type(geef_ref()) -> symbolic | oid.
+type(#geef_ref{type=Type}) ->
+    Type.
+
+-spec name(geef_ref()) -> binary().
+name(#geef_ref{name=Name}) ->
+    Name.