diff --git a/hibernate-reactive-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/reactive/event/impl/DefaultReactiveMergeEventListener.java b/hibernate-reactive-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/reactive/event/impl/DefaultReactiveMergeEventListener.java
index 6598241a3..1995f47ef 100644
--- a/hibernate-reactive-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/reactive/event/impl/DefaultReactiveMergeEventListener.java
+++ b/hibernate-reactive-core/src/main/java/org/hibernate/reactive/event/impl/DefaultReactiveMergeEventListener.java
@@ -233,31 +233,17 @@ protected CompletionStage<Void> entityIsPersistent(MergeEvent event, MergeContex
 	}
 
 	protected CompletionStage<Void> entityIsTransient(MergeEvent event, MergeContext copyCache) {
-
 		LOG.trace( "Merging transient instance" );
 
 		final Object entity = event.getEntity();
 		final EventSource session = event.getSession();
-
 		final String entityName = event.getEntityName();
 		final EntityPersister persister = session.getEntityPersister( entityName, entity );
-
 		final Object id = persister.hasIdentifierProperty()
 				? persister.getIdentifier( entity, session )
 				: null;
 
-		final Object copy;
-		final Object existingCopy = copyCache.get( entity );
-		if ( existingCopy != null ) {
-			persister.setIdentifier( copyCache.get( entity ), id, session );
-			copy = existingCopy;
-		}
-		else {
-			copy = session.instantiate( persister, id );
-
-			//before cascade!
-			copyCache.put( entity, copy, true );
-		}
+		final Object copy = copyEntity( copyCache, entity, session, persister, id );
 
 		// cascade first, so that all unsaved objects get their
 		// copy created before we actually copy
@@ -286,6 +272,20 @@ protected CompletionStage<Void> entityIsTransient(MergeEvent event, MergeContext
 				});
 	}
 
+	private static Object copyEntity(MergeContext copyCache, Object entity, EventSource session, EntityPersister persister, Object id) {
+		final Object existingCopy = copyCache.get( entity );
+		if ( existingCopy != null ) {
+			persister.setIdentifier( copyCache.get( entity ), id, session );
+			return existingCopy;
+		}
+		else {
+			final Object copy = session.instantiate( persister, id );
+			//before cascade!
+			copyCache.put( entity, copy, true );
+			return copy;
+		}
+	}
+
 	private static class CollectionVisitor extends WrapVisitor {
 		CollectionVisitor(Object entity, Object id, EventSource session) {
 			super( entity, id, session );
diff --git a/hibernate-reactive-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/reactive/EagerUniqueKeyTest.java b/hibernate-reactive-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/reactive/EagerUniqueKeyTest.java
index 3e6416055..78e52a5a2 100644
--- a/hibernate-reactive-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/reactive/EagerUniqueKeyTest.java
+++ b/hibernate-reactive-core/src/test/java/org/hibernate/reactive/EagerUniqueKeyTest.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import org.hibernate.annotations.FetchMode;
 
 import org.junit.After;
+import org.junit.Ignore;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import jakarta.persistence.CascadeType;
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@
 import jakarta.persistence.Id;
 import jakarta.persistence.JoinColumn;
 import jakarta.persistence.ManyToOne;
+
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -65,20 +67,38 @@ public void testMergeDetached(TestContext context) {
 						.withTransaction( session -> session.merge( new Foo( bar ) ) ) )
 				.thenCompose( result -> getSessionFactory()
 						.withTransaction( session -> session.fetch( result.getBar() )
-						.thenAccept( b -> context.assertEquals( "unique2", b.getKey()  ) )
-				) ) );
+								.thenAccept( b -> context.assertEquals( "unique2", b.getKey() ) )
+						) ) );
 	}
 
+	@Ignore // This also fails in ORM
 	@Test
 	public void testMergeReference(TestContext context) {
 		Bar bar = new Bar( "unique3" );
 		test( context, getSessionFactory()
 				.withTransaction( session -> session.persist( bar ) )
 				.thenCompose( i -> getSessionFactory()
-						.withTransaction( session -> session.merge( new Foo( session.getReference( Bar.class, bar.id ) )) ) )
+						.withTransaction( session -> session
+								.merge( new Foo( session.getReference( Bar.class, bar.getId() ) ) ) ) )
 				.thenCompose( result -> getSessionFactory().withTransaction( session -> session.fetch( result.getBar() )
 						.thenAccept( b -> context.assertEquals( "unique3", b.getKey() ) )
-				) ) );
+				) )
+		);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testPersistWithReference(TestContext context) {
+		Bar bar = new Bar( "uniquePersist" );
+		test( context, getSessionFactory()
+				.withTransaction( session -> session.persist( bar ) )
+				.thenCompose( i -> getSessionFactory()
+						.withTransaction( session -> {
+							Foo foo = new Foo( session.getReference( Bar.class, bar.getId() ) );
+							return session.persist( foo ).thenApply( v -> foo );
+						} ) )
+				.thenCompose( result -> getSessionFactory().withTransaction( session -> session.fetch( result.getBar() ) ) )
+				.thenAccept( b -> context.assertEquals( "uniquePersist", b.getKey() ) )
+		);
 	}
 
 	@Entity(name = "Foo")
@@ -90,8 +110,8 @@ static class Foo {
 		Foo() {
 		}
 
-		@GeneratedValue
 		@Id
+		@GeneratedValue
 		long id;
 		@ManyToOne(cascade = CascadeType.PERSIST, fetch = FetchType.EAGER)
 		@Fetch(FetchMode.JOIN)
@@ -124,8 +144,8 @@ static class Bar implements Serializable {
 		Bar() {
 		}
 
-		@GeneratedValue
 		@Id
+		@GeneratedValue
 		long id;
 		@Column(name = "nat_key", unique = true)
 		String key;