diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Proxy/ProxyFactory.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Proxy/ProxyFactory.php
index fceab4023..94da9a7d9 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Proxy/ProxyFactory.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Proxy/ProxyFactory.php
@@ -164,7 +164,11 @@ class ProxyFactory
             }
 
             if ($method->isPublic() && ! $method->isFinal() && ! $method->isStatic()) {
-                $methods .= PHP_EOL . '    public function ' . $method->getName() . '(';
+                $methods .= PHP_EOL . '    public function ';
+                if ($method->returnsReference()) {
+                    $methods .= '&';
+                }
+                $methods .= $method->getName() . '(';
                 $firstParam = true;
                 $parameterString = $argumentString = '';
 
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/Forum/ForumEntry.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/Forum/ForumEntry.php
index 736c2adb6..efa359b00 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/Forum/ForumEntry.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/Models/Forum/ForumEntry.php
@@ -18,5 +18,9 @@ class ForumEntry
      * @Column(type="string", length=50)
      */
     public $topic;
+
+    public function &getTopicByReference() {
+        return $this->topic;
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Proxy/ProxyClassGeneratorTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Proxy/ProxyClassGeneratorTest.php
index fcf07cfa0..6257dbe70 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Proxy/ProxyClassGeneratorTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Proxy/ProxyClassGeneratorTest.php
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class ProxyClassGeneratorTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmTestCase
      * @var \Doctrine\ORM\Proxy\ProxyFactory
      */
     private $_proxyFactory;
-    
+
     protected function setUp()
     {
         parent::setUp();
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class ProxyClassGeneratorTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmTestCase
         // SUT
         $this->_proxyFactory = new ProxyFactory($this->_emMock, __DIR__ . '/generated', 'Proxies', true);
     }
-    
+
     protected function tearDown()
     {
         foreach (new \DirectoryIterator(__DIR__ . '/generated') as $file) {
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ class ProxyClassGeneratorTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmTestCase
         $proxyClass = 'Proxies\DoctrineTestsModelsECommerceECommerceFeatureProxy';
         $persister = $this->_getMockPersister();
         $this->_uowMock->setEntityPersister('Doctrine\Tests\Models\ECommerce\ECommerceFeature', $persister);
-        
+
         $proxy = $this->_proxyFactory->getProxy('Doctrine\Tests\Models\ECommerce\ECommerceFeature', $identifier);
-        
+
         $persister->expects($this->atLeastOnce())
                   ->method('load')
                   ->with($this->equalTo($identifier), $this->isInstanceOf($proxyClass))
                   ->will($this->returnValue(new \stdClass())); // fake return of entity instance
-        
+
         $proxy->getDescription();
     }
 
@@ -87,14 +87,24 @@ class ProxyClassGeneratorTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmTestCase
         $persister = $this->_getMockPersister();
         $this->_uowMock->setEntityPersister('Doctrine\Tests\Models\ECommerce\ECommerceFeature', $persister);
         $proxy = $this->_proxyFactory->getProxy('Doctrine\Tests\Models\ECommerce\ECommerceFeature', null);
-        
+
         $method = new \ReflectionMethod(get_class($proxy), 'setProduct');
         $params = $method->getParameters();
-        
+
         $this->assertEquals(1, count($params));
         $this->assertEquals('Doctrine\Tests\Models\ECommerce\ECommerceProduct', $params[0]->getClass()->getName());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Test that the proxy behaves in regard to methods like &foo() correctly
+     */
+    public function testProxyRespectsMethodsWhichReturnValuesByReference() {
+        $proxy = $this->_proxyFactory->getProxy('Doctrine\Tests\Models\Forum\ForumEntry', null);
+        $method = new \ReflectionMethod(get_class($proxy), 'getTopicByReference');
+
+        $this->assertTrue($method->returnsReference());
+    }
+
     public function testCreatesAssociationProxyAsSubclassOfTheOriginalOne()
     {
         $proxyClass = 'Proxies\DoctrineTestsModelsECommerceECommerceFeatureProxy';
@@ -122,7 +132,7 @@ class ProxyClassGeneratorTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmTestCase
         $this->_proxyFactory->generateProxyClasses(array($classMetadata));
 
         $classCode = file_get_contents(dirname(__FILE__)."/generated/".$proxyName.".php");
-        
+
         $this->assertNotContains("class DoctrineOrmTestEntityProxy extends \\\\DoctrineOrmTestEntity", $classCode);
         $this->assertContains("class DoctrineOrmTestEntityProxy extends \\DoctrineOrmTestEntity", $classCode);
     }
@@ -153,7 +163,7 @@ class ProxyClassGeneratorTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmTestCase
         $this->setExpectedException('Doctrine\ORM\Proxy\ProxyException');
         new ProxyFactory($this->_getTestEntityManager(), __DIR__ . '/generated', null);
     }
-    
+
     protected function _getMockPersister()
     {
         $persister = $this->getMock('Doctrine\ORM\Persisters\BasicEntityPersister', array('load'), array(), '', false);