diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/javaFX-CE/testSrc/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXHighlightingTest.java b/plugins/javaFX/javaFX-CE/testSrc/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXHighlightingTest.java
index 0bbc1ea43d66..c1ab0332f7be 100644
--- a/plugins/javaFX/javaFX-CE/testSrc/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXHighlightingTest.java
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/javaFX-CE/testSrc/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXHighlightingTest.java
@@ -295,6 +295,10 @@ public class JavaFXHighlightingTest extends AbstractJavaFXTestCase {
     doTest();
   }
 
+  public void testAcceptReferenceInsideDefine() throws Exception {
+    doTest();
+  }
+
   public void testIncludedForm() throws Exception {
     myFixture.addFileToProject("sample.fxml", "<?import javafx.scene.layout.GridPane?>\n" +
                                               "<fx:root type=\"javafx.scene.layout.GridPane\" xmlns:fx=\"http://javafx.com/fxml\"/>\n");
diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/descriptors/JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor.java b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/descriptors/JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor.java
index e5fb621a0ffc..44a8dd455d49 100644
--- a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/descriptors/JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor.java
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/descriptors/JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor.java
@@ -76,14 +76,14 @@ public class JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor implements XmlElementDescrip
   @Override
   public XmlElementDescriptor getElementDescriptor(XmlTag childTag, XmlTag contextTag) {
     final String name = childTag.getName();
-    if (myName.equals(FxmlConstants.FX_DEFINE)) {
-      if (name.equals(FxmlConstants.FX_INCLUDE)) {
+    if (FxmlConstants.FX_DEFINE.equals(myName)) {
+      if (FxmlConstants.FX_INCLUDE.equals(name) || FxmlConstants.FX_REFERENCE.equals(name)) {
         return new JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor(name, childTag);
       }
       return new JavaFxClassBackedElementDescriptor(name, childTag);
     }
 
-    if (myName.equals(FxmlConstants.FX_ROOT)) {
+    if (FxmlConstants.FX_ROOT.equals(myName)) {
       final JavaFxClassBackedElementDescriptor tagDescriptor = getRootTagDescriptor(contextTag);
       if (tagDescriptor != null) {
         return tagDescriptor.getElementDescriptor(childTag, contextTag);
diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/acceptReferenceInsideDefine.fxml b/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/acceptReferenceInsideDefine.fxml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e57bf587ea56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/acceptReferenceInsideDefine.fxml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?import javafx.scene.layout.GridPane?>
+<?import javafx.scene.control.Button?>
+<GridPane xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml">
+    <Button fx:id="btn1"/>
+    <fx:define>
+        <fx:reference source="btn1"/>
+    </fx:define>
+</GridPane>
\ No newline at end of file