diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/annotations.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/annotations.rkt
index 90212221..71e6c0d5 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/annotations.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/annotations.rkt
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
   (for ([(k v) (in-hash options)])
     (hash-set! options (string->symbol (string-titlecase (symbol->string k))) v))
 
-  (define annots-ref (send this ref options))
+  (define annots-ref (send this make-ref options))
   (send (· this page) annotations annots-ref)
   (· annots-ref end)
   this)
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
   ((number? number? number? number? string?) (hash?) . ->*m . object?)
   (hash-set*! options
               'Subtype "Link"
-              'A (send this ref (mhash 'S "URI"
+              'A (send this make-ref (mhash 'S "URI"
                                        'URI (String url))))
   (send (· options A) end)
   (send this annotate x y w h options))
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/color.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/color.rkt
index 6aef5974..aa7d499f 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/color.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/color.rkt
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@
                          (hash-set! dictionary 'ca fill-opacity))
                        (when stroke-opacity
                          (hash-set! dictionary 'CA stroke-opacity))
-                       (define ref-dict (send this ref dictionary))
+                       (define ref-dict (send this make-ref dictionary))
                        (send ref-dict end)
                        (set! @opacity-count (add1 @opacity-count))
                        (list ref-dict (format "Gs~a" @opacity-count)))))
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/document.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/document.rkt
index 20c9c110..184fd27f 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/document.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/document.rkt
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
            [@ref-gen (generator () (let loop ([refid 1])
                                      (yield refid)
                                      (loop (add1 refid))))]
-           [@root (ref (mhasheq 'Type "Catalog"
-                                'Pages (ref (mhasheq 'Type "Pages"))))]
+           [@root (make-ref (mhasheq 'Type "Catalog"
+                                'Pages (make-ref (mhasheq 'Type "Pages"))))]
            [(@x x) 0]
            [(@y y) 0]
            ;; initialize the metadata
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 
     (define/public (page) (first @pages))
 
-    (define/public (ref [payload (mhasheq)])
+    (define/public (make-ref [payload (mhasheq)])
       (define new-ref (make-object PDFReference (@ref-gen) payload))
       (set! @refs (cons new-ref @refs))
       new-ref)
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
       (for ([page (in-list @pages)])
         (send page end))
 
-      (define doc-info (ref))
+      (define doc-info (make-ref))
       (for ([(key val) (in-hash @info)])
         (dict-set! doc-info key (if (string? val) (String val) val)))
       (send doc-info end)
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/embedded.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/embedded.rkt
index e5cf6705..ddc2055d 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/embedded.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/embedded.rkt
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ https://github.com/mbutterick/pdfkit/blob/master/lib/font/embedded.coffee
     (define/override (embed)
       ;; no CFF support
       (define isCFF #false) #;(is-a? subset CFFSubset)
-      (define font-file (send @document ref))
+      (define font-file (send @document make-ref))
 
       (when isCFF
         (dict-set! font-file 'Subtype "CIDFontType0C"))
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ https://github.com/mbutterick/pdfkit/blob/master/lib/font/embedded.coffee
                                   (integer->char (random 65 (+ 65 26))))))
       (define name (string-append tag "+" (font-postscript-name font)))
       (define bbox (font-bbox font))
-      (define descriptor (send @document ref
+      (define descriptor (send @document make-ref
                                (mhash
                                 'Type "FontDescriptor"
                                 'FontName name
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ https://github.com/mbutterick/pdfkit/blob/master/lib/font/embedded.coffee
       (dict-set! descriptor (if isCFF 'FontFile3 'FontFile2) font-file)
       (send descriptor end)
 
-      (define descendant-font (send @document ref
+      (define descendant-font (send @document make-ref
                                    (mhash
                                     'Type "Font"
                                     'Subtype (string-append "CIDFontType" (if isCFF "0" "2"))
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ https://github.com/mbutterick/pdfkit/blob/master/lib/font/embedded.coffee
 
 
     (define/public (toUnicodeCmap)
-      (define cmap (send @document ref))
+      (define cmap (send @document make-ref))
       (define entries
         (for/list ([idx (in-range (length (hash-keys unicode)))])
           (define codepoints (hash-ref unicode idx))
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/font.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/font.rkt
index 199aa573..6531be7f 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/font.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/font.rkt
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     
     (define/public (ref)
       (unless @dictionary
-        (set! @dictionary (send @document ref)))
+        (set! @dictionary (send @document make-ref)))
       @dictionary)
 
     (define/public (finalize)
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg-structy.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg-structy.rkt
index 97251354..cabd5b93 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg-structy.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg-structy.rkt
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 
   (unless (· this obj)
     (set-field! obj this
-                (send doc-in ref
+                (send doc-in make-ref
                       (mhash
                        'Type "XObject"
                        'Subtype "Image"
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg.rkt
index beab92ec..c7ffe86f 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg.rkt
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 
   (unless (· this obj)
     (set-field! obj this
-                (send doc-in ref
+                (send doc-in make-ref
                       (mhash
                        'Type "XObject"
                        'Subtype "Image"
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/page.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/page.rkt
index df995d80..1da9c30b 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/page.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/page.rkt
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@
                            (hash-ref page-sizes (string-upcase @size)))]
            [(@width width) (list-ref @dimensions (if (equal? @layout "portrait") 0 1))]
            [(@height height) (list-ref @dimensions (if (equal? @layout "portrait") 1 0))]
-           [@content (send @doc ref)]
-           [(@resources resources) (send @doc ref (mhash 'ProcSet '("PDF" "Text" "ImageB" "ImageC" "ImageI")))]
+           [@content (send @doc make-ref)]
+           [(@resources resources) (send @doc make-ref (mhash 'ProcSet '("PDF" "Text" "ImageB" "ImageC" "ImageI")))]
            [(@margins margins)
             (let ([margin-value (hash-ref @options 'margin #f)])
               (if (number? margin-value)
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
                   (hash-ref @options 'margins (current-default-margins))))]
            ;; The page dictionary
            [(@dictionary dictionary)
-            (send @doc ref
+            (send @doc make-ref
                   (mhash 'Type "Page"
                          'Parent @page-parent
                          'MediaBox (list 0 0 @width @height)
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/png.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/png.rkt
index 1e9791b2..0f0b7102 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/png.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/png.rkt
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
   
   (unless (· this obj)
     (set-field! obj this
-                (send (· this document) ref
+                (send (· this document) make-ref
                       (mhash 'Type "XObject"
                              'Subtype "Image"
                              'BitsPerComponent (· this image bits)
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
                              'Filter "FlateDecode")))
 
     (unless (· this image hasAlphaChannel)
-      (define params (send (· this document) ref
+      (define params (send (· this document) make-ref
                            (mhash 'Predictor 15
                                   'Colors (· this image colors)
                                   'BitsPerComponent (· this image bits)
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
 
   (when (· this alphaChannel)
     (define sMask
-      (send (· this document) ref
+      (send (· this document) make-ref
             (mhash 'Type "XObject"
                    'Subtype "Image"
                    'Height (· this height)