diff --git a/include/flecs/addons/cpp/ref.hpp b/include/flecs/addons/cpp/ref.hpp
index ffe6cfa3a9..403221757c 100644
--- a/include/flecs/addons/cpp/ref.hpp
+++ b/include/flecs/addons/cpp/ref.hpp
@@ -21,10 +21,13 @@ namespace flecs
  */
 template <typename T>
 struct ref {
-    ref(world_t *world, entity_t entity, flecs::id_t id = 0) 
-        : m_world( world )
-        , m_ref() 
+    ref(world_t *world, entity_t entity, flecs::id_t id = 0)
+        : m_ref()
     {
+        // the world we were called with may be a stage; convert it to a world
+        // here if that is the case
+        m_world = world ? const_cast<flecs::world_t *>(ecs_get_world(world))
+            : nullptr;
         if (!id) {
             id = _::cpp_type<T>::id(world);
         }
diff --git a/test/cpp_api/project.json b/test/cpp_api/project.json
index 6cc4ca815f..add2826e09 100644
--- a/test/cpp_api/project.json
+++ b/test/cpp_api/project.json
@@ -938,7 +938,8 @@
                 "non_const_ref",
                 "pair_ref",
                 "pair_ref_w_entity",
-                "pair_ref_second"
+                "pair_ref_second",
+                "from_stage"
             ]
         }, {
             "id": "Module",
diff --git a/test/cpp_api/src/Refs.cpp b/test/cpp_api/src/Refs.cpp
index bc9799f025..7ed1cdd6ec 100644
--- a/test/cpp_api/src/Refs.cpp
+++ b/test/cpp_api/src/Refs.cpp
@@ -115,3 +115,12 @@ void Refs_pair_ref_second() {
 
     test_int(e.get_second<Position>(tag)->x, 11);
 }
+
+void Refs_from_stage() {
+    flecs::world world;
+    flecs::world stage = world.get_stage(0); // get default stage
+    flecs::entity e = stage.entity().set<Position>({10, 20});
+    auto ref = e.get_ref<Position>();
+    test_int(ref->x, 10);
+    test_int(ref->y, 20);
+}