diff --git a/xobjects/array.py b/xobjects/array.py
index 8e9a23e..0fb5202 100644
--- a/xobjects/array.py
+++ b/xobjects/array.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
     default_conf,
 )
 from .scalar import Int64, is_scalar
-import xobjects as xo
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -215,9 +214,8 @@ def __new__(cls, name, bases, data):
 
         # determine has_refs
         if '_itemtype' in data.keys():
-            if ((hasattr(data['_itemtype'], '_has_refs')
-                    and data['_itemtype']._has_refs)
-                or isinstance(data['_itemtype'], xo.Ref)):
+            if (hasattr(data['_itemtype'], '_has_refs')
+                 and data['_itemtype']._has_refs):
                 data['_has_refs'] = True
             else:
                 data['_has_refs'] = False
diff --git a/xobjects/ref.py b/xobjects/ref.py
index d88ca86..d5a671b 100644
--- a/xobjects/ref.py
+++ b/xobjects/ref.py
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ def __getitem__(cls, reftype):
 
 
 class Ref(metaclass=MetaRef):
+
+    _has_refs = True
+
     def __init__(self, reftype):
         self._reftype = reftype
         self.__name__ = "Ref" + self._reftype.__name__
diff --git a/xobjects/struct.py b/xobjects/struct.py
index a974375..dc25d95 100644
--- a/xobjects/struct.py
+++ b/xobjects/struct.py
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@
 """
 import logging
 from typing import Callable, Optional
-from .ref import Ref
-
 
 from .typeutils import (
     get_a_buffer,
@@ -251,8 +249,7 @@ def _inspect_args(cls, *args, **kwargs):
         _has_refs = False
         for ff in data['_fields']:
             ftype = ff.ftype
-            if ((hasattr(ftype, '_has_refs') and ftype._has_refs)
-                or isinstance(ftype, Ref)):
+            if hasattr(ftype, '_has_refs') and ftype._has_refs:
                 _has_refs = True
                 break
         data['_has_refs'] = _has_refs