diff --git a/include/blocks/block.h b/include/blocks/block.h
index 0ee2241..6bcf46d 100644
--- a/include/blocks/block.h
+++ b/include/blocks/block.h
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ class block : public std::enable_shared_from_this<block> {
 		typename block_metadata::Ptr mdnode = metadata_map[mdname];
 		return mdnode->to<T>()->val;
 	}
+	bool getBoolMetadata(std::string mdname) {
+		return hasMetadata<bool>(mdname) && getMetadata<bool>(mdname);
+	}
 
 	virtual void dump(std::ostream &, int);
 	virtual void accept(block_visitor *visitor) {
diff --git a/include/blocks/var_namer.h b/include/blocks/var_namer.h
index 7a1eb68..b76d175 100644
--- a/include/blocks/var_namer.h
+++ b/include/blocks/var_namer.h
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@ class var_hoister : public block_replacer {
 	virtual void visit(decl_stmt::Ptr) override;
 };
 
+class var_reference_promoter : public block_replacer {
+public:
+	using block_replacer::visit;
+	virtual void visit(var_expr::Ptr) override;
+};
+
 } // namespace block
 
 #endif
diff --git a/samples/outputs.var_names/sample54 b/samples/outputs.var_names/sample54
index bed524b..52f3f00 100644
--- a/samples/outputs.var_names/sample54
+++ b/samples/outputs.var_names/sample54
@@ -1,12 +1,18 @@
 void bar (void) {
-  int z_1;
+  int z_3;
+  int* k_4;
   int y_0 = 0;
+  int m_1;
+  int n_2;
   if (y_0) {
-    z_1 = 1;
+    z_3 = 1;
+    k_4 = (&(m_1));
   } else {
-    z_1 = 2;
+    z_3 = 2;
+    k_4 = (&(m_1));
   }
-  int b_2;
-  int a_3 = z_1;
+  int b_5;
+  int a_6 = z_3;
+  z_3 = z_3 + k_4[0];
 }
 
diff --git a/samples/outputs/sample54 b/samples/outputs/sample54
index ad6453d..2e900f1 100644
--- a/samples/outputs/sample54
+++ b/samples/outputs/sample54
@@ -1,12 +1,18 @@
 void bar (void) {
-  int var1;
+  int var3;
+  int* var4;
   int var0 = 0;
+  int var1;
+  int var2;
   if (var0) {
-    var1 = 1;
+    var3 = 1;
+    var4 = (&(var1));
   } else {
-    var1 = 2;
+    var3 = 2;
+    var4 = (&(var1));
   }
-  int var2;
-  int var3 = var1;
+  int var5;
+  int var6 = var3;
+  var3 = var3 + var4[0];
 }
 
diff --git a/samples/sample54.cpp b/samples/sample54.cpp
index d8a5a94..f86909a 100644
--- a/samples/sample54.cpp
+++ b/samples/sample54.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ static void bar(void) {
 	static_var<int> x = 0;
 
 	dyn_var<int> y = 0;
+	dyn_var<int> m, n;
 
 	if (y) {
 		x = 1;
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ static void bar(void) {
 	}
 	// When z is declared, x is in different states
 	dyn_var<int> z = x;
+	dyn_var<int &> k = m;
 
 	// Executions can now merge, but z is still in different states
 	x = 0;
@@ -30,6 +32,8 @@ static void bar(void) {
 
 	// this statement now has issues because z has forked
 	dyn_var<int> a = z;
+
+	z = z + k;
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
diff --git a/src/blocks/loop_finder.cpp b/src/blocks/loop_finder.cpp
index 7fc1a81..36ab18f 100644
--- a/src/blocks/loop_finder.cpp
+++ b/src/blocks/loop_finder.cpp
@@ -222,6 +222,21 @@ void loop_finder::visit_label(label_stmt::Ptr a, stmt_block::Ptr parent) {
 		if (jump_finder.has_jump_to == true)
 			last_stmt = stmt;
 	}
+
+	if (last_stmt == nullptr) {
+		// This label was created but has no jump.
+		// this currently happens when two statements have the same tag
+		// For now we will just delete this label
+		std::vector<stmt::Ptr> new_stmts;
+		for (auto stmt : parent->stmts) {
+			if (stmt == a)
+				continue;
+			new_stmts.push_back(stmt);
+		}
+		parent->stmts = new_stmts;
+		return;
+	}
+
 	std::vector<stmt::Ptr>::iterator stmt;
 	for (stmt = parent->stmts.begin(); stmt != parent->stmts.end(); stmt++) {
 		if (*stmt == a)
diff --git a/src/blocks/var_namer.cpp b/src/blocks/var_namer.cpp
index 9b35039..b30fc7b 100644
--- a/src/blocks/var_namer.cpp
+++ b/src/blocks/var_namer.cpp
@@ -63,6 +63,26 @@ void var_replacer::visit(var_expr::Ptr a) {
 void var_hoister::visit(decl_stmt::Ptr a) {
 	std::string so = get_apt_tag(a->decl_var, escaping_tags);
 	if (decls_to_hoist.find(so) != decls_to_hoist.end()) {
+
+		// if the variable is of reference type, we need to convert it to a pointer
+		// type
+
+		if (isa<reference_type>(a->decl_var->var_type)) {
+			auto ptr_type = std::make_shared<pointer_type>();
+			ptr_type->pointee_type = to<reference_type>(a->decl_var->var_type)->referenced_type;
+			a->decl_var->var_type = ptr_type;
+			assert(a->init_expr != nullptr && "Reference type declaration withtout a init expr");
+
+			a->decl_var->setMetadata<bool>("was_reference", true);
+		}
+
+		if (a->decl_var->getBoolMetadata("was_reference")) {
+			auto addr_expr = std::make_shared<addr_of_expr>();
+			addr_expr->static_offset = a->init_expr->static_offset;
+			addr_expr->expr1 = a->init_expr;
+			a->init_expr = addr_expr;
+		}
+
 		// This decl needs to be flattened into an assignment
 		// but if it doesn't have an init_expr, just make a simple var_expr
 		expr_stmt::Ptr estmt = std::make_shared<expr_stmt>();
@@ -73,6 +93,8 @@ void var_hoister::visit(decl_stmt::Ptr a) {
 		vexpr->static_offset = a->static_offset;
 		vexpr->var1 = a->decl_var;
 
+		vexpr->setMetadata<bool>("is_reference_init", true);
+
 		if (a->init_expr == nullptr) {
 			estmt->expr1 = vexpr;
 			node = estmt;
@@ -92,6 +114,24 @@ void var_hoister::visit(decl_stmt::Ptr a) {
 	node = a;
 }
 
+// This replacer replaces the uses of hoisted references
+// to dereferences since they have been converted to pointers
+void var_reference_promoter::visit(var_expr::Ptr a) {
+	node = a;
+	if (a->getBoolMetadata("is_reference_init") || !a->var1->getBoolMetadata("was_reference"))
+		return;
+	auto sq_bkt = std::make_shared<sq_bkt_expr>();
+	sq_bkt->static_offset = a->static_offset;
+	sq_bkt->var_expr = a;
+	auto index = std::make_shared<int_const>();
+	index->static_offset = a->static_offset;
+	index->value = 0;
+	index->is_64bit = false;
+
+	sq_bkt->index = index;
+	node = sq_bkt;
+}
+
 void var_namer::name_vars(block::Ptr a) {
 	var_namer namer;
 
@@ -106,6 +146,9 @@ void var_namer::name_vars(block::Ptr a) {
 	var_hoister hoister(namer.decls_to_hoist, namer.escaping_tags);
 	a->accept(&hoister);
 
+	var_reference_promoter promoter;
+	a->accept(&promoter);
+
 	std::vector<stmt::Ptr> new_stmts;
 	// Now insert all the hoisted decls at the top
 	for (auto dt : namer.decl_tags_to_hoist) {