diff --git a/src/Djot.hs b/src/Djot.hs
index a7847be..323aeb1 100644
--- a/src/Djot.hs
+++ b/src/Djot.hs
@@ -893,9 +893,8 @@ image = do
         url <- inlineDestination
         pure $ Image {altText, url, title = Nothing, misc_attrs = mempty},
       do
-        -- the IR has no reference image, so the label stands in for the url
         label <- referenceLabel
-        pure $ Image {altText, url = if T.null label then altText else label, title = Nothing, misc_attrs = mempty}
+        pure $ ReferenceImage {altText, label = if T.null label then altText else label, attrs = mempty}
     ]
 
 -- | @(url)@, with line endings inside the url removed as djot specifies.
@@ -1000,6 +999,7 @@ plainOf = T.concat . map go
     go (Link {linkText}) = plainOf linkText
     go (ReferenceLink {linkText}) = plainOf linkText
     go (Image {altText}) = altText
+    go (ReferenceImage {altText}) = altText
     go (HTMLInline {inline_html_content}) = inline_html_content
     go (Superscript content _) = plainOf content
     go (Subscript content _) = plainOf content
@@ -1034,6 +1034,7 @@ applyAttrs element extra = case element of
   Link {linkText, url, title, misc_attrs} -> Link {linkText, url, title, misc_attrs = misc_attrs <> extra}
   ReferenceLink {linkText, label, attrs} -> ReferenceLink {linkText, label, attrs = attrs <> extra}
   Image {altText, url, title, misc_attrs} -> Image {altText, url, title, misc_attrs = misc_attrs <> extra}
+  ReferenceImage {altText, label, attrs} -> ReferenceImage {altText, label, attrs = attrs <> extra}
   FootnoteReference {label, attrs} -> FootnoteReference {label, attrs = attrs <> extra}
   -- anything else (plain text in particular) becomes a span carrying the attrs
   other -> Span [other] extra
diff --git a/src/IR.hs b/src/IR.hs
index 894e6f5..b85b19b 100644
--- a/src/IR.hs
+++ b/src/IR.hs
@@ -90,6 +90,13 @@ data InlineText
         title :: Maybe Text,
         misc_attrs :: Attrs
       }
+  | -- the image equivalent of ReferenceLink, url comes from a RefDef with a
+    -- matching label
+    ReferenceImage
+      { altText :: Text,
+        label :: Text,
+        attrs :: Attrs
+      }
   | -- Markdown only DJOT uses RawInline
     HTMLInline {inline_html_content :: Text}
   | Superscript [InlineText] Attrs