diff --git a/src/caosdb/apiutils.py b/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
index 5dec8a8d944e04d8f4d58231637fe69705c462f5..9192289a0b6518a2d6ec3abcdeca9d1d2c063d6d 100644
--- a/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
+++ b/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ def _apply_to_ids_of_entity(entity, func):
                     prop.value = func(prop.value)
 
 
-def resolve_reference(prop):
+def resolve_reference(prop: Property):
     """resolves the value of a reference property
 
     The integer value is replaced with the entity object.
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ def resolve_reference(prop):
     change.
     """
 
-    if not prop.is_reference(retrieve=True):
+    if not prop.is_reference(server_retrieval=True):
         return
 
     if isinstance(prop.value, list):
diff --git a/unittests/test_apiutils.py b/unittests/test_apiutils.py
index c560b5e3c7c424b762bc8381c7cc9f42617288d0..5488fbdd1d099dc7b494eab2f4be9e1e46f801aa 100644
--- a/unittests/test_apiutils.py
+++ b/unittests/test_apiutils.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 import caosdb as db
 import pickle
 import tempfile
-from caosdb.apiutils import apply_to_ids
+from caosdb.apiutils import apply_to_ids, id_query
 from .test_property import testrecord
 
 
@@ -62,3 +62,8 @@ def test_apply_to_ids():
     assert rec.parents[0].id == -3456
     assert rec.properties[0].id == -23345
     assert rec.id == -23
+
+originalfunc = db.execute_query
+db.execute_query = lambda q: q
+def test_id_query():
+    assert id_query([1]) == 1