diff --git a/pkg/generators/markers.go b/pkg/generators/markers.go
index c91bc8f3a..1dddbced2 100644
--- a/pkg/generators/markers.go
+++ b/pkg/generators/markers.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
+	defaultergen "k8s.io/gengo/examples/defaulter-gen/generators"
 	"k8s.io/gengo/types"
 	openapi "k8s.io/kube-openapi/pkg/common"
 	"k8s.io/kube-openapi/pkg/validation/spec"
@@ -207,8 +208,13 @@ func parseMarkers(markerComments []string, prefix string) (map[string]any, error
 		newKey := strings.TrimPrefix(key, prefix)
 
 		// Skip ref markers
-		if len(value) == 1 && regexp.MustCompile(`^(?:\s*ref\s{0,1}\().*\)\s*`).MatchString(value[0]) {
-			continue
+		if len(value) == 1 {
+			foo := value[0]
+			fmt.Printf("foo: %v\n", foo)
+			_, ok := defaultergen.ParseSymbolReference(value[0], "")
+			if ok { // regexp.MustCompile(`^(?:\s*ref\s{0,1}\().*\)\s*`).MatchString(value[0]) {
+				continue
+			}
 		}
 		if len(newKey) == 0 {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot have empty key for marker comment")
diff --git a/pkg/generators/markers_test.go b/pkg/generators/markers_test.go
index 7b6ffa263..791c0b692 100644
--- a/pkg/generators/markers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/generators/markers_test.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func TestParseCommentTags(t *testing.T) {
 			t:    &numKind,
 			name: "ignore refs",
 			comments: []string{
-				"+k8s:validation:pattern=ref(\"asdf\")",
+				"+k8s:validation:pattern=ref(asdf)",
 			},
 		},
 	}