diff --git a/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteRef.ts b/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteRef.ts
index 51bb9ee1a4..5e7a4294d9 100644
--- a/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteRef.ts
+++ b/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteRef.ts
@@ -14,28 +14,33 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { ConcreteRoute, ref, resolveRoute, RouteRefConfig } from './types';
+import {
+  ConcreteRoute,
+  routeReference,
+  ReferencedRoute,
+  resolveRoute,
+  RouteRefConfig,
+} from './types';
 import { generatePath } from 'react-router-dom';
 
 type SubRouteConfig = {
   path: string;
 };
 
-export class SubRouteRef<T extends { [name in string]: string }> {
+export class SubRouteRef<T extends { [name in string]: string }>
+  implements ReferencedRoute {
   constructor(
     private readonly parent: ConcreteRoute,
     private readonly config: SubRouteConfig,
   ) {}
 
-  [ref]() {
+  get [routeReference]() {
     return this;
   }
 
   link(params: T): ConcreteRoute {
-    const selfRef = this as unknown;
-
     return {
-      [ref]: () => selfRef,
+      [routeReference]: this,
       [resolveRoute]: (path: string) => {
         const ownPart = generatePath(this.config.path, params);
         const parentPart = this.parent[resolveRoute](path);
@@ -67,7 +72,7 @@ export class AbsoluteRouteRef implements ConcreteRoute {
     return new SubRouteRef<T>(this, config);
   }
 
-  [ref]() {
+  get [routeReference]() {
     return this;
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteRefRegistry.ts b/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteRefRegistry.ts
index 7377a90672..4bc824ac3f 100644
--- a/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteRefRegistry.ts
+++ b/packages/core-api/src/routing/RouteRefRegistry.ts
@@ -14,10 +14,15 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { ConcreteRoute, ref, resolveRoute, ReferencedRoute } from './types';
+import {
+  ConcreteRoute,
+  routeReference,
+  resolveRoute,
+  ReferencedRoute,
+} from './types';
 
 const rootRoute: ConcreteRoute = {
-  [ref]() {
+  get [routeReference]() {
     return this;
   },
   [resolveRoute]: () => '',
@@ -39,7 +44,7 @@ class Node {
     let node = this as Node | undefined;
 
     for (let i = 0; i < routes.length; i++) {
-      node = node?.children.get(routes[i][ref]());
+      node = node?.children.get(routes[i][routeReference]);
     }
 
     return node;
@@ -62,7 +67,7 @@ class Node {
     }
 
     const lastRoute = routes[routes.length - 1];
-    const lastRouteRef = lastRoute[ref]();
+    const lastRouteRef = lastRoute[routeReference];
     if (parentNode.children.has(lastRouteRef)) {
       return false;
     }
diff --git a/packages/core-api/src/routing/types.ts b/packages/core-api/src/routing/types.ts
index 291029c3f2..162ac74bde 100644
--- a/packages/core-api/src/routing/types.ts
+++ b/packages/core-api/src/routing/types.ts
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@
 import { IconComponent } from '../icons';
 
 export const resolveRoute = Symbol('resolve-route');
-export const ref = Symbol('route-ref');
+export const routeReference = Symbol('route-ref');
 
 export type ReferencedRoute = {
-  [ref](): unknown;
+  [routeReference]: unknown;
 };
 
 export type ConcreteRoute = ReferencedRoute & {