diff --git a/src/app/commands/filters/filter_manager_impl.cpp b/src/app/commands/filters/filter_manager_impl.cpp
index c38793fe4..37b7ae7ae 100644
--- a/src/app/commands/filters/filter_manager_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/app/commands/filters/filter_manager_impl.cpp
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@ FilterManagerImpl::FilterManagerImpl(Context* context, Filter* filter)
 {
   int x, y;
   Image* image = m_site.image(&x, &y);
-  if (!image)
+  if (!image
+      || (m_site.layer() &&
+          m_site.layer()->isReference()))
     throw NoImageException();
 
   init(m_site.cel());
@@ -242,11 +244,16 @@ void FilterManagerImpl::applyToTarget()
 
     case CelsTarget::Selected: {
       auto range = App::instance()->timeline()->range();
-      if (range.enabled())
-        cels = get_unlocked_unique_cels(m_site.sprite(), range);
+      if (range.enabled()) {
+        for (Cel* cel : get_unlocked_unique_cels(m_site.sprite(), range)) {
+          if (!cel->layer()->isReference())
+            cels.push_back(cel);
+        }
+      }
       else if (m_site.cel() &&
                m_site.layer() &&
-               m_site.layer()->isEditable()) {
+               m_site.layer()->isEditable() &&
+               !m_site.layer()->isReference()) {
         cels.push_back(m_site.cel());
       }
       break;
@@ -254,7 +261,8 @@ void FilterManagerImpl::applyToTarget()
 
     case CelsTarget::All: {
       for (Cel* cel : m_site.sprite()->uniqueCels()) {
-        if (cel->layer()->isEditable())
+        if (cel->layer()->isEditable() &&
+            !cel->layer()->isReference())
           cels.push_back(cel);
       }
       break;
diff --git a/src/app/ui/document_view.cpp b/src/app/ui/document_view.cpp
index 927a3e8c1..9ccc19f38 100644
--- a/src/app/ui/document_view.cpp
+++ b/src/app/ui/document_view.cpp
@@ -467,7 +467,8 @@ bool DocumentView::onCanCut(Context* ctx)
                       ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsVisible |
                       ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsEditable |
                       ContextFlags::HasVisibleMask |
-                      ContextFlags::HasActiveImage))
+                      ContextFlags::HasActiveImage)
+      && !ctx->checkFlags(ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsReference))
     return true;
   else if (m_editor->isMovingPixels())
     return true;
@@ -480,7 +481,8 @@ bool DocumentView::onCanCopy(Context* ctx)
   if (ctx->checkFlags(ContextFlags::ActiveDocumentIsWritable |
                       ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsVisible |
                       ContextFlags::HasVisibleMask |
-                      ContextFlags::HasActiveImage))
+                      ContextFlags::HasActiveImage)
+      && !ctx->checkFlags(ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsReference))
     return true;
   else if (m_editor->isMovingPixels())
     return true;
@@ -491,11 +493,12 @@ bool DocumentView::onCanCopy(Context* ctx)
 bool DocumentView::onCanPaste(Context* ctx)
 {
   return
-    (clipboard::get_current_format() == clipboard::ClipboardImage &&
-     ctx->checkFlags(ContextFlags::ActiveDocumentIsWritable |
-                     ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsVisible |
-                     ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsEditable |
-                     ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsImage));
+    (clipboard::get_current_format() == clipboard::ClipboardImage
+     && ctx->checkFlags(ContextFlags::ActiveDocumentIsWritable |
+                        ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsVisible |
+                        ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsEditable |
+                        ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsImage)
+     && !ctx->checkFlags(ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsReference));
 }
 
 bool DocumentView::onCanClear(Context* ctx)
@@ -503,7 +506,8 @@ bool DocumentView::onCanClear(Context* ctx)
   if (ctx->checkFlags(ContextFlags::ActiveDocumentIsWritable |
                       ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsVisible |
                       ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsEditable |
-                      ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsImage)) {
+                      ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsImage)
+      && !ctx->checkFlags(ContextFlags::ActiveLayerIsReference)) {
     return true;
   }
   else if (m_editor->isMovingPixels()) {