diff --git a/packages/realm_dart/lib/src/handles/native/init.dart b/packages/realm_dart/lib/src/handles/native/init.dart
index 375cbe253..2dec585cf 100644
--- a/packages/realm_dart/lib/src/handles/native/init.dart
+++ b/packages/realm_dart/lib/src/handles/native/init.dart
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import 'dart:io';
 import 'package:ejson/ejson.dart';
 import 'package:package_config/package_config.dart';
 import 'package:path/path.dart' as p;
+import 'package:type_plus/type_plus.dart';
 
 import '../../cli/common/target_os_type.dart';
 import '../../cli/metrics/metrics_command.dart';
@@ -156,7 +157,16 @@ EJsonValue encodeRealmValue(RealmValue value) {
   return toEJson(v);
 }
 
-RealmValue decodeRealmValue(EJsonValue ejson) => RealmValue.from(fromEJson(ejson, allowCustom: false));
+RealmValue decodeRealmValue(EJsonValue ejson) {
+  Object? decoded = fromEJson(ejson, allowCustom: false);
+  if (decoded is DBRef) {
+    final t = TypePlus.fromId(decoded.collection);
+    final o = RealmObjectBase.createObject(t, null);
+    o.dynamic.set(o.objectSchema.primaryKey!.name, decoded.id);
+    return RealmValue.realmObject(o.cast());
+  }
+  return RealmValue.from(decoded);
+}
 
 /// @nodoc
 // Initializes Realm library
@@ -191,3 +201,7 @@ DynamicLibrary initRealm() {
 
   return _library = realmLibrary;
 }
+
+extension<T> on T {
+  U cast<U>() => this as U;
+}
diff --git a/packages/realm_dart/lib/src/realm_object.dart b/packages/realm_dart/lib/src/realm_object.dart
index fc17fe799..101cd88b7 100644
--- a/packages/realm_dart/lib/src/realm_object.dart
+++ b/packages/realm_dart/lib/src/realm_object.dart
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import 'dart:async';
 
 import 'package:collection/collection.dart';
 import 'package:realm_common/realm_common.dart';
+import 'package:type_plus/type_plus.dart';
 
 import 'configuration.dart';
 import 'handles/handle_base.dart';
@@ -400,6 +401,14 @@ mixin RealmObjectBase on RealmEntity implements RealmObjectBaseMarker {
 
   /// @nodoc
   static void registerFactory<T extends RealmObjectBase>(T Function() factory) {
+    // Register type as both (T).hashCode.toString() and T.name
+    TypePlus.add<T>();
+    if (TypePlus.fromId(T.name) == UnresolvedType) {
+      // Only register by name, if no other class with the same name is registered
+      // Can happen, if the same class name is used in different libraries.
+      TypePlus.add<T>(id: T.name);
+    }
+
     // We register a factory for both the type itself, but also the nullable
     // version of the type.
     _factories.putIfAbsent(T, () => factory);
@@ -407,10 +416,10 @@ mixin RealmObjectBase on RealmEntity implements RealmObjectBaseMarker {
   }
 
   /// @nodoc
-  static RealmObjectBase createObject(Type type, RealmObjectMetadata metadata) {
+  static RealmObjectBase createObject(Type type, RealmObjectMetadata? metadata) {
     final factory = _factories[type];
     if (factory == null) {
-      if (type == RealmObjectBase) {
+      if (type == RealmObjectBase && metadata != null) {
         switch (metadata.schema.baseType) {
           case ObjectType.realmObject:
             return _ConcreteRealmObject();
diff --git a/packages/realm_dart/pubspec.yaml b/packages/realm_dart/pubspec.yaml
index 960c6096d..f557a2491 100644
--- a/packages/realm_dart/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/packages/realm_dart/pubspec.yaml
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ dependencies:
   cancellation_token: ^2.0.0
   decimal: ^3.0.1
   rational: ^2.2.3
+  type_plus: ^2.1.1
 
 dev_dependencies:
   build_cli: ^2.2.2
diff --git a/packages/realm_dart/test/serialization_test.dart b/packages/realm_dart/test/serialization_test.dart
index 1bf93f9c5..f3f5a48a1 100644
--- a/packages/realm_dart/test/serialization_test.dart
+++ b/packages/realm_dart/test/serialization_test.dart
@@ -49,17 +49,19 @@ void main() {
           expect(fromEJson<RealmValue>(r.toEJson()), r);
         }
       });
+    }
 
-      test('RealmValue with RealmObject', () {
-        // load custom codecs for Player and Game. This is done to test that it
-        // doesn't interfere with the RealmValue codecs.
-        Realm(Configuration.inMemory([Player.schema, Game.schema]));
+    test('RealmObject', () {
+      // load custom codecs for Player and Game. This is done to test that it
+      // doesn't interfere with the RealmValue codecs.
+      Realm(Configuration.inMemory([Player.schema, Game.schema]));
 
-        final rv = RealmValue.from(Player('Christian Eriksen'));
-        expect(rv.toEJson(), {'\$id': 'Christian Eriksen', '\$ref': 'Player'});
-        expect(fromEJson<DBRef>(rv.toEJson()), isA<DBRef>().having((r) => r.id, '\$id', 'Christian Eriksen'));
-      });
-    }
+      final p = Player('Christian Eriksen');
+      final rv = RealmValue.from(p);
+      expect(rv.toEJson(), {'\$id': 'Christian Eriksen', '\$ref': 'Player'});
+      expect(fromEJson<DBRef<String>>(rv.toEJson()), isA<DBRef<String>>().having((r) => r.id, '\$id', 'Christian Eriksen'));
+      expect((fromEJson<RealmValue>(rv.toEJson()).value as Player).name, p.name);
+    });
   });
 
   test('Decimal128', () {