--- a/graal/com.oracle.graal.compiler.test/src/com/oracle/graal/compiler/test/ea/PartialEscapeAnalysisTest.java	Sat Oct 12 20:08:36 2013 +0200
+++ b/graal/com.oracle.graal.compiler.test/src/com/oracle/graal/compiler/test/ea/PartialEscapeAnalysisTest.java	Mon Oct 14 10:45:02 2013 +0200
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
  */
 package com.oracle.graal.compiler.test.ea;
 
+import java.lang.ref.*;
 import java.util.concurrent.*;
 
 import org.junit.*;
@@ -163,6 +164,20 @@
         return value;
     }
 
+    public static int testReference1Snippet(Object a) {
+        SoftReference<Object> softReference = new SoftReference<>(a);
+        if (softReference.get().hashCode() == 0) {
+            return 1;
+        } else {
+            return 2;
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testReference1() {
+        assertEquals(1, processMethod("testReference1Snippet").getNodes().filter(NewInstanceNode.class).count());
+    }
+
     @SafeVarargs
     final void testMaterialize(final String snippet, double expectedProbability, int expectedCount, Class<? extends Node>... invalidNodeClasses) {
         StructuredGraph result = processMethod(snippet);

--- a/graal/com.oracle.graal.nodes/src/com/oracle/graal/nodes/java/NewInstanceNode.java	Sat Oct 12 20:08:36 2013 +0200
+++ b/graal/com.oracle.graal.nodes/src/com/oracle/graal/nodes/java/NewInstanceNode.java	Mon Oct 14 10:45:02 2013 +0200
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
  */
 package com.oracle.graal.nodes.java;
 
+import java.lang.ref.*;
+
 import com.oracle.graal.api.meta.*;
 import com.oracle.graal.graph.*;
 import com.oracle.graal.graph.spi.*;
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@
      */
     public NewInstanceNode(ResolvedJavaType type, boolean fillContents) {
         super(StampFactory.exactNonNull(type));
+        assert !type.isArray();
         this.instanceClass = type;
         this.fillContents = fillContents;
     }
@@ -84,8 +87,11 @@
 
     @Override
     public void virtualize(VirtualizerTool tool) {
-        if (instanceClass != null) {
-            assert !instanceClass().isArray();
+        /*
+         * Reference objects can escape into their ReferenceQueue at any safepoint, therefore
+         * they're excluded from escape analysis.
+         */
+        if (!tool.getMetaAccessProvider().lookupJavaType(Reference.class).isAssignableFrom(instanceClass)) {
             VirtualInstanceNode virtualObject = new VirtualInstanceNode(instanceClass(), true);
             ResolvedJavaField[] fields = virtualObject.getFields();
             ValueNode[] state = new ValueNode[fields.length];