diff --git a/include/qpdf/ObjectHandle.hh b/include/qpdf/ObjectHandle.hh
index 9cf4dc6..9d53a82 100644
--- a/include/qpdf/ObjectHandle.hh
+++ b/include/qpdf/ObjectHandle.hh
@@ -132,11 +132,9 @@ namespace qpdf
 
         inline void assign(qpdf_object_type_e required, BaseHandle const& other);
         inline void assign(qpdf_object_type_e required, BaseHandle&& other);
-
         inline void nullify();
 
         std::string description() const;
-
         inline QPDFObjectHandle const& get(std::string const& key) const;
 
         void no_ci_warn_if(bool condition, std::string const& warning) const;
@@ -148,6 +146,9 @@ namespace qpdf
         char const* type_name() const;
 
         std::shared_ptr<QPDFObject> obj;
+
+      private:
+        inline QPDFObjectHandle referenced_object() const;
     };
 
 } // namespace qpdf
diff --git a/libqpdf/QPDFObjectHandle.cc b/libqpdf/QPDFObjectHandle.cc
index 5bad81b..7ae1d17 100644
--- a/libqpdf/QPDFObjectHandle.cc
+++ b/libqpdf/QPDFObjectHandle.cc
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ BaseHandle::copy(bool shallow) const
         throw std::logic_error("attempted to shallow copy QPDFObjectHandle from destroyed QPDF");
         return {}; // does not return
     case ::ot_reference:
-        return obj->qpdf->getObject(obj->og).obj_sp();
+        return referenced_object().obj_sp();
     }
     return {}; // unreachable
 }
diff --git a/libqpdf/qpdf/QPDFObjectHandle_private.hh b/libqpdf/qpdf/QPDFObjectHandle_private.hh
index ab54009..2687c50 100644
--- a/libqpdf/qpdf/QPDFObjectHandle_private.hh
+++ b/libqpdf/qpdf/QPDFObjectHandle_private.hh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <qpdf/QPDFObject_private.hh>
 #include <qpdf/QPDF_private.hh>
 #include <qpdf/QUtil.hh>
+#include <qpdf/Util.hh>
 
 #include <concepts>
 #include <utility>
@@ -757,6 +758,33 @@ namespace qpdf
         return {obj};
     }
 
+    /// @brief Retrieve the QPDFObjectHandle for the object referenced by a reference object.
+    ///
+    /// Look up and return the object from the document's object table using QPDF::getObject(). The
+    /// returned value is a QPDFObjectHandle that wraps the shared pointer to the underlying
+    /// QPDFObject held in the document's cache.
+    ///
+    /// @note We must perform the lookup because qpdf represents certain replacements using
+    ///       QPDF_Reference. In particular, `QPDF::makeIndirectObject` used to make the input
+    ///       object indirect and then return the original input object. To replicate that
+    ///       existing behavior the implementation now makes the input object indirect and
+    ///       returns it, while modifying the input object to become a reference to the
+    ///       newly-created indirect object. Looking up the resulting indirect object in the
+    ///       document's object table via `QPDF::getObject()` ensures callers receive the
+    ///       cached object and avoids surprises if the indirect object is subsequently
+    ///       replaced.
+    ///
+    /// @return The QPDFObjectHandle for the object referenced by a reference object.
+    ///
+    /// @since 12.3.3
+    inline QPDFObjectHandle
+    BaseHandle::referenced_object() const
+    {
+        qpdf_expect(resolved_type_code() == ::ot_reserved);
+        qpdf_expect(obj->qpdf);
+        return obj->qpdf->getObject(obj->og);
+    }
+
     inline void
     BaseHandle::assign(qpdf_object_type_e required, BaseHandle const& other)
     {