diff --git a/include/collection.h b/include/collection.h
index 38e91d1f..f0c16236 100644
--- a/include/collection.h
+++ b/include/collection.h
@@ -463,6 +463,8 @@ public:
 
     Option<bool> validate_reference_filter(const std::string& filter_query) const;
 
+    Option<std::string> get_reference_field(const std::string & collection_name) const;
+
     Option<bool> get_reference_filter_ids(const std::string & filter_query,
                                           const std::string & collection_name,
                                           std::pair<uint32_t, uint32_t*>& reference_index_ids) const;
diff --git a/src/collection.cpp b/src/collection.cpp
index c3ef5a49..6c61a24c 100644
--- a/src/collection.cpp
+++ b/src/collection.cpp
@@ -2580,9 +2580,7 @@ Option<bool> Collection::validate_reference_filter(const std::string& filter_que
     return Option<bool>(true);
 }
 
-Option<bool> Collection::get_reference_filter_ids(const std::string & filter_query,
-                                                  const std::string & collection_name,
-                                                  std::pair<uint32_t, uint32_t*>& reference_index_ids) const {
+Option<std::string> Collection::get_reference_field(const std::string & collection_name) const {
     std::shared_lock lock(mutex);
 
     std::string reference_field_name;
@@ -2595,10 +2593,23 @@ Option<bool> Collection::get_reference_filter_ids(const std::string & filter_que
     }
 
     if (reference_field_name.empty()) {
-        return Option<bool>(400, "Could not find any field in `" + name + "` referencing the collection `"
-                                                    + collection_name + "`.");
+        return Option<std::string>(400, "Could not find any field in `" + name + "` referencing the collection `"
+                                 + collection_name + "`.");
     }
 
+    return Option(reference_field_name);
+}
+
+Option<bool> Collection::get_reference_filter_ids(const std::string & filter_query,
+                                                  const std::string & collection_name,
+                                                  std::pair<uint32_t, uint32_t*>& reference_index_ids) const {
+    auto reference_field_op = get_reference_field(collection_name);
+    if (!reference_field_op.ok()) {
+        return Option<bool>(reference_field_op.code(), reference_field_op.error());
+    }
+
+    std::shared_lock lock(mutex);
+
     const std::string doc_id_prefix = std::to_string(collection_id) + "_" + DOC_ID_PREFIX + "_";
     filter_node_t* filter_tree_root = nullptr;
     Option<bool> filter_op = filter::parse_filter_query(filter_query, search_schema,
@@ -2608,8 +2619,8 @@ Option<bool> Collection::get_reference_filter_ids(const std::string & filter_que
     }
 
     // Reference helper field has the sequence id of other collection's documents.
-    reference_field_name += REFERENCE_HELPER_FIELD_SUFFIX;
-    index->do_reference_filtering_with_lock(reference_index_ids, filter_tree_root, reference_field_name);
+    auto field_name = reference_field_op.get() + REFERENCE_HELPER_FIELD_SUFFIX;
+    index->do_reference_filtering_with_lock(reference_index_ids, filter_tree_root, field_name);
 
     delete filter_tree_root;
     return Option<bool>(true);