diff --git a/crates/typst-syntax/src/lexer.rs b/crates/typst-syntax/src/lexer.rs
index ac69eb616..c17e09665 100644
--- a/crates/typst-syntax/src/lexer.rs
+++ b/crates/typst-syntax/src/lexer.rs
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ impl Lexer<'_> {
             'h' if self.s.eat_if("ttp://") => self.link(),
             'h' if self.s.eat_if("ttps://") => self.link(),
             '<' if self.s.at(is_id_continue) => self.label(),
-            '@' => self.ref_marker(),
+            '@' if self.s.at(is_id_continue) => self.ref_marker(),
 
             '.' if self.s.eat_if("..") => SyntaxKind::Shorthand,
             '-' if self.s.eat_if("--") => SyntaxKind::Shorthand,
diff --git a/tests/suite/model/ref.typ b/tests/suite/model/ref.typ
index 2f8e2fa25..279637754 100644
--- a/tests/suite/model/ref.typ
+++ b/tests/suite/model/ref.typ
@@ -85,3 +85,12 @@ Text seen on #ref(<text>, form: "page", supplement: "Page").
 // Test reference with non-whitespace before it.
 #figure[] <1>
 #test([(#ref(<1>))], [(@1)])
+
+--- ref-to-empty-label-not-possible ---
+// @ without any following label should just produce the symbol in the output
+// and not produce a reference to a label with an empty name.
+@ \<- this should show up
+// using ref() should also not be possible
+// Error: 6-7 unexpected less-than operator
+// Error: 7-8 unexpected greater-than operator
+#ref(<>)