diff --git a/source/slang/slang-ast-base.cpp b/source/slang/slang-ast-base.cpp
index a1624fcba5..ac18da4044 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang-ast-base.cpp
+++ b/source/slang/slang-ast-base.cpp
@@ -23,15 +23,7 @@ void NodeBase::_initDebug(ASTNodeType inAstNodeType, ASTBuilder* inAstBuilder)
 }
 DeclRefBase* Decl::getDefaultDeclRef()
 {
-    if (auto astBuilder = getCurrentASTBuilder())
-    {
-        const Index currentEpoch = astBuilder->getEpoch();
-        if (currentEpoch != m_defaultDeclRefEpoch || !m_defaultDeclRef)
-        {
-            m_defaultDeclRef = astBuilder->getOrCreate<DirectDeclRef>(this);
-            m_defaultDeclRefEpoch = currentEpoch;
-        }
-    }
+    SLANG_ASSERT(m_defaultDeclRef);
     return m_defaultDeclRef;
 }
 
diff --git a/source/slang/slang-ast-base.h b/source/slang/slang-ast-base.h
index 2b5de61e88..8c2f7afa73 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang-ast-base.h
+++ b/source/slang/slang-ast-base.h
@@ -793,7 +793,6 @@ class Decl : public DeclBase
 
 private:
     SLANG_UNREFLECTED DeclRefBase* m_defaultDeclRef = nullptr;
-    SLANG_UNREFLECTED Index m_defaultDeclRefEpoch = -1;
 };
 
 class Expr : public SyntaxNode
diff --git a/source/slang/slang-ast-builder.h b/source/slang/slang-ast-builder.h
index bd5c9b4e39..cae380e40c 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang-ast-builder.h
+++ b/source/slang/slang-ast-builder.h
@@ -693,7 +693,10 @@ class ASTBuilder : public RefObject
             auto val = (Val*)(node);
             val->m_resolvedValEpoch = getEpoch();
         }
-
+        else if (node->getClassInfo().isSubClassOf(*ASTClassInfo::getInfo(Decl::kType)))
+        {
+            ((Decl*)node)->m_defaultDeclRef = getOrCreate<DirectDeclRef>((Decl*)node);
+        }
         return node;
     }
 
diff --git a/source/slang/slang.cpp b/source/slang/slang.cpp
index 38988ca466..5ec1996581 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang.cpp
+++ b/source/slang/slang.cpp
@@ -4598,7 +4598,7 @@ void Module::_processFindDeclsExportSymbolsRec(Decl* decl)
     if (_canExportDeclSymbol(decl->astNodeType))
     {
         // It's a reference to a declaration in another module, so first get the symbol name.
-        String mangledName = getMangledName(getASTBuilder(), decl);
+        String mangledName = getMangledName(getCurrentASTBuilder(), decl);
 
         Index index = Index(m_mangledExportPool.add(mangledName));
 
diff --git a/source/slang/slang.natvis b/source/slang/slang.natvis
index 70b57e3397..341a390f2a 100644
--- a/source/slang/slang.natvis
+++ b/source/slang/slang.natvis
@@ -426,7 +426,8 @@
     <Type Name="Slang::Val" Inheritable="true">
       <DisplayString Optional="true" Condition="astNodeType == Slang::ASTNodeType::DeclRefType">DeclRefType#{_debugUID} {*(Val*)(((Slang::DeclRefType*)this)->m_operands.m_buffer[0].values.nodeOperand)}</DisplayString>
       <DisplayString Condition="astNodeType == Slang::ASTNodeType::DeclRefType">DeclRefType {*(Val*)(((Slang::DeclRefType*)this)->m_operands.m_buffer[0].values.nodeOperand)}</DisplayString>
-      <DisplayString Condition="astNodeType == Slang::ASTNodeType::DirectDeclRef">DirectRef {*(Decl*)m_operands.m_buffer[0].values.nodeOperand}</DisplayString>
+      <DisplayString Optional="true" Condition="astNodeType == Slang::ASTNodeType::DirectDeclRef">DirectRef#{_debugUID} {*(Decl*)m_operands.m_buffer[0].values.nodeOperand}</DisplayString>
+      <DisplayString Condition="astNodeType == Slang::ASTNodeType::DirectDeclRef">DirectRef {*(Decl*)m_operands.m_buffer[0].values.nodeOperand}</DisplayString>  
       <DisplayString Optional="true">{astNodeType,en} #{_debugUID}</DisplayString>
       <DisplayString>{astNodeType,en}</DisplayString>
 
diff --git a/tools/slang-unit-test/unit-test-module-ptr.cpp b/tools/slang-unit-test/unit-test-module-ptr.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1c11b69fb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/slang-unit-test/unit-test-module-ptr.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+// unit-test-module-ptr.cpp
+
+#include "core/slang-memory-file-system.h"
+#include "slang-com-ptr.h"
+#include "slang.h"
+#include "unit-test/slang-unit-test.h"
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+using namespace Slang;
+
+SLANG_UNIT_TEST(modulePtr)
+{
+    const char* testModuleSource = R"(
+        module test_module;
+
+        public void atomicFunc(__ref Atomic<int> ptr) {
+            ptr.add(1);
+        }
+    )";
+
+    const char* testSource = R"(
+        import "test_module";
+
+        RWStructuredBuffer<Atomic<int>> input0;
+
+        [shader("compute")]
+        [numthreads(1,1,1)]
+        void computeMain(uint3 workGroup : SV_GroupID)
+        {
+            atomicFunc(input0[0]);
+        }
+    )";
+    ComPtr<ISlangMutableFileSystem> memoryFileSystem =
+        ComPtr<ISlangMutableFileSystem>(new Slang::MemoryFileSystem());
+
+    ComPtr<slang::IGlobalSession> globalSession;
+    SLANG_CHECK(slang_createGlobalSession(SLANG_API_VERSION, globalSession.writeRef()) == SLANG_OK);
+    slang::TargetDesc targetDesc = {};
+    targetDesc.format = SLANG_SPIRV;
+    targetDesc.profile = globalSession->findProfile("spirv_1_5");
+    slang::SessionDesc sessionDesc = {};
+    sessionDesc.targetCount = 1;
+    sessionDesc.targets = &targetDesc;
+    sessionDesc.compilerOptionEntryCount = 0;
+    sessionDesc.fileSystem = memoryFileSystem;
+
+    // Precompile test_module to file.
+    {
+        ComPtr<slang::ISession> session;
+        SLANG_CHECK(globalSession->createSession(sessionDesc, session.writeRef()) == SLANG_OK);
+
+        ComPtr<slang::IBlob> diagnosticBlob;
+        auto module = session->loadModuleFromSourceString(
+            "test_module",
+            "test_module.slang",
+            testModuleSource,
+            diagnosticBlob.writeRef());
+        SLANG_CHECK(module != nullptr);
+
+        ComPtr<slang::IBlob> moduleBlob;
+        module->serialize(moduleBlob.writeRef());
+        memoryFileSystem->saveFile(
+            "test_module.slang-module",
+            moduleBlob->getBufferPointer(),
+            moduleBlob->getBufferSize());
+    }
+
+    // compile test.
+    {
+        ComPtr<slang::ISession> session;
+        SLANG_CHECK(globalSession->createSession(sessionDesc, session.writeRef()) == SLANG_OK);
+
+        ComPtr<slang::IBlob> diagnosticBlob;
+        auto module = session->loadModuleFromSourceString(
+            "test",
+            "test.slang",
+            testSource,
+            diagnosticBlob.writeRef());
+        SLANG_CHECK(module != nullptr);
+
+        ComPtr<slang::IComponentType> linkedProgram;
+        module->link(linkedProgram.writeRef());
+
+        ComPtr<slang::IBlob> code;
+
+        linkedProgram->getTargetCode(0, code.writeRef(), diagnosticBlob.writeRef());
+
+        SLANG_CHECK(code->getBufferSize() > 0);
+    }
+}