diff --git a/glossy/src/gloss.typ b/glossy/src/gloss.typ
index e570566..dce47c2 100644
--- a/glossy/src/gloss.typ
+++ b/glossy/src/gloss.typ
@@ -239,7 +239,10 @@
   // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   let is_first_use = not __is_term_first_used(key, location: here())
   let count-as-first-use = ("short" not in modifiers and "long" not in modifiers and "both" not in modifiers)
-  __mark_term_used(key, count-as-first-use)
+  let wants_reference = ("noref" not in modifiers and "noindex" not in modifiers)
+  if wants_reference {
+    __mark_term_used(key, count-as-first-use)
+  }
 
   // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   // Helper Functions
@@ -364,15 +367,20 @@
     } else {
       term
     }
-    [#article#show-term(linked-term)#metadata(term)#__term_label(key)]
-  // |^^^^^^^|^^^^^^^^^      |^^^^^^^^      |^^^^^^^^^^^^
-  // \_art.  |               |              |
+  let term-label = if wants_reference {
+      __term_label(key)
+    } else {
+      []
+    }
+    [#article#show-term(linked-term)#metadata(term)#term-label]
+  // |^^^^^^^|^^^^^^^^^             |^^^^^^^^      |^^^^^^^^^^^^
+  // \_art.  |                      |              |
   //         \_ apply user formatting function to the term
-  //                         |              |
-  //                         \_ metadata lets us label (ie it's "labelable")
-  //                                        |
-  //                                        \_ i.e. <__gloss:key>, etc.
-  //                                           for backlink from glossary
+  //                                |              |
+  //                                \_ metadata lets us label (ie makes it "labelable")
+  //                                               |
+  //                                               \_ i.e. <__gloss:key>, etc.
+  //                                                  for backlink from glossary
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/glossy/tests/noref/ref/1.png b/glossy/tests/noref/ref/1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4aad2c9
Binary files /dev/null and b/glossy/tests/noref/ref/1.png differ
diff --git a/glossy/tests/noref/test.typ b/glossy/tests/noref/test.typ
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba62835
--- /dev/null
+++ b/glossy/tests/noref/test.typ
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#import "/lib.typ": *
+
+// Our test glossary
+#show: init-glossary.with((
+    Normal: "this is a normal term",
+    NoRef: "this term is noref'd",
+    NoIndex: "this term is noindex'd",
+    NoRefNoIndex: "this term is noref'd and noindex'd",
+))
+
+// Configure styling
+
+#set page(margin: 1em)
+#set page(width: 3.5in)
+#set page(height: auto)
+#set text(size: 10pt)
+
+@Normal
+
+@NoRef:noref
+
+@NoIndex:noindex
+
+@NoRefNoIndex:noref:noindex
+
+#glossary()