diff --git a/modules/ve/dm/nodes/ve.dm.MWReferenceNode.js b/modules/ve/dm/nodes/ve.dm.MWReferenceNode.js
index 71fecd0ca2..0a16b8e134 100644
--- a/modules/ve/dm/nodes/ve.dm.MWReferenceNode.js
+++ b/modules/ve/dm/nodes/ve.dm.MWReferenceNode.js
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ ve.dm.MWReferenceNode.static.toDomElements = function ( dataElement, doc, conver
 
 	mwAttr = ve.copyObject( dataElement.attributes.mw ) || {};
 
-	setContents = dataElement.attributes.contentsUsed;
+	setContents = dataElement.attributes.contentsUsed ||
+		dataElement.attributes.listKey === null;
 
 	if ( !setContents ) {
 		// Check if any other nodes with this key provided content. If not
diff --git a/modules/ve/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWReferenceDialog.js b/modules/ve/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWReferenceDialog.js
index a6f3ab4495..56c891903d 100644
--- a/modules/ve/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWReferenceDialog.js
+++ b/modules/ve/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWReferenceDialog.js
@@ -145,16 +145,7 @@ ve.ui.MWReferenceDialog.prototype.onClose = function ( action ) {
 						'listGroup': 'mwReference/' + groupName,
 						'listKey': key,
 						'refGroup': groupName
-					},
-					//TODO: remove these htmlAttributes once fixed in Parsoid
-					'htmlAttributes': [
-						{
-							'keys': [ 'data-parsoid' ],
-							'values': {
-								'data-parsoid': '{"src":""}'
-							}
-						}
-					]
+					}
 				},
 				{ 'type': '/mwReference' }
 			] );