diff --git a/lib/sof/members.rb b/lib/sof/members.rb
index 1b47832a..8973a2b7 100644
--- a/lib/sof/members.rb
+++ b/lib/sof/members.rb
@@ -14,15 +14,20 @@ module Sof
     
     def add object , level
       return if is_value?(object)
-      if( occurence = @objects[object] )
+      if( occurence = @objects[object.object_id] )
         #puts "reset level #{level} at #{occurence.level}"
-        occurence.level = level if occurence.level > level
-        occurence.referenced = @counter
-        @counter = @counter + 1
+        if occurence.level > level
+          occurence.level = level 
+        end
+        unless occurence.referenced
+          #puts "referencing #{@counter} , at level #{level}/#{occurence.level} "
+          occurence.referenced = @counter
+          @counter = @counter + 1
+        end
         return
       end
       o = Occurence.new( object , level )
-      @objects[object] = o
+      @objects[object.object_id] = o
       attributes = attributes_for(object)
       attributes.each do |a|
         val = get_value( object , a)
diff --git a/lib/sof/node.rb b/lib/sof/node.rb
index 88c42409..b09463b6 100644
--- a/lib/sof/node.rb
+++ b/lib/sof/node.rb
@@ -16,12 +16,13 @@ module Sof
   end
   
   class SimpleNode < Node
-    def initialize data
-      super(nil)
+    def initialize data , ref = nil
+      super(ref)
       @data = data
     end
     attr_reader :data
     def out io , level
+      super
       io.write(data)
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/sof/writer.rb b/lib/sof/writer.rb
index d3f60ced..28131041 100644
--- a/lib/sof/writer.rb
+++ b/lib/sof/writer.rb
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ module Sof
       if is_value?(object)
         return SimpleNode.new(object.to_sof())
       end
-      occurence = @members.objects[object]
+      occurence = @members.objects[object.object_id]
       raise "no object #{object}" unless occurence
       if(level > occurence.level )
-        #puts "level #{level} at #{occurence.level}"
+        #puts "ref #{occurence.referenced} level #{level} at #{occurence.level}"
         return SimpleNode.new("*#{occurence.referenced}")
       end
       ref = occurence.referenced
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ module Sof
 
     def object_sof_node( object , level , ref)
       if( object.is_a? Class )
-        return SimpleNode.new( object.name )
+        return SimpleNode.new( object.name , ref )
       end
       head = object.class.name + "("
       atts = {}