diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/reference_test.go b/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/reference_test.go
index 40a8b1e39c3..2e560b22f0c 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/reference_test.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/vreplication/reference_test.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ insert into cat values (3, 'c3');
 insert into mfg values (1, 'm1');
 insert into mfg values (2, 'm2');
 insert into mfg values (3, 'm3');
+insert into mfg values (4, 'm4');
 `
 )
 
@@ -98,9 +99,12 @@ func TestReferenceTableMaterializationAndRouting(t *testing.T) {
 	vc.AddKeyspace(t, []*Cell{defaultCell}, uks, "0", uksVSchema, uksSchema, defaultReplicas, defaultRdonly, 100, nil)
 	vc.AddKeyspace(t, []*Cell{defaultCell}, sks, "-80,80-", sksVSchema, sksSchema, defaultReplicas, defaultRdonly, 200, nil)
 	vtgateConn := getConnection(t, vc.ClusterConfig.hostname, vc.ClusterConfig.vtgateMySQLPort)
+
 	verifyClusterHealth(t, vc)
 	_, _, err = vtgateConn.ExecuteFetchMulti(initializeTables, 0, false)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	vtgateConn.Close()
+
 	materialize(t, materializeCatSpec, false)
 	materialize(t, materializeMfgSpec, false)
 
@@ -111,21 +115,38 @@ func TestReferenceTableMaterializationAndRouting(t *testing.T) {
 	catchup(t, tabDash80, "wfMfg", "Materialize Manufacturer")
 	catchup(t, tab80Dash, "wfMfg", "Materialize Manufacturer")
 
-	vtgateConn.Close()
 	vtgateConn = getConnection(t, vc.ClusterConfig.hostname, vc.ClusterConfig.vtgateMySQLPort)
 	defer vtgateConn.Close()
 	waitForRowCount(t, vtgateConn, sks, "cat", 3)
 	waitForRowCount(t, vtgateConn, sks, "mfg2", 3)
 
-	insertQuery := "insert into mfg values (4, 'm4')"
-	_, err = vtgateConn.ExecuteFetch(insertQuery, 0, false)
-	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "table mfg not found")
+	execRefQuery(t, "insert into mfg values (5, 'm5')")
+	execRefQuery(t, "insert into mfg2 values (6, 'm6')")
+	execRefQuery(t, "insert into uks.mfg values (7, 'm7')")
+	execRefQuery(t, "insert into sks.mfg2 values (8, 'm8')")
+	waitForRowCount(t, vtgateConn, uks, "mfg", 8)
+
+	execRefQuery(t, "update mfg set name = concat(name, '-updated') where id = 1")
+	execRefQuery(t, "update mfg2 set name = concat(name, '-updated') where id = 2")
+	execRefQuery(t, "update uks.mfg set name = concat(name, '-updated') where id = 3")
+	execRefQuery(t, "update sks.mfg set name = concat(name, '-updated') where id = 4")
 
-	insertQuery = "insert into mfg2 values (4, 'm4')"
-	_, err = vtgateConn.ExecuteFetch(insertQuery, 0, false)
-	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "Table 'vt_uks.mfg2' doesn't exist")
+	waitForRowCount(t, vtgateConn, uks, "mfg", 8)
+	qr := execVtgateQuery(t, vtgateConn, "uks", "select count(*) from uks.mfg where name like '%updated%'")
+	require.NotNil(t, qr)
+	require.Equal(t, "4", qr.Rows[0][0].ToString())
 
-	insertQuery = "insert into uks.mfg values (4, 'm4')"
-	_, err = vtgateConn.ExecuteFetch(insertQuery, 0, false)
+	execRefQuery(t, "delete from mfg where id = 5")
+	execRefQuery(t, "delete from mfg2 where id = 6")
+	execRefQuery(t, "delete from uks.mfg where id = 7")
+	execRefQuery(t, "delete from sks.mfg where id = 8")
+	waitForRowCount(t, vtgateConn, uks, "mfg", 4)
+
+}
+
+func execRefQuery(t *testing.T, query string) {
+	vtgateConn := getConnection(t, vc.ClusterConfig.hostname, vc.ClusterConfig.vtgateMySQLPort)
+	defer vtgateConn.Close()
+	_, err := vtgateConn.ExecuteFetch(query, 0, false)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }