diff --git a/rust-mode-tests.el b/rust-mode-tests.el
index 3e6c67aa..64d65c42 100644
--- a/rust-mode-tests.el
+++ b/rust-mode-tests.el
@@ -1296,6 +1296,11 @@ list of substrings of `STR' each followed by its face."
    "let foo;"
    '("let" font-lock-keyword-face
      "foo" font-lock-variable-name-face))
+  (rust-test-font-lock
+   "let ref foo;"
+   '("let" font-lock-keyword-face
+     "ref" font-lock-keyword-face
+     "foo" font-lock-variable-name-face))
   (rust-test-font-lock
    "let mut foo;"
    '("let" font-lock-keyword-face
diff --git a/rust-mode.el b/rust-mode.el
index 011f615f..51b92d7c 100644
--- a/rust-mode.el
+++ b/rust-mode.el
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ match data if found. Returns nil if not within a Rust string."
      (,rust-re-type-or-constructor 1 font-lock-type-face)
 
      ;; Type-inferred binding
-     (,(concat "\\_<\\(?:let\\|ref\\)\\s-+\\(?:mut\\s-+\\)?" (rust-re-grab rust-re-ident) "\\_>") 1 font-lock-variable-name-face)
+     (,(concat "\\_<\\(?:let\\s-+ref\\|let\\|ref\\)\\s-+\\(?:mut\\s-+\\)?" (rust-re-grab rust-re-ident) "\\_>") 1 font-lock-variable-name-face)
 
      ;; Type names like `Foo::`, highlight excluding the ::
      (,(rust-path-font-lock-matcher rust-re-uc-ident) 1 font-lock-type-face)