diff --git a/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/src/Extensions/EliminateMethodBodyPass.cs b/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/src/Extensions/EliminateMethodBodyPass.cs
index 96d336ca72..c14950aae5 100644
--- a/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/src/Extensions/EliminateMethodBodyPass.cs
+++ b/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/src/Extensions/EliminateMethodBodyPass.cs
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language.Extensions
 {
     internal sealed class EliminateMethodBodyPass : IntermediateNodePassBase, IRazorOptimizationPass
     {
-        // Run early in the optimization phase
-        public override int Order => int.MinValue;
+        // Run late in the optimization phase
+        public override int Order => int.MaxValue;
 
         protected override void ExecuteCore(RazorCodeDocument codeDocument, DocumentIntermediateNode documentNode)
         {
diff --git a/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/test/IntegrationTests/ComponentDeclarationIntegrationTest.cs b/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/test/IntegrationTests/ComponentDeclarationIntegrationTest.cs
index 25ec85093b..b3e35fd973 100644
--- a/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/test/IntegrationTests/ComponentDeclarationIntegrationTest.cs
+++ b/src/Razor/Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language/test/IntegrationTests/ComponentDeclarationIntegrationTest.cs
@@ -70,6 +70,21 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Language.IntegrationTests
             Assert.Same(typeof(StringBuilder), property.PropertyType);
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public void DeclarationConfiguration_IncludesRef()
+        {
+            // Arrange & Act
+            var component = CompileToComponent(@"
+@using System.Text
+<div @ref=""myDiv"" />
+");
+
+            // Assert
+            var field = component.GetType().GetField("myDiv", BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance);
+            Assert.NotNull(field);
+            Assert.Same(typeof(ElementRef), field.FieldType);
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public void DeclarationConfiguration_IncludesInherits()
         {