diff --git a/src/Model/ReferencesTrait.php b/src/Model/ReferencesTrait.php
index 6ba7cd4b93..9ab8bd2b6a 100644
--- a/src/Model/ReferencesTrait.php
+++ b/src/Model/ReferencesTrait.php
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ public function ref(string $link, array $defaults = []): Model
     }
 
     /**
-     * Traverse reference and create their model but keep condition not materialized (for subquery actions).
+     * Traverse reference and create their model but keep reference condition not materialized (for subquery actions).
      *
      * @param array<string, mixed> $defaults
      */
@@ -163,6 +163,6 @@ public function refLink(string $link, array $defaults = []): Model
     {
         $reference = $this->getModel(true)->getReference($link);
 
-        return $reference->refLink($this, $defaults);
+        return $reference->refLink($defaults);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Model/Scope/Condition.php b/src/Model/Scope/Condition.php
index 2816500ce9..6da32fcf43 100644
--- a/src/Model/Scope/Condition.php
+++ b/src/Model/Scope/Condition.php
@@ -287,12 +287,14 @@ public function negate(): self
     #[\Override]
     public function toWords(Model $model = null): string
     {
-        if ($model === null) {
+        if ($model !== null) {
+            $model->assertIsModel();
+        } else {
             $model = $this->getModel();
-        }
 
-        if ($model === null) {
-            throw new Exception('Condition must be associated with Model to convert to words');
+            if ($model === null) {
+                throw new Exception('Condition must be associated with model to convert to words');
+            }
         }
 
         $field = $this->fieldToWords($model);
@@ -405,9 +407,7 @@ protected function valueToWords(Model $model, $value): string
         $title = null;
         if ($field instanceof Field && $field->hasReference()) {
             // make sure we set the value in the Model
-            $entity = $model->isEntity()
-                ? clone $model
-                : $model->createEntity();
+            $entity = $model->createEntity();
             $entity->set($field->shortName, $value);
 
             // then take the title
diff --git a/src/Reference/HasMany.php b/src/Reference/HasMany.php
index 253d41fe5d..f4c590f210 100644
--- a/src/Reference/HasMany.php
+++ b/src/Reference/HasMany.php
@@ -96,12 +96,8 @@ public function ref(Model $ourModelOrEntity, array $defaults = []): Model
      *
      * @param array<string, mixed> $defaults
      */
-    public function refLink(?Model $ourModelOrEntity, array $defaults = []): Model
+    public function refLink(array $defaults = []): Model
     {
-        if ($ourModelOrEntity !== null) { // TODO drop this parameter, refLink for entity is useless
-            $this->assertOurModelOrEntity($ourModelOrEntity);
-        }
-
         $theirModelLinked = $this->createTheirModel($defaults)->addCondition(
             $this->getTheirFieldName(),
             $this->referenceOurValue()
@@ -136,7 +132,7 @@ public function addField(string $fieldName, array $defaults = []): Field
 
         if (isset($defaults['expr'])) {
             $fx = function () use ($defaults, $alias) {
-                $theirModelLinked = $this->refLink(null);
+                $theirModelLinked = $this->refLink();
 
                 return $theirModelLinked->action('field', [$theirModelLinked->expr(
                     $defaults['expr'],
@@ -146,15 +142,15 @@ public function addField(string $fieldName, array $defaults = []): Field
             unset($defaults['args']);
         } elseif (is_object($defaults['aggregate'])) {
             $fx = function () use ($defaults, $alias) {
-                return $this->refLink(null)->action('field', [$defaults['aggregate'], 'alias' => $alias]);
+                return $this->refLink()->action('field', [$defaults['aggregate'], 'alias' => $alias]);
             };
         } elseif ($defaults['aggregate'] === 'count' && !isset($defaults['field'])) {
             $fx = function () use ($alias) {
-                return $this->refLink(null)->action('count', ['alias' => $alias]);
+                return $this->refLink()->action('count', ['alias' => $alias]);
             };
         } elseif (in_array($defaults['aggregate'], ['sum', 'avg', 'min', 'max', 'count'], true)) {
             $fx = function () use ($defaults, $field) {
-                return $this->refLink(null)->action('fx0', [$defaults['aggregate'], $field]);
+                return $this->refLink()->action('fx0', [$defaults['aggregate'], $field]);
             };
         } else {
             $fx = function () use ($defaults, $field) {
@@ -163,7 +159,7 @@ public function addField(string $fieldName, array $defaults = []): Field
                     $args['concatSeparator'] = $defaults['concatSeparator'];
                 }
 
-                return $this->refLink(null)->action('fx', $args);
+                return $this->refLink()->action('fx', $args);
             };
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Reference/HasOneSql.php b/src/Reference/HasOneSql.php
index b68ce4d07c..6af93666f1 100644
--- a/src/Reference/HasOneSql.php
+++ b/src/Reference/HasOneSql.php
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ public function ref(Model $ourModelOrEntity, array $defaults = []): Model
      *
      * @param array<string, mixed> $defaults
      */
-    public function refLink(Model $ourModelOrEntity, array $defaults = []): Model
+    public function refLink(array $defaults = []): Model
     {
         $theirModel = $this->createTheirModel($defaults);
 
diff --git a/tests/ScopeTest.php b/tests/ScopeTest.php
index 5dfcd3812e..974dc118ec 100644
--- a/tests/ScopeTest.php
+++ b/tests/ScopeTest.php
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ public function testConditionUnsupportedToWords(): void
         $condition = new Condition('name', 'abc');
 
         $this->expectException(Exception::class);
-        $this->expectExceptionMessage('Condition must be associated with Model to convert to words');
+        $this->expectExceptionMessage('Condition must be associated with model to convert to words');
         $condition->toWords();
     }