diff --git a/lib/i18n/tasks/base_task.rb b/lib/i18n/tasks/base_task.rb
index ffdbd1ce..d798b541 100644
--- a/lib/i18n/tasks/base_task.rb
+++ b/lib/i18n/tasks/base_task.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 require 'i18n/tasks/key_pattern_matching'
 require 'i18n/tasks/logging'
 require 'i18n/tasks/plural_keys'
+require 'i18n/tasks/references'
 require 'i18n/tasks/html_keys'
 require 'i18n/tasks/used_keys'
 require 'i18n/tasks/ignore_keys'
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ class BaseTask
       include SplitKey
       include KeyPatternMatching
       include PluralKeys
+      include References
       include HtmlKeys
       include UsedKeys
       include IgnoreKeys
diff --git a/lib/i18n/tasks/references.rb b/lib/i18n/tasks/references.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..668b0e5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/i18n/tasks/references.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+module I18n::Tasks
+  module References
+    # Given a tree of key usages, return all the reference keys in the tree in their resolved form.
+    # @param usages [Data::Tree::Siblings]
+    # @param references [Data::Tree::Siblings]
+    # @return [Array<String>] a list of all references and their resolutions.
+    def resolve_references(usages, references)
+      usages.each.flat_map do |node|
+        references.key_to_node.flat_map do |ref_key_part, ref_node|
+          if node.key == ref_key_part
+            if ref_node.leaf?
+              [ref_node.full_key(root: false)] +
+                  if node.leaf?
+                    [ref_node.value.to_s]
+                  else
+                    node.children.flat_map { |child|
+                      collect_referenced_keys(child, [ref_node.value.to_s])
+                    }
+                  end
+            else
+              resolve_references(node.children, ref_node.children)
+            end
+          else
+            []
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    # Given a node, return the keys of all the leaves up to the given node prefixed with the given prefix.
+    # @param node [Data::Tree::Node]
+    # @param prefix [Array<String>]
+    # @return Array<String> full keys
+    def collect_referenced_keys(node, prefix)
+      if node.leaf?
+        (prefix + [node.key]) * '.'
+      else
+        node.children.flat_map { |child| collect_referenced_keys(child, prefix + [node.key]) }
+      end
+    end
+
+    # Given a forest of references, merge trees into one tree, ensuring there are no conflicting references.
+    # @param roots [Data::Tree::Siblings]
+    # @return [Data::Tree::Siblings]
+    def merge_reference_trees(roots)
+      roots.inject(empty_forest) do |forest, root|
+        root.keys { |full_key, node|
+          ::I18n::Tasks::Logging.log_warn(
+              "Self-referencing node: #{node.full_key.inspect} is #{node.value.inspect} in #{node.data[:locale]}"
+          ) if full_key == node.value.to_s
+        }
+        forest.merge!(
+            root.children,
+            leaves_merge_guard: -> (node, other) {
+              ::I18n::Tasks::Logging.log_warn(
+                  "Conflicting references: #{node.full_key.inspect} is #{node.value.inspect} in #{node.data[:locale]}, but #{other.value.inspect} in #{other.data[:locale]}"
+              ) if node.value != other.value
+            })
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/references_spec.rb b/spec/references_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c741cada
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/references_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+RSpec.describe 'Reference keys' do
+  let(:task) { ::I18n::Tasks::BaseTask.new }
+
+  describe '#resolve_references' do
+    it 'resolves plain references' do
+      result = task.resolve_references(
+          build_tree('en' => {
+              'reference'       => nil,
+              'not-a-reference' => nil
+          }),
+          build_tree('en' => {
+              'reference' => :resolved
+          }))
+      expect(result).to(eq %w(reference resolved))
+    end
+
+    it 'resolves nested references' do
+      result = task.resolve_references(
+          build_tree('en' => {
+              'reference'       => {'a' => nil, 'b' => {'c' => nil}},
+              'not-a-reference' => nil
+          }),
+          build_tree('en' => {
+              'reference' => :resolved
+          }))
+      expect(result).to(eq %w(reference resolved.a resolved.b.c))
+    end
+
+    it 'resolves nested references with nested keys' do
+      result = task.resolve_references(
+          build_tree('en' => {
+              'nested'          => {'reference' => {'a' => nil, 'b' => {'c' => nil}}},
+              'not-a-reference' => nil
+          }),
+          build_tree('en' => {
+              'nested' => {'reference' => :resolved}
+          }))
+      expect(result).to(eq %w(nested.reference resolved.a resolved.b.c))
+    end
+
+    it 'returns empty array when nothing to resolve' do
+      result = task.resolve_references(
+          build_tree('en' => {
+                         'not-a-reference' => nil
+                     }),
+          build_tree('en' => {
+                         'reference' => :resolved
+                     }))
+      expect(result).to(eq [])
+    end
+  end
+end