diff --git a/addons/web/static/src/views/pivot/pivot_renderer.js b/addons/web/static/src/views/pivot/pivot_renderer.js
index f472aa2352c..405fe2160dd 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/src/views/pivot/pivot_renderer.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/src/views/pivot/pivot_renderer.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export class PivotRenderer extends Component {
         let formatType = this.model.metaData.widgets[cell.measure];
         if (!formatType) {
             const fieldType = field.type;
-            formatType = fieldType === "many2one" ? "integer" : fieldType;
+            formatType = ["many2one", "reference"].includes(fieldType) ? "integer" : fieldType;
         }
         //If the formatter is not found on the registry, search on the legacy fieldUtils.format.
         //This must be removed when all the formatters will be on the registry
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/helpers/mock_server.js b/addons/web/static/tests/helpers/mock_server.js
index f7c0574fa3a..2b59cb3aa9a 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/helpers/mock_server.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/helpers/mock_server.js
@@ -1079,7 +1079,7 @@ export class MockServer {
                     return;
                 }
                 if (
-                    fields[fieldName].type === "many2one" &&
+                    ["many2one", "reference"].includes(fields[fieldName].type) &&
                     !["count_distinct", "array_agg"].includes(func)
                 ) {
                     return;
@@ -1103,7 +1103,8 @@ export class MockServer {
                         }
                         break;
                     }
-                    case "many2one": {
+                    case "many2one":
+                    case "reference": {
                         const ids = records.map((r) => r[fieldName]);
                         if (func === "array_agg") {
                             group[name] = ids.map((id) => (id ? id : null));
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/mock_server_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/mock_server_tests.js
index 7aa2015aa99..4d471c2ba27 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/mock_server_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/mock_server_tests.js
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ QUnit.module("MockServer", (hooks) => {
                             relation: "foo",
                             inverse_fname_by_model_name: { foo: "many2many_field" },
                         },
+                        partner_ref: {
+                            type: "reference",
+                            selection: [["partner", "Partner"]],
+                        },
                     },
                     records: [
                         {
@@ -54,6 +58,7 @@ QUnit.module("MockServer", (hooks) => {
                             name: "zzz",
                             partner_ids: [1, 2],
                             select: "dev",
+                            partner_ref: "partner,1",
                         },
                         {
                             foo: 1,
@@ -64,6 +69,7 @@ QUnit.module("MockServer", (hooks) => {
                             partner_id: 2,
                             partner_ids: [1],
                             select: "new",
+                            partner_ref: "partner,2"
                         },
                         {
                             foo: 17,
@@ -1285,6 +1291,23 @@ QUnit.module("MockServer", (hooks) => {
                 partner_id: 0,
             },
         ]);
+
+        const result4 = await server.performRPC("", {
+            model: "bar",
+            method: "read_group",
+            args: [[]],
+            kwargs: {
+                fields: ["partner_ref:count_distinct"],
+                domain: [],
+                groupby: [],
+            },
+        });
+        assert.deepEqual(result4, [
+            {
+                __count: 6,
+                partner_ref: 2,
+            },
+        ]);
     });
 
     QUnit.test("performRPC: read_progress_bar grouped by boolean", async (assert) => {
diff --git a/addons/web/static/tests/views/pivot_view_tests.js b/addons/web/static/tests/views/pivot_view_tests.js
index 69e84dcbc77..a0dcea236ae 100644
--- a/addons/web/static/tests/views/pivot_view_tests.js
+++ b/addons/web/static/tests/views/pivot_view_tests.js
@@ -116,6 +116,15 @@ QUnit.module("Views", (hooks) => {
                             group_operator: undefined,
                             store: true,
                         },
+                        ref: {
+                            string: "Reference",
+                            type: "reference",
+                            selection: [
+                                ["product", "Product"],
+                                ["customer", "Customer"],
+                            ],
+                            group_operator: "count_distinct",
+                        },
                     },
                     records: [
                         {
@@ -127,6 +136,7 @@ QUnit.module("Views", (hooks) => {
                             customer: 1,
                             computed_field: 19,
                             company_type: "company",
+                            ref: "product,37",
                         },
                         {
                             id: 2,
@@ -137,6 +147,7 @@ QUnit.module("Views", (hooks) => {
                             customer: 2,
                             computed_field: 23,
                             company_type: "individual",
+                            ref: "product,41",
                         },
                         {
                             id: 3,
@@ -147,6 +158,7 @@ QUnit.module("Views", (hooks) => {
                             customer: 2,
                             computed_field: 26,
                             company_type: "company",
+                            ref: "customer,1",
                         },
                         {
                             id: 4,
@@ -157,6 +169,7 @@ QUnit.module("Views", (hooks) => {
                             customer: 1,
                             computed_field: 19,
                             company_type: "individual",
+                            ref: "customer,2",
                         },
                     ],
                 },
@@ -3218,6 +3231,28 @@ QUnit.module("Views", (hooks) => {
         );
     });
 
+    QUnit.test("pivot view with reference field as a measure", async function (assert) {
+        assert.expect(1);
+
+        await makeView({
+            type: "pivot",
+            resModel: "partner",
+            serverData,
+            arch: `
+                <pivot>
+                    <field name="ref" type="measure"/>
+                    <field name="date" interval="month" type="col"/>
+                </pivot>`,
+        });
+
+
+        assert.strictEqual(
+            target.querySelector("table tbody tr").innerText.replace(/\s/g, ""),
+            "Total1124",
+            "should display ref distinct count as measure"
+        );
+    });
+
     QUnit.test("m2o as measure, drilling down into data", async function (assert) {
         assert.expect(1);