diff --git a/sphinx_needs/directives/needuml.py b/sphinx_needs/directives/needuml.py
index f63555585..1a7d182f4 100644
--- a/sphinx_needs/directives/needuml.py
+++ b/sphinx_needs/directives/needuml.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import copy
 import html
 import os
 import time
@@ -19,11 +18,9 @@
 from sphinx_needs.directives.needflow._plantuml import make_entity_name
 from sphinx_needs.filter_common import filter_needs_view
 from sphinx_needs.logging import log_warning
-from sphinx_needs.utils import add_doc, logger
-from sphinx_needs.directives.needflow import make_entity_name
-from sphinx_needs.filter_common import filter_needs
-from sphinx_needs.roles.need_ref import transform_need_to_dict
-from sphinx_needs.utils import add_doc, split_need_id
+from sphinx_needs.roles.need_part import create_need_from_part
+from sphinx_needs.roles.need_ref import value_to_string
+from sphinx_needs.utils import add_doc, logger, split_need_id
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from sphinxcontrib.plantuml import plantuml
@@ -403,59 +400,37 @@ def flow(self, need_id: str) -> str:
 
         return need_uml
 
-    def ref(self, need_id: str, option: str = "", text: str = "") -> str:
+    def ref(
+        self, need_id: str, option: None | str = None, text: None | str = None
+    ) -> str:
         need_id_main, need_id_part = split_need_id(need_id)
 
         if need_id_main not in self.needs:
             raise NeedumlException(
-                f"Jinja function ref is called with undefined need_id: '{need_id}'."
+                f"Jinja function ref is called with undefined need_id: '{need_id_main}'."
             )
-
-        target_need = self.needs[need_id_main]
-
-        if option != "" and text != "":
+        if (option and text) and (not option and not text):
             raise NeedumlException(
-                "Jinja function ref requires 'option' or 'text', not both"
+                "Jinja function ref requires exactly one entry 'option' or 'text'"
             )
 
-        if option != "" and option not in target_need:
-            raise NeedumlException(
-                f"Jinja function ref is called with undefined option '{option}' for need '{need_id}'."
-            )
+        need_info = self.needs[need_id_main]
 
         if need_id_part:
-            if need_id_part not in target_need["parts"]:
+            if need_id_part not in need_info["parts"]:
                 raise NeedumlException(
                     f"Jinja function ref is called with undefined need_id part: '{need_id}'."
                 )
-            # We are changing the target_need, so we need a deepcopy, to not change the original data.
-            target_need = copy.deepcopy(target_need)
-
-            # This algorithm is following the implementation of needref
-            target_need["id"] = need_id_part
-            target_need["title"] = target_need["parts"][need_id_part]["content"]
-            target_need["is_part"] = True
-            target_need["is_need"] = False
-
-        # needref is using a dict of {str, str} to parse it later with user input.
-        # Here we do the same.
-        dict_need = transform_need_to_dict(
-            target_need
-        )  # Transform a dict in a dict of {str, str}
-
-        link = calculate_link(self.app, target_need, self.fromdocname)
-        link_text: str = dict_need.get(option, "") if option != "" else text
-        # We have to strip the link_text, as leading and following whitespace character
-        # will break the plantuml rendering.
-        link_text = link_text.strip(" \t\n\r")
-
-        need_uml = "[[{link}{seperator}{link_text}]]".format(
-            link=link,
-            seperator=" " if link_text != "" else "",
-            link_text=link_text,
-        )
+            need_info = create_need_from_part(
+                need_info, need_info["parts"][need_id_part]
+            )
 
-        return need_uml
+        link = calculate_link(self.app, need_info, self.fromdocname)
+        link_text = (
+            value_to_string(need_info.get(option, "")) if option else str(text or "")
+        ).strip()
+
+        return f"[[{link}{' ' if link_text else ''}{link_text}]]"
 
     def filter(self, filter_string: str) -> list[NeedsInfoType]:
         """
diff --git a/sphinx_needs/roles/need_ref.py b/sphinx_needs/roles/need_ref.py
index bd0453a0b..59fd26471 100644
--- a/sphinx_needs/roles/need_ref.py
+++ b/sphinx_needs/roles/need_ref.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import contextlib
 from collections.abc import Iterable
+from typing import Any
 
 from docutils import nodes
 from sphinx.application import Sphinx
@@ -38,19 +39,23 @@ def transform_need_to_dict(need: NeedsInfoType) -> dict[str, str]:
     dict_need = {}
 
     for element, value in need.items():
-        if isinstance(value, str):
-            # As string are iterable, we have to handle strings first.
-            dict_need[element] = value
-        elif isinstance(value, dict):
-            dict_need[element] = ";".join([str(i) for i in value.items()])
-        elif isinstance(value, (Iterable, list, tuple)):
-            dict_need[element] = ";".join([str(i) for i in value])
-        else:
-            dict_need[element] = str(value)
+        dict_need[element] = value_to_string(value)
 
     return dict_need
 
 
+def value_to_string(value: Any) -> str:
+    if isinstance(value, str):
+        # As string are iterable, we have to handle strings first.
+        return value
+    elif isinstance(value, dict):
+        return ";".join([str(i) for i in value.items()])
+    elif isinstance(value, (Iterable, list, tuple)):
+        return ";".join([str(i) for i in value])
+
+    return str(value)
+
+
 def process_need_ref(
     app: Sphinx,
     doctree: nodes.document,
diff --git a/tests/__snapshots__/test_needuml.ambr b/tests/__snapshots__/test_needuml.ambr
index 763bc407a..3a39501ca 100644
--- a/tests/__snapshots__/test_needuml.ambr
+++ b/tests/__snapshots__/test_needuml.ambr
@@ -1253,7 +1253,7 @@
         Marvel --> DC: {{ref("ST_002", text="Different text to explain the story")}}
         
         DC -> Marvel: {{ref("ST_001.np_id", option="id")}}
-        Marvel --> DC: {{ref("ST_001.np_id", option="title")}}
+        Marvel --> DC: {{ref("ST_001.np_id", option="content")}}
         
         DC -> Marvel: {{ref("ST_001.np_id", text="Different text to explain the story 2")}}
       ''',
diff --git a/tests/doc_test/doc_needuml_jinja_func_ref/index.rst b/tests/doc_test/doc_needuml_jinja_func_ref/index.rst
index 8013f8eca..e60aa7510 100644
--- a/tests/doc_test/doc_needuml_jinja_func_ref/index.rst
+++ b/tests/doc_test/doc_needuml_jinja_func_ref/index.rst
@@ -22,6 +22,6 @@ TEST DOCUMENT NEEDUML JINJA FUNCTION REF
       Marvel --> DC: {{ref("ST_002", text="Different text to explain the story")}}
 
       DC -> Marvel: {{ref("ST_001.np_id", option="id")}}
-      Marvel --> DC: {{ref("ST_001.np_id", option="title")}}
+      Marvel --> DC: {{ref("ST_001.np_id", option="content")}}
       
       DC -> Marvel: {{ref("ST_001.np_id", text="Different text to explain the story 2")}}