diff --git a/weave/legacy/tests/test_refs.py b/weave/legacy/tests/test_refs.py
index 98bd7048bc5..0a22d6028dd 100644
--- a/weave/legacy/tests/test_refs.py
+++ b/weave/legacy/tests/test_refs.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 from weave.flow.obj import Object
 from weave.legacy.weave import artifact_local, storage
 from weave.legacy.weave import ops_arrow as arrow
-from weave.trace import ref_util
+from weave.legacy.weave import ref_util
 from weave.trace_server.refs_internal import (
     DICT_KEY_EDGE_NAME,
     LIST_INDEX_EDGE_NAME,
diff --git a/weave/legacy/weave/arrow/list_.py b/weave/legacy/weave/arrow/list_.py
index 6e3d0e85161..9a6a28b80ad 100644
--- a/weave/legacy/weave/arrow/list_.py
+++ b/weave/legacy/weave/arrow/list_.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     tag_store,
     tagged_value_type,
 )
-from weave.trace import ref_util
+from weave.legacy.weave import ref_util
 
 
 def reverse_dict(d: dict) -> dict:
diff --git a/weave/legacy/weave/artifact_fs.py b/weave/legacy/weave/artifact_fs.py
index 37cc0a3b5ae..206d1bf487d 100644
--- a/weave/legacy/weave/artifact_fs.py
+++ b/weave/legacy/weave/artifact_fs.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 from weave.legacy.weave import weave_types as types
 from weave.legacy.weave import artifact_base, file_base, object_context, ref_base, uris
 from weave.legacy.weave.language_features.tagging import tag_store
-from weave.trace import ref_util
+from weave.legacy.weave import ref_util
 
 if typing.TYPE_CHECKING:
     from weave.legacy.weave import graph
diff --git a/weave/legacy/weave/box.py b/weave/legacy/weave/box.py
index a16725af94a..893707e6b26 100644
--- a/weave/legacy/weave/box.py
+++ b/weave/legacy/weave/box.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 import numpy as np
 
-from weave.trace import ref_util
+from weave.legacy.weave import ref_util
 from weave.legacy.weave import context_state
 
 
diff --git a/weave/legacy/weave/object_type_ref_util.py b/weave/legacy/weave/object_type_ref_util.py
index d0bc6a1ee35..e841087b064 100644
--- a/weave/legacy/weave/object_type_ref_util.py
+++ b/weave/legacy/weave/object_type_ref_util.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import typing
 
-from weave.trace import ref_util
+from weave.legacy.weave import ref_util
 from weave.legacy.weave import context_state
 
 
diff --git a/weave/legacy/weave/ref_util.py b/weave/legacy/weave/ref_util.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..47aed3131dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/weave/legacy/weave/ref_util.py
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import dataclasses
+import typing
+from urllib import parse
+
+from weave.legacy.weave import box
+from weave.trace_server import refs_internal
+
+DICT_KEY_EDGE_NAME = refs_internal.DICT_KEY_EDGE_NAME
+LIST_INDEX_EDGE_NAME = refs_internal.LIST_INDEX_EDGE_NAME
+OBJECT_ATTR_EDGE_NAME = refs_internal.OBJECT_ATTR_EDGE_NAME
+AWL_ROW_EDGE_NAME = "row"
+AWL_COL_EDGE_NAME = "col"
+
+
+def parse_local_ref_str(s: str) -> typing.Tuple[str, typing.Optional[list[str]]]:
+    if "#" not in s:
+        return s, None
+    path, extra = s.split("#", 1)
+    return path, extra.split("/")
+
+
+def val_with_relative_ref(
+    parent_object: typing.Any, child_object: typing.Any, ref_extra_parts: list[str]
+) -> typing.Any:
+    from weave.legacy.weave import context_state, ref_base
+
+    # If we already have a ref, resolve it
+    if isinstance(child_object, ref_base.Ref):
+        child_object = child_object.get()
+
+    # Only do this if ref_tracking_enabled right now. I just want to
+    # avoid introducing new behavior into W&B prod for the moment.
+    if context_state.ref_tracking_enabled():
+        from weave.legacy.weave import storage
+
+        child_ref = storage.get_ref(child_object)
+        parent_ref = ref_base.get_ref(parent_object)
+
+        # This first check is super important - if the child ref is pointing
+        # to a completely different artifact (ref), then we want to point to
+        # the child's inherent ref, not the relative ref from the parent.
+        if child_ref is not None:
+            if parent_ref is not None:
+                if hasattr(child_ref, "digest") and hasattr(parent_ref, "digest"):
+                    if child_ref.digest != parent_ref.digest:
+                        return child_object
+
+        if parent_ref is not None:
+            child_object = box.box(child_object)
+            sub_ref = parent_ref.with_extra(None, child_object, ref_extra_parts)
+            ref_base._put_ref(child_object, sub_ref)
+        return child_object
+
+    return child_object
+
+
+@dataclasses.dataclass
+class RefExtraTuple:
+    edge_type: str
+    part: str
+
+
+@dataclasses.dataclass
+class ParsedRef:
+    scheme: str
+    entity: typing.Optional[str]
+    project: typing.Optional[str]
+    artifact: str
+    alias: str
+    file_path_parts: list[str]
+    ref_extra_tuples: list[RefExtraTuple]
+
+
+def parse_ref_str(s: str) -> ParsedRef:
+    scheme, _, path, _, _, ref_extra = parse.urlparse(s)
+    entity = None
+    project = None
+    assert path.startswith("/")
+    path = path[1:]
+    path_parts = path.split("/")
+    if scheme == "wandb-artifact":
+        entity = path_parts[0]
+        project = path_parts[1]
+        path_parts = path_parts[2:]
+
+    artifact, alias = path_parts[0].split(":")
+    file_path_parts = path_parts[1:]
+    ref_extra_tuples = []
+    if ref_extra:
+        ref_extra_parts = ref_extra.split("/")
+        assert len(ref_extra_parts) % 2 == 0
+        for i in range(0, len(ref_extra_parts), 2):
+            edge_type = ref_extra_parts[i]
+            part = ref_extra_parts[i + 1]
+            ref_extra_tuples.append(RefExtraTuple(edge_type, part))
+
+    return ParsedRef(
+        scheme=scheme,
+        entity=entity,
+        project=project,
+        artifact=artifact,
+        alias=alias,
+        file_path_parts=file_path_parts,
+        ref_extra_tuples=ref_extra_tuples,
+    )