diff --git a/src/lib/wrapper.hpp b/src/lib/wrapper.hpp
index 04f6f42cd..b37f79ce7 100644
--- a/src/lib/wrapper.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/wrapper.hpp
@@ -217,6 +217,65 @@ namespace wrapper {
         }
     };
   
+  /**
+   * Specialisation of the ItemWrapper to deal with references,
+   * as if they were pointer values. Allows the reference value
+   * to be default constructed to \c NULL and to be re-assigned.
+   */
+  template<typename TY>
+  class ItemWrapper<TY &>
+    : public BoolCheckable<ItemWrapper<TY &> >
+    {
+//      mutable 
+      TY * content_;
+      
+      
+    public:
+      ItemWrapper()
+        : content_()
+        { }
+      
+      explicit
+      ItemWrapper(TY& o)
+        : content_( &o )
+        { }
+      
+      
+       /* using default copy and assignment */
+      
+      /** allowing to re-bind the reference */
+      ItemWrapper&
+      operator= (TY& otherRef)
+        {
+          content_ = &otherRef;
+          return *this;
+        }
+      
+      
+      
+      /* == value access == */
+      TY&
+      operator* ()  const
+        {
+          if (!content_)
+            throw lumiera::error::State ("accessing uninitialised reference wrapper"
+                                        , LUMIERA_ERROR_BOTTOM_VALUE);
+          return *content_;
+        }
+      
+      bool
+      isValid ()  const
+        {
+          return bool(content_);   
+        }
+      
+      void
+      reset ()
+        {
+          content_ = 0;
+        }
+    };
+  
   
   
 }} // namespace lib::wrap
diff --git a/tests/lib/item-wrapper-test.cpp b/tests/lib/item-wrapper-test.cpp
index 28226bd7e..1bdf37e89 100644
--- a/tests/lib/item-wrapper-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/lib/item-wrapper-test.cpp
@@ -79,28 +79,31 @@ namespace test{
       virtual void
       run (Arg)
         {
-          UNIMPLEMENTED ("check ItemWrapper");
+          ulong l1 (rand() % 1000);
+          ulong l2 (rand() % 1000);
+          string s1 (randStr(50));
+          string s2 (randStr(50));
+          const char* cp (s1.c_str());
+//        Tracker t1;
+//        Tracker t2;
           
-          ulong ll (rand() % 1000);
-          string ss (randStr(50));
-          const char* cp (ss.c_str());
-//        Tracker tt;
-          
-          verifyWrapper<ulong> (ItemWrapper<ulong> (ll), ll, -123);
+          verifyWrapper<ulong> (l1, l2);
+          verifyWrapper<ulong&> (l1, l2);
 #if false  //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TICKET 475  !!!!!!!!!
-          verifyWrapper (ItemWrapper<ulong&> (ll), ll, 45678 );
-          verifyWrapper (ItemWrapper<ulong const&> (ll), ll, 0 );
-          verifyWrapper (ItemWrapper<ulong*> (&ll), &ll, (ulong*) 0 );
+          verifyWrapper<ulong*> (&l1, &l2);
+          verifyWrapper<ulong*> ((0), &l2);
+          verifyWrapper<ulong*> (&l1, (0));
+          verifyWrapper<ulong const&> (l1, l2);
           
-          verifyWrapper (ItemWrapper<string> (ss), ss, "Lumiera");
-          verifyWrapper (ItemWrapper<string&> (ss), ssl, string() );
-          verifyWrapper (ItemWrapper<string*> (&ss), &ss, randStr(12));
+          verifyWrapper<string> (s1, s2);
+          verifyWrapper<string&> (s1, s2);
+          verifyWrapper<string*> (&s1, &s2);
           
-          verifyWrapper (ItemWrapper<Tracker> (tt), tt, Tracker());
-          verifyWrapper (ItemWrapper<Tracker&> (tt), tt, Tracker());
-          verifyWrapper (ItemWrapper<Tracker*> (&tt), &tt, (Tracker*) 0 );
+          verifyWrapper<Tracker> (t1, t2);
+          verifyWrapper<Tracker&> (t1, t2);
+          verifyWrapper<Tracker*> (&t1, &t2);
           
-          verifyWrapper (ItemWrapper<const char*> (cp), cp, "Lumiera");
+          verifyWrapper<const char*> (cp, "Lumiera");
 #endif //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////TODO using yet undefined facilities.....!!!!!
           
           verifyWrappedRef ();
@@ -109,8 +112,9 @@ namespace test{
       
       template<typename X>
       void
-      verifyWrapper (ItemWrapper<X> const& wrap, X const& val, X const& otherVal)
+      verifyWrapper (X val, X otherVal)
         {
+          const ItemWrapper<X> wrap(val);
           ASSERT (wrap);
           
           ItemWrapper<X> copy1 (wrap);