diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Collection.php b/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Collection.php
index 74833b85..e035497d 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Collection.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Collection.php
@@ -190,22 +190,12 @@ public function count(array $query = array(), $limit = 0, $skip = 0)
      * Wrapper method for MongoCollection::createDBRef().
      *
      * @see http://php.net/manual/en/mongocollection.createdbref.php
-     * @param array $a
+     * @param mixed $documentOrId
      * @return array
      */
-    public function createDBRef(array $a)
+    public function createDBRef($documentOrId)
     {
-        if ($this->eventManager->hasListeners(Events::preCreateDBRef)) {
-            $this->eventManager->dispatchEvent(Events::preCreateDBRef, new EventArgs($this, $a));
-        }
-
-        $result = $this->doCreateDBRef($a);
-
-        if ($this->eventManager->hasListeners(Events::postCreateDBRef)) {
-            $this->eventManager->dispatchEvent(Events::postCreateDBRef, new EventArgs($this, $result));
-        }
-
-        return $result;
+        return $this->getMongoCollection()->createDBRef($documentOrId);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -894,18 +884,6 @@ protected function doBatchInsert(array &$a, array $options = array())
         return $this->getMongoCollection()->batchInsert($a, $options);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Creates a database reference.
-     *
-     * @see Collection::createDBRef()
-     * @param array $a
-     * @return array
-     */
-    protected function doCreateDBRef(array $a)
-    {
-        return $this->getMongoCollection()->createDBRef($a);
-    }
-
     /**
      * Execute the distinct command.
      *
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Database.php b/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Database.php
index ab07a0ca..70608569 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Database.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Database.php
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 use Doctrine\Common\EventManager;
 use Doctrine\MongoDB\Event\CreateCollectionEventArgs;
 use Doctrine\MongoDB\Event\EventArgs;
+use Doctrine\MongoDB\Event\MutableEventArgs;
 use Doctrine\MongoDB\Util\ReadPreference;
 
 /**
@@ -224,13 +225,27 @@ public function forceError()
     /**
      * Wrapper method for MongoDB::getDBRef().
      *
+     * This method will dispatch preGetDBRef and postGetDBRef events.
+     *
      * @see http://php.net/manual/en/mongodb.getdbref.php
      * @param array $reference
      * @return array|null
      */
     public function getDBRef(array $reference)
     {
-        return $this->getMongoDB()->getDBRef($reference);
+        if ($this->eventManager->hasListeners(Events::preGetDBRef)) {
+            $this->eventManager->dispatchEvent(Events::preGetDBRef, new EventArgs($this, $reference));
+        }
+
+        $result = $this->doGetDBRef($reference);
+
+        if ($this->eventManager->hasListeners(Events::postGetDBRef)) {
+            $eventArgs = new MutableEventArgs($this, $result);
+            $this->eventManager->dispatchEvent(Events::postGetDBRef, $eventArgs);
+            $result = $eventArgs->getData();
+        }
+
+        return $result;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -489,6 +504,21 @@ public function __toString()
         return $this->name;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Resolves a database reference.
+     *
+     * @see Database::getDBRef()
+     * @param array $reference
+     * @return array|null
+     */
+    protected function doGetDBRef(array $reference)
+    {
+        $database = $this;
+        return $this->retry(function() use ($database, $reference) {
+            return $database->getMongoDB()->getDBRef($reference);
+        });
+    }
+
     /**
      * Return a new GridFS instance.
      *
@@ -512,4 +542,36 @@ protected function doSelectCollection($name)
     {
         return new Collection($this->connection, $name, $this, $this->eventManager, $this->cmd, $this->numRetries);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Conditionally retry a closure if it yields an exception.
+     *
+     * If the closure does not return successfully within the configured number
+     * of retries, its first exception will be thrown.
+     *
+     * This method should not be used for write operations.
+     *
+     * @param \Closure $retry
+     * @return mixed
+     */
+    protected function retry(\Closure $retry)
+    {
+        if ($this->numRetries) {
+            $firstException = null;
+            for ($i = 0; $i <= $this->numRetries; $i++) {
+                try {
+                    return $retry();
+                } catch (\MongoException $e) {
+                    if (!$firstException) {
+                        $firstException = $e;
+                    }
+                    if ($i === $this->numRetries) {
+                        throw $firstException;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        } else {
+            return $retry();
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Events.php b/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Events.php
index 7dc2a22a..c05265d1 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Events.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/Events.php
@@ -40,9 +40,6 @@ private function __construct() {}
     const preCreateCollection = 'preCreateCollection';
     const postCreateCollection = 'postCreateCollection';
 
-    const preCreateDBRef = 'collectionPreCreateDBRef';
-    const postCreateDBRef = 'collectionPostCreateDBRef';
-
     const preConnect = 'preConnect';
     const postConnect = 'postConnect';
 
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/LoggableCollection.php b/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/LoggableCollection.php
index bdaa079e..ce0e1a16 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/LoggableCollection.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/LoggableCollection.php
@@ -100,19 +100,6 @@ public function count(array $query = array(), $limit = 0, $skip = 0)
         return parent::count($query, $limit, $skip);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * @see Collection::createDBRef()
-     */
-    public function createDBRef(array $a)
-    {
-        $this->log(array(
-            'createDBRef' => true,
-            'reference' => $a,
-        ));
-
-        return parent::createDBRef($a);
-    }
-
     /**
      * @see Collection::deleteIndex()
      */
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/LoggableDatabase.php b/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/LoggableDatabase.php
index 4575799b..dd68e756 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/LoggableDatabase.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/MongoDB/LoggableDatabase.php
@@ -111,20 +111,6 @@ public function createCollection($name, $capped = false, $size = 0, $max = 0)
         return parent::createCollection($name, $capped, $size, $max);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * @see Database::createDBRef()
-     */
-    public function createDBRef($collection, $a)
-    {
-        $this->log(array(
-            'createDBRef' => true,
-            'collection' => $collection,
-            'reference' => $a,
-        ));
-
-        return parent::createDBRef($collection, $a);
-    }
-
     /**
      * @see Database::drop()
      */
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/MongoDB/Tests/CollectionEventsTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/MongoDB/Tests/CollectionEventsTest.php
index 47c36d19..cb9b0a21 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/MongoDB/Tests/CollectionEventsTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/MongoDB/Tests/CollectionEventsTest.php
@@ -51,22 +51,6 @@ public function testBatchInsert()
         $this->assertSame($result, $collection->batchInsert($documents, $options));
     }
 
-    public function testCreateDBRef()
-    {
-        $document = array('_id' => 1);
-        $result = array('$ref' => self::collectionName, '$id' => 1);
-
-        $eventManager = $this->getMockEventManager();
-        $collection = $this->getMockCollection($eventManager, array('doCreateDBRef' => $result));
-
-        $this->expectEvents($eventManager, array(
-            array(Events::preCreateDBRef, new EventArgs($collection, $document)),
-            array(Events::postCreateDBRef, new EventArgs($collection, $result)),
-        ));
-
-        $this->assertSame($result, $collection->createDBRef($document));
-    }
-
     public function testDistinct()
     {
         $field = 'x';
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/MongoDB/Tests/DatabaseEventsTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/MongoDB/Tests/DatabaseEventsTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..14c001f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/MongoDB/Tests/DatabaseEventsTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Doctrine\MongoDB\Tests;
+
+use Doctrine\Common\EventManager;
+use Doctrine\MongoDB\Events;
+use Doctrine\MongoDB\Event\EventArgs;
+use Doctrine\MongoDB\Event\MutableEventArgs;
+
+class DatabaseEventsTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
+{
+    const databaseName = 'database';
+
+    public function testGetDBRef()
+    {
+        $reference = array('$ref' => 'collection', '$id' => 1);
+        $result = array('_id' => 1);
+
+        $eventManager = $this->getMockEventManager();
+        $db = $this->getMockDatabase($eventManager, array('doGetDBRef' => $result));
+
+        $this->expectEvents($eventManager, array(
+            array(Events::preGetDBRef, new EventArgs($db, $reference)),
+            array(Events::postGetDBRef, new MutableEventArgs($db, $result)),
+        ));
+
+        $this->assertSame($result, $db->getDBRef($reference));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Expect events to be dispatched by the event manager in the given order.
+     *
+     * @param EventManager $em     EventManager mock
+     * @param array        $events Tuple of event name and dispatch argument
+     */
+    private function expectEvents(EventManager $em, array $events)
+    {
+        /* Each event should be a tuple consisting of the event name and the
+         * dispatched argument (e.g. EventArgs).
+         *
+         * For each event, expect a call to hasListeners() immediately followed
+         * by a call to dispatchEvent(). The dispatch argument is passed as-is
+         * to with(), so constraints may be used (e.g. callback).
+         */
+        foreach ($events as $i => $event) {
+            $em->expects($this->at($i * 2))
+                ->method('hasListeners')
+                ->with($event[0])
+                ->will($this->returnValue(true));
+
+            $em->expects($this->at($i * 2 + 1))
+                ->method('dispatchEvent')
+                ->with($event[0], $event[1]);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private function getMockDatabase(EventManager $em, array $methods)
+    {
+        $c = $this->getMockBuilder('Doctrine\MongoDB\Connection')
+            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
+            ->getMock();
+
+        $db = $this->getMockBuilder('Doctrine\MongoDB\Database')
+            ->setConstructorArgs(array($c, self::databaseName, $em, '$'))
+            ->setMethods(array_keys($methods))
+            ->getMock();
+
+        foreach ($methods as $method => $returnValue) {
+            $db->expects($this->once())
+                ->method($method)
+                ->will($this->returnValue($returnValue));
+        }
+
+        return $db;
+    }
+
+    private function getMockEventManager()
+    {
+        return $this->getMockBuilder('Doctrine\Common\EventManager')
+            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
+            ->getMock();
+    }
+}