diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index e8a43dac..21b0ec64 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -250,3 +250,4 @@ that much better:
  * Trevor Hall (https://github.com/tjhall13)
  * Gleb Voropaev (https://github.com/buggyspace)
  * Paulo Amaral (https://github.com/pauloAmaral)
+ * Gaurav Dadhania (https://github.com/GVRV)
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 9d87d889..53373302 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ Changes in 0.17.0
 - Fix InvalidStringData error when using modify on a BinaryField #1127
 - DEPRECATION: `EmbeddedDocument.save` & `.reload` are marked as deprecated and will be removed in a next version of mongoengine #1552
 - Fix test suite and CI to support MongoDB 3.4 #1445
+- Fix reference fields querying the database on each access if value contains orphan DBRefs
 
 =================
 Changes in 0.16.3
diff --git a/mongoengine/base/fields.py b/mongoengine/base/fields.py
index 5586c5b7..598eb606 100644
--- a/mongoengine/base/fields.py
+++ b/mongoengine/base/fields.py
@@ -276,11 +276,16 @@ class ComplexBaseField(BaseField):
 
         _dereference = _import_class('DeReference')()
 
-        if instance._initialised and dereference and instance._data.get(self.name):
+        if (instance._initialised and
+                dereference and
+                instance._data.get(self.name) and
+                not getattr(instance._data[self.name], '_dereferenced', False)):
             instance._data[self.name] = _dereference(
                 instance._data.get(self.name), max_depth=1, instance=instance,
                 name=self.name
             )
+            if hasattr(instance._data[self.name], '_dereferenced'):
+                instance._data[self.name]._dereferenced = True
 
         value = super(ComplexBaseField, self).__get__(instance, owner)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_dereference.py b/tests/test_dereference.py
index cf1194f4..9c565810 100644
--- a/tests/test_dereference.py
+++ b/tests/test_dereference.py
@@ -105,6 +105,14 @@ class FieldTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
             [m for m in group_obj.members]
             self.assertEqual(q, 2)
+            self.assertTrue(group_obj._data['members']._dereferenced)
+
+            # verifies that no additional queries gets executed
+            # if we re-iterate over the ListField once it is
+            # dereferenced
+            [m for m in group_obj.members]
+            self.assertEqual(q, 2)
+            self.assertTrue(group_obj._data['members']._dereferenced)
 
         # Document select_related
         with query_counter() as q:
@@ -125,6 +133,46 @@ class FieldTest(unittest.TestCase):
                 [m for m in group_obj.members]
                 self.assertEqual(q, 2)
 
+    def test_list_item_dereference_orphan_dbref(self):
+        """Ensure that orphan DBRef items in ListFields are dereferenced.
+        """
+        class User(Document):
+            name = StringField()
+
+        class Group(Document):
+            members = ListField(ReferenceField(User, dbref=False))
+
+        User.drop_collection()
+        Group.drop_collection()
+
+        for i in range(1, 51):
+            user = User(name='user %s' % i)
+            user.save()
+
+        group = Group(members=User.objects)
+        group.save()
+        group.reload()  # Confirm reload works
+
+        # Delete one User so one of the references in the
+        # Group.members list is an orphan DBRef
+        User.objects[0].delete()
+        with query_counter() as q:
+            self.assertEqual(q, 0)
+
+            group_obj = Group.objects.first()
+            self.assertEqual(q, 1)
+
+            [m for m in group_obj.members]
+            self.assertEqual(q, 2)
+            self.assertTrue(group_obj._data['members']._dereferenced)
+
+            # verifies that no additional queries gets executed
+            # if we re-iterate over the ListField once it is
+            # dereferenced
+            [m for m in group_obj.members]
+            self.assertEqual(q, 2)
+            self.assertTrue(group_obj._data['members']._dereferenced)
+
         User.drop_collection()
         Group.drop_collection()
 
@@ -505,6 +553,61 @@ class FieldTest(unittest.TestCase):
                 for m in group_obj.members:
                     self.assertIn('User', m.__class__.__name__)
 
+
+    def test_generic_reference_orphan_dbref(self):
+        """Ensure that generic orphan DBRef items in ListFields are dereferenced.
+        """
+
+        class UserA(Document):
+            name = StringField()
+
+        class UserB(Document):
+            name = StringField()
+
+        class UserC(Document):
+            name = StringField()
+
+        class Group(Document):
+            members = ListField(GenericReferenceField())
+
+        UserA.drop_collection()
+        UserB.drop_collection()
+        UserC.drop_collection()
+        Group.drop_collection()
+
+        members = []
+        for i in range(1, 51):
+            a = UserA(name='User A %s' % i)
+            a.save()
+
+            b = UserB(name='User B %s' % i)
+            b.save()
+
+            c = UserC(name='User C %s' % i)
+            c.save()
+
+            members += [a, b, c]
+
+        group = Group(members=members)
+        group.save()
+
+        # Delete one UserA instance so that there is
+        # an orphan DBRef in the GenericReference ListField
+        UserA.objects[0].delete()
+        with query_counter() as q:
+            self.assertEqual(q, 0)
+
+            group_obj = Group.objects.first()
+            self.assertEqual(q, 1)
+
+            [m for m in group_obj.members]
+            self.assertEqual(q, 4)
+            self.assertTrue(group_obj._data['members']._dereferenced)
+
+            [m for m in group_obj.members]
+            self.assertEqual(q, 4)
+            self.assertTrue(group_obj._data['members']._dereferenced)
+
         UserA.drop_collection()
         UserB.drop_collection()
         UserC.drop_collection()