diff --git a/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/data/DmpReferenceEntity.java b/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/data/DmpReferenceEntity.java
index ded6a3c48..7dc8894ca 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/data/DmpReferenceEntity.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/data/DmpReferenceEntity.java
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 package eu.eudat.data;
 
-import jakarta.persistence.Column;
-import jakarta.persistence.Entity;
-import jakarta.persistence.Id;
-import jakarta.persistence.Table;
+import eu.eudat.commons.enums.IsActive;
+import eu.eudat.data.converters.enums.IsActiveConverter;
+import jakarta.persistence.*;
 
 import java.time.Instant;
 import java.util.UUID;
@@ -27,6 +26,7 @@ public class DmpReferenceEntity {
 
     @Column(name = "data")
     private String data;
+    public static final String _data = "data";
 
     @Column(name = "created_at", nullable = false)
     private Instant createdAt;
@@ -36,7 +36,10 @@ public class DmpReferenceEntity {
     private Instant updatedAt;
     public static final String _updatedAt = "updatedAt";
 
-    public static final String _data = "data";
+    @Column(name = "is_active", nullable = false)
+    @Convert(converter = IsActiveConverter.class)
+    private IsActive isActive;
+    public static final String _isActive = "isActive";
 
     public UUID getId() {
         return id;
@@ -85,4 +88,12 @@ public class DmpReferenceEntity {
     public void setUpdatedAt(Instant updatedAt) {
         this.updatedAt = updatedAt;
     }
+
+    public IsActive getIsActive() {
+        return isActive;
+    }
+
+    public void setIsActive(IsActive isActive) {
+        this.isActive = isActive;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/model/deleter/DmpReferenceDeleter.java b/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/model/deleter/DmpReferenceDeleter.java
index 5953ed6e3..89e3c2b69 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/model/deleter/DmpReferenceDeleter.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/model/deleter/DmpReferenceDeleter.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package eu.eudat.model.deleter;
 
+import eu.eudat.commons.enums.IsActive;
 import eu.eudat.data.DmpReferenceEntity;
 import eu.eudat.query.DmpReferenceQuery;
 import gr.cite.tools.data.deleter.Deleter;
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ import org.springframework.context.annotation.Scope;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 
 import javax.management.InvalidApplicationException;
+import java.time.Instant;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.UUID;
@@ -64,6 +66,8 @@ public class DmpReferenceDeleter implements Deleter {
         for (DmpReferenceEntity item : data) {
             logger.trace("deleting item {}", item.getId());
             logger.trace("updating item");
+            item.setUpdatedAt(Instant.now());
+            item.setIsActive(IsActive.Inactive);
             this.entityManager.merge(item);
             logger.trace("updated item");
         }
diff --git a/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/service/dmp/DmpServiceImpl.java b/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/service/dmp/DmpServiceImpl.java
index 1ac3e701e..879a78eb3 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/service/dmp/DmpServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/core/src/main/java/eu/eudat/service/dmp/DmpServiceImpl.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import eu.eudat.model.Dmp;
 import eu.eudat.model.Reference;
 import eu.eudat.model.builder.DmpBuilder;
 import eu.eudat.model.deleter.DmpDeleter;
+import eu.eudat.model.deleter.DmpReferenceDeleter;
 import eu.eudat.model.deleter.ReferenceDeleter;
 import eu.eudat.model.persist.DmpPersist;
 import eu.eudat.model.persist.ReferencePersist;
@@ -215,6 +216,8 @@ public class DmpServiceImpl implements DmpService {
         
         List<UUID> updatedReferencesIds = models.stream().map(ReferencePersist::getId).filter(this.conventionService::isValidGuid).distinct().toList();
         List<ReferenceEntity> toDelete = existingReferences.stream().filter(x -> !updatedReferencesIds.contains(x.getId())).toList();
+        List<DmpReferenceEntity> dmpReferenceRecordsToDelete = this.queryFactory.query(DmpReferenceQuery.class).referenceIds(toDelete.stream().map(ReferenceEntity::getId).toList()).collect();
+        this.deleterFactory.deleter(DmpReferenceDeleter.class).delete(dmpReferenceRecordsToDelete);
         this.deleterFactory.deleter(ReferenceDeleter.class).delete(toDelete);
         
         Map<UUID, ReferenceEntity> existingReferencesLookup = existingReferences.stream().collect(Collectors.toMap(ReferenceEntity::getId, x -> x));
@@ -236,6 +239,15 @@ public class DmpServiceImpl implements DmpService {
                 data.setId(UUID.randomUUID());
                 data.setIsActive(IsActive.Active);
                 data.setCreatedAt(Instant.now());
+
+                DmpReferenceEntity dmpReference = new DmpReferenceEntity();
+                dmpReference.setReferenceId(data.getId());
+                dmpReference.setDmpId(dmpId);
+                dmpReference.setCreatedAt(Instant.now());
+                dmpReference.setUpdatedAt(Instant.now());
+                dmpReference.setIsActive(IsActive.Active);
+                //TODO: Add data persistence here
+                this.entityManager.persist(dmpReference);
             }
 
             data.setDefinition(this.xmlHandlingService.toXmlSafe(this.buildDefinitionEntity(model.getDefinition())));