diff --git a/gateway-js/src/schema-helper/addResolversToSchema.ts b/gateway-js/src/schema-helper/addResolversToSchema.ts
index c97785088..5ba92758e 100644
--- a/gateway-js/src/schema-helper/addResolversToSchema.ts
+++ b/gateway-js/src/schema-helper/addResolversToSchema.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,20 @@ export function addResolversToSchema(
 
     if (isAbstractType(type)) {
       for (const [fieldName, fieldConfig] of Object.entries(fieldConfigs)) {
-        if (fieldName.startsWith("__")) {
+        if (fieldName === "__resolveReference") {
+          type.extensions = {
+            ...type.extensions,
+            apollo: {
+              // extensions is nullable in graphql@15 so the conditional chain is
+              // necessary for back compat
+              ...type.extensions?.apollo,
+              subgraph: {
+                ...type.extensions?.apollo?.subgraph,
+                resolveReference: fieldConfig,
+              }
+            },
+          };
+        } else if (fieldName.startsWith("__")) {
           (type as any)[fieldName.substring(2)] = fieldConfig;
         }
       }
@@ -65,7 +78,20 @@ export function addResolversToSchema(
     const fieldMap = type.getFields();
 
     for (const [fieldName, fieldConfig] of Object.entries(fieldConfigs)) {
-      if (fieldName.startsWith("__")) {
+      if (fieldName === "__resolveReference") {
+        type.extensions = {
+          ...type.extensions,
+          apollo: {
+            // extensions is nullable in graphql@15 so the conditional chain is
+            // necessary for back compat
+            ...type.extensions?.apollo,
+            subgraph: {
+              ...type.extensions?.apollo?.subgraph,
+              resolveReference: fieldConfig,
+            }
+          },
+        };
+      } else if (fieldName.startsWith("__")) {
         (type as any)[fieldName.substring(2)] = fieldConfig;
         continue;
       }
diff --git a/gateway-js/src/typings/graphql.ts b/gateway-js/src/typings/graphql.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af398cfdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gateway-js/src/typings/graphql.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { GraphQLResolveInfo } from 'graphql';
+
+type GraphQLReferenceResolver<TContext> = (
+  reference: object,
+  context: TContext,
+  info: GraphQLResolveInfo,
+) => any;
+
+interface ApolloSubgraphExtensions<TContext> {
+  resolveReference?: GraphQLReferenceResolver<TContext>;
+}
+
+declare module 'graphql/type/definition' {
+  interface GraphQLObjectTypeExtensions<_TSource = any, _TContext = any> {
+    apollo?: {
+      subgraph?: ApolloSubgraphExtensions<_TContext>;
+    }
+  }
+
+  interface GraphQLInterfaceTypeExtensions<_TSource = any, _TContext = any> {
+    apollo?: {
+      subgraph?: ApolloSubgraphExtensions<_TContext>;
+    }
+  }
+
+  interface GraphQLUnionTypeExtensions<_TSource = any, _TContext = any> {
+    apollo?: {
+      subgraph?: ApolloSubgraphExtensions<_TContext>;
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/subgraph-js/src/schema-helper/buildSchemaFromSDL.ts b/subgraph-js/src/schema-helper/buildSchemaFromSDL.ts
index b484dad7e..898c3d6ce 100644
--- a/subgraph-js/src/schema-helper/buildSchemaFromSDL.ts
+++ b/subgraph-js/src/schema-helper/buildSchemaFromSDL.ts
@@ -107,7 +107,20 @@ export function addResolversToSchema(
 
     if (isAbstractType(type)) {
       for (const [fieldName, fieldConfig] of Object.entries(fieldConfigs)) {
-        if (fieldName.startsWith("__")) {
+        if (fieldName === "__resolveReference") {
+          type.extensions = {
+            ...type.extensions,
+            apollo: {
+              // extensions is nullable in graphql@15 so the conditional chain is
+              // necessary for back compat
+              ...type.extensions?.apollo,
+              subgraph: {
+                ...type.extensions?.apollo?.subgraph,
+                resolveReference: fieldConfig,
+              }
+            },
+          };
+        } else if (fieldName.startsWith("__")) {
           (type as any)[fieldName.substring(2)] = fieldConfig;
         }
       }
@@ -153,7 +166,20 @@ export function addResolversToSchema(
     const fieldMap = type.getFields();
 
     for (const [fieldName, fieldConfig] of Object.entries(fieldConfigs)) {
-      if (fieldName.startsWith("__")) {
+      if (fieldName === "__resolveReference") {
+        type.extensions = {
+          ...type.extensions,
+          apollo: {
+            // extensions is nullable in graphql@15 so the conditional chain is
+            // necessary for back compat
+            ...type.extensions?.apollo,
+            subgraph: {
+              ...type.extensions?.apollo?.subgraph,
+              resolveReference: fieldConfig,
+            }
+          },
+        };
+      } else if (fieldName.startsWith("__")) {
         (type as any)[fieldName.substring(2)] = fieldConfig;
         continue;
       }
diff --git a/subgraph-js/src/schemaExtensions.ts b/subgraph-js/src/schemaExtensions.ts
index 2f6b10b5a..10d10b96a 100644
--- a/subgraph-js/src/schemaExtensions.ts
+++ b/subgraph-js/src/schemaExtensions.ts
@@ -6,12 +6,26 @@ type GraphQLReferenceResolver<TContext> = (
   info: GraphQLResolveInfo,
 ) => any;
 
+interface ApolloSubgraphExtensions<TContext> {
+  resolveReference?: GraphQLReferenceResolver<TContext>;
+}
+
 declare module 'graphql/type/definition' {
-  interface GraphQLObjectType {
-    resolveReference?: GraphQLReferenceResolver<any>;
+  interface GraphQLObjectTypeExtensions<_TSource = any, _TContext = any> {
+    apollo?: {
+      subgraph?: ApolloSubgraphExtensions<_TContext>;
+    };
+  }
+
+  interface GraphQLInterfaceTypeExtensions<_TSource = any, _TContext = any> {
+    apollo?: {
+      subgraph?: ApolloSubgraphExtensions<_TContext>;
+    };
   }
 
-  interface GraphQLObjectTypeConfig<TSource, TContext> {
-    resolveReference?: GraphQLReferenceResolver<TContext>;
+  interface GraphQLUnionTypeExtensions<_TSource = any, _TContext = any> {
+    apollo?: {
+      subgraph?: ApolloSubgraphExtensions<_TContext>;
+    };
   }
 }
diff --git a/subgraph-js/src/types.ts b/subgraph-js/src/types.ts
index 3841e3170..4c4ce45b8 100644
--- a/subgraph-js/src/types.ts
+++ b/subgraph-js/src/types.ts
@@ -86,11 +86,11 @@ export const entitiesField: GraphQLFieldConfig<any, any> = {
         }
       }
 
-      const resolveReference = type.resolveReference
-        ? type.resolveReference
-        : function defaultResolveReference() {
-            return reference;
-          };
+      const resolveReference =
+        type.extensions?.apollo?.subgraph?.resolveReference ??
+        function defaultResolveReference() {
+          return reference;
+        };
 
       // FIXME somehow get this to show up special in Studio traces?
       const result = resolveReference(reference, context, info);