diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/common/lib/alert_utils.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/common/lib/alert_utils.ts
index 70a57c386d050..90653108aa500 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/common/lib/alert_utils.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/common/lib/alert_utils.ts
@@ -704,8 +704,6 @@ function getAlwaysFiringRuleWithSystemAction(reference: string) {
     actions: [
       {
         id: 'system-connector-test.system-action-connector-adapter',
-        actionTypeId: 'test.system-action-connector-adapter',
-        uuid: '123',
         /**
          * The injected param required by the action will be set by the corresponding
          * connector adapter. Setting it here it will lead to a 400 error by the
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group1/tests/alerting/find.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group1/tests/alerting/find.ts
index 4b0382fe0cd54..22c2f9ce6489e 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group1/tests/alerting/find.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group1/tests/alerting/find.ts
@@ -603,7 +603,6 @@ const findTestUtils = (
               },
               {
                 id: 'system-connector-test.system-action',
-                actionTypeId: 'test.system-action',
                 params: {},
               },
             ],
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group1/tests/alerting/get.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group1/tests/alerting/get.ts
index 467405266f98e..6d245ed28cc00 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group1/tests/alerting/get.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group1/tests/alerting/get.ts
@@ -345,7 +345,6 @@ const getTestUtils = (
               },
               {
                 id: 'system-connector-test.system-action',
-                actionTypeId: 'test.system-action',
                 params: {},
               },
             ],
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group2/tests/actions/get_all_system.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group2/tests/actions/get_all_system.ts
index 414894299edd5..2811c7e2d4ce2 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group2/tests/actions/get_all_system.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group2/tests/actions/get_all_system.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 import expect from '@kbn/expect';
 import { RULE_SAVED_OBJECT_TYPE } from '@kbn/alerting-plugin/server';
-import { UserAtSpaceScenarios } from '../../../scenarios';
+import { SuperuserAtSpace1, UserAtSpaceScenarios } from '../../../scenarios';
 import { getUrlPrefix, getTestRuleData, ObjectRemover } from '../../../../common/lib';
 import { FtrProviderContext } from '../../../../common/ftr_provider_context';
 
@@ -525,5 +525,66 @@ export default function getAllActionTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
         });
       });
     }
+
+    describe('References', () => {
+      const systemAction = {
+        id: 'system-connector-test.system-action',
+        params: {},
+      };
+
+      it('calculates the references correctly', async () => {
+        const { user, space } = SuperuserAtSpace1;
+
+        const { body: createdAction } = await supertest
+          .post(`${getUrlPrefix(space.id)}/api/actions/connector`)
+          .set('kbn-xsrf', 'foo')
+          .auth(user.username, user.password)
+          .send({
+            name: 'My action',
+            connector_type_id: 'test.index-record',
+            config: {
+              unencrypted: `This value shouldn't get encrypted`,
+            },
+            secrets: {
+              encrypted: 'This value should be encrypted',
+            },
+          })
+          .expect(200);
+
+        objectRemover.add(space.id, createdAction.id, 'action', 'actions');
+
+        const ruleRes = await supertest
+          .post(`${getUrlPrefix(space.id)}/api/alerting/rule`)
+          .set('kbn-xsrf', 'foo')
+          .send(
+            getTestRuleData({
+              actions: [
+                systemAction,
+                {
+                  id: createdAction.id,
+                  group: 'default',
+                  params: {},
+                },
+              ],
+            })
+          )
+          .expect(200);
+
+        objectRemover.add(space.id, ruleRes.body.id, 'rule', 'alerting');
+
+        const response = await supertestWithoutAuth
+          .get(`${getUrlPrefix(space.id)}/internal/actions/connectors`)
+          .auth(user.username, user.password)
+          .expect(200);
+
+        const connectors = response.body as Array<{ id: string; referenced_by_count: number }>;
+
+        const createdConnector = connectors.find((connector) => connector.id === createdAction.id);
+        const systemConnector = connectors.find((connector) => connector.id === systemAction.id);
+
+        expect(createdConnector?.referenced_by_count).to.be(1);
+        expect(systemConnector?.referenced_by_count).to.be(0);
+      });
+    });
   });
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_delete.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_delete.ts
index 927ea19396687..fc3526eebc6a4 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_delete.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_delete.ts
@@ -703,7 +703,6 @@ export default ({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) => {
                 },
                 {
                   id: 'system-connector-test.system-action',
-                  actionTypeId: 'test.system-action',
                   params: {},
                 },
               ],
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_disable.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_disable.ts
index 22c9884ec0a29..d69055a92e1f4 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_disable.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_disable.ts
@@ -571,7 +571,6 @@ export default ({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) => {
                 },
                 {
                   id: 'system-connector-test.system-action',
-                  actionTypeId: 'test.system-action',
                   params: {},
                 },
               ],
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_enable.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_enable.ts
index cd0cf5f75bc5a..d61810bb72fd3 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_enable.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/bulk_enable.ts
@@ -543,7 +543,6 @@ export default ({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) => {
                 },
                 {
                   id: 'system-connector-test.system-action',
-                  actionTypeId: 'test.system-action',
                   params: {},
                 },
               ],
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/clone.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/clone.ts
index 2a08bb833a871..d76c4dbd1a239 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/clone.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/clone.ts
@@ -278,7 +278,6 @@ export default function createAlertTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
                 },
                 {
                   id: 'system-connector-test.system-action',
-                  actionTypeId: 'test.system-action',
                   params: {},
                 },
               ],
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/resolve.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/resolve.ts
index fe9e733eea677..fe973b9dde73c 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/resolve.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/security_and_spaces/group3/tests/alerting/resolve.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ export default ({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) => {
                 },
                 {
                   id: 'system-connector-test.system-action',
-                  actionTypeId: 'test.system-action',
                   params: {},
                 },
               ],
diff --git a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/group1/create.ts b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/group1/create.ts
index 774b0e683d520..555c578612225 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/group1/create.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/alerting_api_integration/spaces_only/tests/alerting/group1/create.ts
@@ -475,7 +475,6 @@ export default function createAlertTests({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
     describe('system actions', () => {
       const systemAction = {
         id: 'system-connector-test.system-action',
-        actionTypeId: 'test.system-action',
         params: {},
       };