diff --git a/extension/ast/footnote.go b/extension/ast/footnote.go
index 835f847..9bc52d9 100644
--- a/extension/ast/footnote.go
+++ b/extension/ast/footnote.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 type FootnoteLink struct {
 	gast.BaseInline
 	Index int
+	Ref   []byte
 }
 
 // Dump implements Node.Dump.
@@ -28,9 +29,10 @@ func (n *FootnoteLink) Kind() gast.NodeKind {
 }
 
 // NewFootnoteLink returns a new FootnoteLink node.
-func NewFootnoteLink(index int) *FootnoteLink {
+func NewFootnoteLink(index int, ref []byte) *FootnoteLink {
 	return &FootnoteLink{
 		Index: index,
+		Ref:   ref,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/extension/footnote.go b/extension/footnote.go
index ede72db..c6ae1f5 100644
--- a/extension/footnote.go
+++ b/extension/footnote.go
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ func (s *footnoteParser) Parse(parent gast.Node, block text.Reader, pc parser.Co
 		return nil
 	}
 	index := 0
+	var ref []byte
 	for def := list.FirstChild(); def != nil; def = def.NextSibling() {
 		d := def.(*ast.Footnote)
 		if bytes.Equal(d.Ref, value) {
@@ -157,6 +158,7 @@ func (s *footnoteParser) Parse(parent gast.Node, block text.Reader, pc parser.Co
 				d.Index = list.Count
 			}
 			index = d.Index
+			ref = d.Ref
 			break
 		}
 	}
@@ -164,7 +166,7 @@ func (s *footnoteParser) Parse(parent gast.Node, block text.Reader, pc parser.Co
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	return ast.NewFootnoteLink(index)
+	return ast.NewFootnoteLink(index, ref)
 }
 
 type footnoteASTTransformer struct {