diff --git a/src/Compilers/VisualBasic/Test/Syntax/Parser/ParseDirectives.vb b/src/Compilers/VisualBasic/Test/Syntax/Parser/ParseDirectives.vb
index a3df468c857d5b411fdd26db747d1ac74d5e378c..de22ddb40ff6080cf9b86ec6f61d7389c36bcafe 100644
--- a/src/Compilers/VisualBasic/Test/Syntax/Parser/ParseDirectives.vb
+++ b/src/Compilers/VisualBasic/Test/Syntax/Parser/ParseDirectives.vb
@@ -21,6 +21,20 @@ Public Class ParseDirectives
         ]]>)
     End Sub
 
+    <Fact>
+    Public Sub ParseReferenceDirective()
+        ParseAndVerify(<![CDATA[
+            #r "reference"
+        ]]>, TestOptions.Script)
+
+        ParseAndVerify(<![CDATA[
+            #r "reference"
+        ]]>,
+        <errors>
+            <error id="36964" message="#R is only allowed in scripts" start="14" end="15"/>
+        </errors>)
+    End Sub
+
     <Fact>
     Public Sub FloatsAndUnaryNot()
         ParseAndVerify(<![CDATA[
diff --git a/src/Scripting/CoreTest/TestCompilationFactory.cs b/src/Scripting/CoreTest/TestCompilationFactory.cs
index 8748284df0f11fd59e1f59f11e19496916818db4..c949d49cd6598b8bf6f82df116fbe34270bf1406 100644
--- a/src/Scripting/CoreTest/TestCompilationFactory.cs
+++ b/src/Scripting/CoreTest/TestCompilationFactory.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (c) Microsoft.  All Rights Reserved.  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.  See License.txt in the project root for license information.
 
 using Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp;
+using Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.VisualBasic;
 
 namespace Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Scripting
 {
@@ -12,16 +13,25 @@ internal static Compilation CreateCompilationWithMscorlib(string source, string
         {
             return CSharpCompilation.Create(
                 assemblyName,
-                new[] { SyntaxFactory.ParseSyntaxTree(source) },
+                new[] { CSharp.SyntaxFactory.ParseSyntaxTree(source) },
                 new[] { TestReferences.NetFx.v4_0_30319.mscorlib },
                 new CSharpCompilationOptions(OutputKind.DynamicallyLinkedLibrary));
         }
 
+        internal static Compilation CreateVisualBasicCompilationWithMscorlib(string source, string assemblyName)
+        {
+            return VisualBasicCompilation.Create(
+                assemblyName,
+                new[] { VisualBasic.SyntaxFactory.ParseSyntaxTree(source) },
+                new[] { TestReferences.NetFx.v4_0_30319.mscorlib },
+                new VisualBasicCompilationOptions(OutputKind.DynamicallyLinkedLibrary));
+        }
+
         internal static Compilation CreateCompilation(string source, MetadataReference[] references, string assemblyName, CSharpCompilationOptions options = null)
         {
             return CSharpCompilation.Create(
                 assemblyName,
-                new[] { SyntaxFactory.ParseSyntaxTree(source) },
+                new[] { CSharp.SyntaxFactory.ParseSyntaxTree(source) },
                 references,
                 options ?? new CSharpCompilationOptions(OutputKind.DynamicallyLinkedLibrary));
         }
diff --git a/src/Scripting/VisualBasicTest/CommandLineRunnerTests.vb b/src/Scripting/VisualBasicTest/CommandLineRunnerTests.vb
index 167803d32c2a246a1a9f4a1344b361ce5c7776c5..640ac40b0d4701fe5bcde2e231d76ee61cf0de5b 100644
--- a/src/Scripting/VisualBasicTest/CommandLineRunnerTests.vb
+++ b/src/Scripting/VisualBasicTest/CommandLineRunnerTests.vb
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 ' Copyright (c) Microsoft.  All Rights Reserved.  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.  See License.txt in the project root for license information.
 
 Imports System.Reflection
+Imports Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Scripting
 Imports Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Scripting.Hosting
 Imports Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Scripting.Test
+Imports Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Test.Utilities
 Imports Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.VisualBasic.Scripting.Hosting
 Imports Roslyn.Test.Utilities
 Imports Roslyn.Utilities
@@ -57,7 +59,7 @@ Type ""#help"" for more information.
         End Sub
 
         <Fact()>
-        Public Sub TestReference()
+        Public Sub TestImportArgument()
             Dim runner = CreateRunner(args:={"/Imports:<xmlns:xmlNamespacePrefix='xmlNamespaceName'>"})
 
             runner.RunInteractive()
@@ -67,6 +69,30 @@ Type ""#help"" for more information.
 Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 
 Type ""#help"" for more information.
+>", runner.Console.Out.ToString())
+        End Sub
+
+        <Fact()>
+        Public Sub TestReferenceDirective()
+            Dim file1 = Temp.CreateFile("1.dll").WriteAllBytes(TestCompilationFactory.CreateVisualBasicCompilationWithMscorlib("
+public Class C1
+Public Function Foo() As String
+    Return ""Bar""
+End Function
+End Class", "1").EmitToArray())
+
+            Dim runner = CreateRunner(args:={}, input:="#r """ & file1.Path & """" & vbCrLf & "? New C1().Foo()")
+
+            runner.RunInteractive()
+
+            AssertEx.AssertEqualToleratingWhitespaceDifferences(
+"Microsoft (R) Visual Basic Interactive Compiler version " + CompilerVersion + "
+Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+
+Type ""#help"" for more information.
+> #r """ & file1.Path & """
+> ? New C1().Foo()
+""Bar""
 >", runner.Console.Out.ToString())
         End Sub