diff --git a/src/apply/ref.xsl b/src/apply/ref.xsl
index 32b92ff..62ea53e 100644
--- a/src/apply/ref.xsl
+++ b/src/apply/ref.xsl
@@ -160,7 +160,12 @@
 <function name="f:args" as="item()*">
   <param name="fnref" as="item()+" />
 
-  <sequence select="remove( $fnref, 1 )" />
+  <variable name="desc" as="element( f:ref )"
+            select="$fnref[ 1 ]" />
+  <variable name="length" as="xs:double"
+            select="$desc/@length" />
+
+  <sequence select="subsequence( $fnref, 2, ( $length - 1 ) )" />
 </function>
 
 
diff --git a/test/apply/ref.xspec b/test/apply/ref.xspec
index cc67ffe..9ab87bd 100644
--- a/test/apply/ref.xspec
+++ b/test/apply/ref.xspec
@@ -423,6 +423,23 @@
       <expect label="returns no other items"
               test="count( $x:result ) = 2" />
     </scenario>
+
+
+    <scenario label="operating on a reference preceding adjacent data">
+      <call function="f:args">
+        <param name="fnref"
+               select="f:set-args( $test-fn, ($args/foo:a,
+                                              $args/foo:b) ),
+                       'adjacent data'" />
+      </call>
+
+      <expect label="returns sequence of arguments by reference"
+              test="$x:result[ 1 ] is $args/foo:a
+                      and $x:result[ 2 ] is $args/foo:b" />
+
+      <expect label="returns no adjacent data"
+              test="count( $x:result ) = 2" />
+    </scenario>
   </scenario>