diff --git a/core/dbt/context/base.py b/core/dbt/context/base.py
index dfa98f4de91..98bcc2d410c 100644
--- a/core/dbt/context/base.py
+++ b/core/dbt/context/base.py
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ def search_package_name(self):
     def add_macros_from(
         self,
         context: Dict[str, Any],
-        macros: Dict[str, ParsedMacro],
+        macros: Dict[str, ParsedMacro]
     ):
         global_macros: List[Dict[str, Callable]] = []
         local_macros: List[Dict[str, Callable]] = []
@@ -248,9 +248,14 @@ def add_macros_from(
             # adapter packages are part of the global project space
             _add_macro_map(context, package_name, macro_map)
 
-            if package_name == self.search_package_name:
+            if package_name == self.config.project_name:
+                # If we're in the root project, allow global override
+                global_macros.append(macro_map)
+            elif package_name == self.search_package_name:
+                # If we're in the current project, allow local override
                 local_macros.append(macro_map)
             elif package_name in PACKAGES:
+                # If it comes from a dbt package, allow global override
                 global_macros.append(macro_map)
 
         # Load global macros before local macros -- local takes precedence
diff --git a/core/dbt/context/common.py b/core/dbt/context/common.py
index 7dcff01945b..9b4a743a8f0 100644
--- a/core/dbt/context/common.py
+++ b/core/dbt/context/common.py
@@ -212,16 +212,21 @@ def search_package_name(self):
         return self.model.package_name
 
     def add_provider_functions(self, context):
-        context['ref'] = self.provider.ref(
-            self.db_wrapper, self.model, self.config, self.manifest
-        )
-        context['source'] = self.provider.source(
-            self.db_wrapper, self.model, self.config, self.manifest
-        )
-        context['config'] = self.provider.Config(
-            self.model, self.source_config
-        )
-        context['execute'] = self.provider.execute
+        # Generate the builtin functions
+        builtins = {
+            'ref': self.provider.ref(
+                self.db_wrapper, self.model, self.config, self.manifest),
+            'source': self.provider.source(
+                self.db_wrapper, self.model, self.config, self.manifest),
+            'config': self.provider.Config(
+                self.model, self.source_config),
+            'execute': self.provider.execute
+        }
+        # Install them at .builtins
+        context['builtins'] = builtins
+        # Install each of them directly in case they're not
+        # clobbered by a macro.
+        context.update(builtins)
 
     def add_exceptions(self, context):
         context['exceptions'] = dbt.exceptions.wrapped_exports(self.model)
diff --git a/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/data/seed_1.csv b/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/data/seed_1.csv
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4de2771bdac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/data/seed_1.csv
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+a,b
+1,2
+2,4
+3,6
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/data/seed_2.csv b/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/data/seed_2.csv
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eeadef9495c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/data/seed_2.csv
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+a,b
+6,2
+12,4
+18,6
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/macros/ref_override_macro.sql b/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/macros/ref_override_macro.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a4a85b50324
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/macros/ref_override_macro.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+-- Macro to override ref and always return the same result
+{% macro ref(modelname) %}
+{% do return(builtins.ref(modelname).replace_path(identifier='seed_2')) %}
+{% endmacro %}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/models/ref_override.sql b/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/models/ref_override.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3bbf936ae2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/models/ref_override.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+select
+    *
+from {{ ref('seed_1') }}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/test_ref_override.py b/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/test_ref_override.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2d0fc3e068d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/055_ref_override_test/test_ref_override.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+from test.integration.base import DBTIntegrationTest, use_profile
+
+
+class TestRefOverride(DBTIntegrationTest):
+    @property
+    def schema(self):
+        return "dbt_ref_override_055"
+
+    @property
+    def project_config(self):
+        return {
+            'data-paths': ['data'],
+            "macro-paths": ["macros"],
+            'seeds': {
+                'quote_columns': False
+            }
+        }
+
+    @property
+    def models(self):
+        return "models"
+
+    @use_profile('postgres')
+    def test_postgres_ref_override(self):
+        self.run_dbt(['seed'])
+        self.run_dbt(['run'])
+        # We want it to equal seed_2 and not seed_1. If it's
+        # still pointing at seed_1 then the override hasn't worked.
+        self.assertTablesEqual('ref_override', 'seed_2')