diff --git a/src/Condition.js b/src/Condition.js
index 514e1f82b..9d03437cf 100644
--- a/src/Condition.js
+++ b/src/Condition.js
@@ -40,13 +40,9 @@ class Conditional {
     }
   }
 
-  getValue(value, parent, context) {
-    let values = this.refs.map(r => r.getValue(value, parent, context));
+  resolve(ctx, options) {
+    let values = this.refs.map(ref => ref.getValue(options));
 
-    return values;
-  }
-
-  resolve(ctx, values) {
     let schema = this.fn.apply(ctx, values.concat(ctx));
 
     if (schema !== undefined && !isSchema(schema))
diff --git a/src/Reference.js b/src/Reference.js
index 9c95167b8..dd6bf977e 100644
--- a/src/Reference.js
+++ b/src/Reference.js
@@ -1,54 +1,68 @@
 import { getter } from 'property-expr';
 
-let validateName = d => {
-  if (typeof d !== 'string')
-    throw new TypeError("ref's must be strings, got: " + d);
+const prefixes = {
+  context: '$',
+  value: '.',
 };
 
 export default class Reference {
-  static isRef(value) {
-    return !!(value && (value.__isYupRef || value instanceof Reference));
-  }
+  constructor(key, options = {}) {
+    if (typeof key !== 'string')
+      throw new TypeError("ref's must be strings, got: " + key);
 
-  toString() {
-    return `Ref(${this.key})`;
+    this.key = key.trim();
+
+    this.isContext = this.key[0] === prefixes.context;
+    this.isValue = this.key[0] === prefixes.value;
+    this.isParent = this.key === '';
+    this.isSibling = !this.isContext && !this.isValue && !this.isParent;
+
+    let prefix = this.isContext
+      ? prefixes.context
+      : this.isValue
+        ? prefixes.value
+        : '';
+
+    this.path = this.key.slice(prefix.length);
+    this.getter = this.path && getter(this.path, true);
+    this.map = options.map;
   }
 
-  constructor(key, mapFn, options = {}) {
-    validateName(key);
-    let prefix = options.contextPrefix || '$';
+  getValue(options) {
+    let result = this.isContext
+      ? options.context
+      : this.isValue
+        ? options.value
+        : options.parent;
 
-    this.key = key.trim();
-    this.prefix = prefix;
+    if (this.getter && result !== undefined) result = this.getter(result || {});
 
-    this.isContext = this.key.indexOf(prefix) === 0;
-    this.isParent = this.key === '';
-    this.isSelf = this.key === '.';
-    this.isSibling = !this.isContext && !this.isParent && !this.isSelf;
+    if (this.map) result = this.map(result);
 
-    if (!this.isSelf) {
-      this.path = this.isContext
-        ? this.key.slice(this.prefix.length)
-        : this.key;
-      this._get = getter(this.path, true);
-    }
+    return result;
+  }
 
-    this.map = mapFn || (value => value);
+  cast(value, options) {
+    return this.getValue({ ...options, value });
   }
+
   resolve() {
     return this;
   }
 
-  cast(value, { parent, context }) {
-    return this.getValue(value, parent, context);
+  describe() {
+    return {
+      type: 'ref',
+      key: this.key,
+    };
   }
 
-  getValue(value, parent, context) {
-    if (!this.isSelf) {
-      value = this._get(this.isContext ? context : parent || context || {});
-    }
+  toString() {
+    return `Ref(${this.key})`;
+  }
 
-    return this.map(value);
+  static isRef(value) {
+    return value && value.__isYupRef;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mixed.js b/src/mixed.js
index f1ee8d769..3dbe14b36 100644
--- a/src/mixed.js
+++ b/src/mixed.js
@@ -136,11 +136,10 @@ const proto = (SchemaType.prototype = {
     return !this._typeCheck || this._typeCheck(v);
   },
 
-  resolve({ value, parent, context }) {
+  resolve(options) {
     if (this._conditions.length) {
       return this._conditions.reduce(
-        (schema, match) =>
-          match.resolve(schema, match.getValue(value, parent, context)),
+        (schema, condition) => condition.resolve(schema, options),
         this,
       );
     }
@@ -385,9 +384,6 @@ const proto = (SchemaType.prototype = {
     if (arguments.length === 1) {
       options = keys;
       keys = '.';
-    } else if (isSchema(keys) || typeof keys === 'function') {
-      options = { ...options, is: keys };
-      keys = '.';
     }
 
     var next = this.clone(),
diff --git a/src/util/createValidation.js b/src/util/createValidation.js
index cddcfb4b8..b46f592da 100644
--- a/src/util/createValidation.js
+++ b/src/util/createValidation.js
@@ -69,7 +69,9 @@ export default function createValidation(options) {
   }) {
     let parent = options.parent;
     let resolve = item =>
-      Ref.isRef(item) ? item.getValue(value, parent, options.context) : item;
+      Ref.isRef(item)
+        ? item.getValue({ value, parent, context: options.context })
+        : item;
 
     let createError = createErrorFactory({
       message,
diff --git a/test/mixed.js b/test/mixed.js
index 57c965be2..a53293552 100644
--- a/test/mixed.js
+++ b/test/mixed.js
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ describe('Mixed Types ', () => {
 
   it('should handle multiple conditionals', function() {
     let called = false;
-    let inst = mixed().when(['prop', 'other'], function(prop, other) {
+    let inst = mixed().when(['$prop', '$other'], function(prop, other) {
       other.should.equal(true);
       prop.should.equal(1);
       called = true;
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ describe('Mixed Types ', () => {
     inst.cast({}, { context: { prop: 1, other: true } });
     called.should.equal(true);
 
-    inst = mixed().when(['prop', 'other'], {
+    inst = mixed().when(['$prop', '$other'], {
       is: 5,
       then: mixed().required(),
     });
@@ -727,21 +727,7 @@ describe('Mixed Types ', () => {
     await inst.validate(-1).should.be.fulfilled();
   });
 
-  it('should support conditional first argument as `is` shortcut', async function() {
-    let inst = number().when(value => value > 0, {
-      then: number().min(5),
-    });
-
-    await inst
-      .validate(4)
-      .should.be.rejectedWith(ValidationError, /must be greater/);
-
-    await inst.validate(5).should.be.fulfilled();
-
-    await inst.validate(-1).should.be.fulfilled();
-  });
-
-  it('should support conditional signle argument as options shortcut', async function() {
+  it('should support conditional single argument as options shortcut', async function() {
     let inst = number().when({
       is: value => value > 0,
       then: number().min(5),