diff --git a/lib/less/tree/import.js b/lib/less/tree/import.js
index 1e515cd5f..05b5d66e8 100644
--- a/lib/less/tree/import.js
+++ b/lib/less/tree/import.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ Import.prototype.accept = function (visitor) {
     }
 };
 Import.prototype.genCSS = function (context, output) {
-    if (this.css && this.options.reference === undefined) {
+    if (this.css && this.path.currentFileInfo.reference === undefined) {
         output.add("@import ", this.currentFileInfo, this.index);
         this.path.genCSS(context, output);
         if (this.features) {
diff --git a/lib/less/visitors/to-css-visitor.js b/lib/less/visitors/to-css-visitor.js
index d4ea6a86a..2ba758656 100644
--- a/lib/less/visitors/to-css-visitor.js
+++ b/lib/less/visitors/to-css-visitor.js
@@ -45,6 +45,13 @@ ToCSSVisitor.prototype = {
         return mediaNode;
     },
 
+    visitImport: function (importNode, visitArgs) {
+        if (importNode.path.currentFileInfo.reference !== undefined && importNode.css) {
+            return;
+        }
+        return importNode;
+    },
+
     visitDirective: function(directiveNode, visitArgs) {
         if (directiveNode.name === "@charset") {
             if (!directiveNode.getIsReferenced()) {
diff --git a/test/less/import-reference.less b/test/less/import-reference.less
index 7a457bfc4..ec597553f 100644
--- a/test/less/import-reference.less
+++ b/test/less/import-reference.less
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 @import (reference) url("css-3.less");
 @import (reference) url("media.less");
 @import (reference) url("import/import-reference.less");
+@import (reference) url("import/css-import.less");
 
 .b {
   .z();
@@ -20,4 +21,4 @@
 .class:extend(.class all) {
 }
 .mixin-with-nested-selectors();
-.mixin-with-directives(some-name);
\ No newline at end of file
+.mixin-with-directives(some-name);
diff --git a/test/less/import/css-import.less b/test/less/import/css-import.less
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5df0a4eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/less/import/css-import.less
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+@import url("test.css");