diff --git a/dagger/inputs_scan.go b/dagger/inputs_scan.go
index a76f54a1..2b04becc 100644
--- a/dagger/inputs_scan.go
+++ b/dagger/inputs_scan.go
@@ -3,26 +3,43 @@ package dagger
 import (
 	"context"
 
+	"cuelang.org/go/cue"
 	"dagger.io/go/dagger/compiler"
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 )
 
-func isReference(val *compiler.Value) bool {
-	_, ref := val.ReferencePath()
+func isReference(val cue.Value) bool {
+	isRef := func(v cue.Value) bool {
+		_, ref := v.ReferencePath()
 
-	if ref.String() == "" || val.Path().String() == ref.String() {
-		// not a reference
-		return false
+		if ref.String() == "" || v.Path().String() == ref.String() {
+			// not a reference
+			return false
+		}
+
+		for _, s := range ref.Selectors() {
+			if s.IsDefinition() {
+				// if we reference to a definition, we skip the check
+				return false
+			}
+		}
+
+		return true
 	}
 
-	for _, s := range ref.Selectors() {
-		if s.IsDefinition() {
-			// if we reference to a definition, we skip the check
-			return false
+	op, vals := val.Expr()
+	if op == cue.NoOp {
+		return isRef(val)
+	}
+
+	for _, v := range vals {
+		// if the expr has an op (& or |, etc...), check the expr values, recursively
+		if isReference(v) {
+			return true
 		}
 	}
 
-	return true
+	return isRef(val)
 }
 
 func ScanInputs(ctx context.Context, value *compiler.Value) []*compiler.Value {
@@ -31,7 +48,7 @@ func ScanInputs(ctx context.Context, value *compiler.Value) []*compiler.Value {
 
 	value.Walk(
 		func(val *compiler.Value) bool {
-			if isReference(val) {
+			if isReference(val.Cue()) {
 				lg.Debug().Str("value.Path", val.Path().String()).Msg("found reference, stop walk")
 				return false
 			}