diff --git a/pkg/references/field.go b/pkg/references/field.go
index f80e7b5a564efe81df2969fb35f14d69fd23a1c8..49f804656699d1d47baa286a8939543b687d545f 100644
--- a/pkg/references/field.go
+++ b/pkg/references/field.go
@@ -94,8 +94,11 @@ func (t ReferenceType) Encode(_ context.Context, fld *field.Field, v interface{}
 	ref := map[string]interface{}{
 		"id":            val.ID,
 		"collection_id": val.CollectionID,
-		"disabled":      val.Disabled,
 	}
+	if val.Disabled {
+		ref["disabled"] = true
+	}
+
 	return ref, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/references/field_test.go b/pkg/references/field_test.go
index d5d34226ab099a27662c4a8792b70af837ad2c01..5515ec872abc0a1aae158294eb1c1bd238d66d5f 100644
--- a/pkg/references/field_test.go
+++ b/pkg/references/field_test.go
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func TestReferenceField_Encode(t *testing.T) {
 			"Correct",
 			Field(nil),
 			&Reference{ID: "11111111", CollectionID: "media"},
-			map[string]interface{}{"collection_id": "media", "id": "11111111", "disabled": false},
+			map[string]interface{}{"collection_id": "media", "id": "11111111"},
 			false,
 		},
 		{
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ func TestReferenceField_Encode(t *testing.T) {
 			"Disabled",
 			Field(nil),
 			&Reference{ID: "11111111", CollectionID: "media", Disabled: false},
-			map[string]interface{}{"collection_id": "media", "id": "11111111", "disabled": false},
+			map[string]interface{}{"collection_id": "media", "id": "11111111"},
 			false,
 		},
 		{