diff --git a/src/Docfx.Dotnet/CompilationHelper.cs b/src/Docfx.Dotnet/CompilationHelper.cs
index 8de142094d1..405e416407c 100644
--- a/src/Docfx.Dotnet/CompilationHelper.cs
+++ b/src/Docfx.Dotnet/CompilationHelper.cs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public static bool CheckDiagnostics(this Compilation compilation, bool errorAsWa
         return errorCount > 0;
     }
 
-    public static Compilation CreateCompilationFromCSharpFiles(IEnumerable<string> files, IDictionary<string, string> msbuildProperties)
+    public static Compilation CreateCompilationFromCSharpFiles(IEnumerable<string> files, IDictionary<string, string> msbuildProperties, MetadataReference[] references)
     {
         var parserOption = GetCSharpParseOptions(msbuildProperties);
         var syntaxTrees = files.Select(path => CS.CSharpSyntaxTree.ParseText(File.ReadAllText(path), parserOption, path: path));
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public static Compilation CreateCompilationFromCSharpFiles(IEnumerable<string> f
             assemblyName: null,
             options: new CS.CSharpCompilationOptions(OutputKind.DynamicallyLinkedLibrary, xmlReferenceResolver: XmlFileResolver.Default),
             syntaxTrees: syntaxTrees,
-            references: GetDefaultMetadataReferences("C#"));
+            references: GetDefaultMetadataReferences("C#").Concat(references));
     }
 
     public static Compilation CreateCompilationFromCSharpCode(string code, IDictionary<string, string> msbuildProperties, string? name = null, params MetadataReference[] references)
@@ -75,10 +75,10 @@ public static Compilation CreateCompilationFromCSharpCode(string code, IDictiona
             name,
             options: new CS.CSharpCompilationOptions(OutputKind.DynamicallyLinkedLibrary, xmlReferenceResolver: XmlFileResolver.Default),
             syntaxTrees: [syntaxTree],
-            references: GetDefaultMetadataReferences("C#").Concat(references));
+            references: GetDefaultMetadataReferences("C#").Concat(references ?? []));
     }
 
-    public static Compilation CreateCompilationFromVBFiles(IEnumerable<string> files, IDictionary<string, string> msbuildProperties)
+    public static Compilation CreateCompilationFromVBFiles(IEnumerable<string> files, IDictionary<string, string> msbuildProperties, MetadataReference[] references)
     {
         var parserOption = GetVisualBasicParseOptions(msbuildProperties);
         var syntaxTrees = files.Select(path => VB.VisualBasicSyntaxTree.ParseText(File.ReadAllText(path), parserOption, path: path));
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public static Compilation CreateCompilationFromVBFiles(IEnumerable<string> files
             assemblyName: null,
             options: new VB.VisualBasicCompilationOptions(OutputKind.DynamicallyLinkedLibrary, globalImports: GetVBGlobalImports(), xmlReferenceResolver: XmlFileResolver.Default),
             syntaxTrees: syntaxTrees,
-            references: GetDefaultMetadataReferences("VB"));
+            references: GetDefaultMetadataReferences("VB").Concat(references));
     }
 
     public static Compilation CreateCompilationFromVBCode(string code, IDictionary<string, string> msbuildProperties, string? name = null, params MetadataReference[] references)
@@ -99,10 +99,10 @@ public static Compilation CreateCompilationFromVBCode(string code, IDictionary<s
             name,
             options: new VB.VisualBasicCompilationOptions(OutputKind.DynamicallyLinkedLibrary, globalImports: GetVBGlobalImports(), xmlReferenceResolver: XmlFileResolver.Default),
             syntaxTrees: [syntaxTree],
-            references: GetDefaultMetadataReferences("VB").Concat(references));
+            references: GetDefaultMetadataReferences("VB").Concat(references ?? []));
     }
 
-    public static (Compilation, IAssemblySymbol) CreateCompilationFromAssembly(string assemblyPath, IEnumerable<string>? references = null)
+    public static (Compilation, IAssemblySymbol) CreateCompilationFromAssembly(string assemblyPath, params MetadataReference[] references)
     {
         var metadataReference = CreateMetadataReference(assemblyPath);
         var compilation = CS.CSharpCompilation.Create(
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ public static (Compilation, IAssemblySymbol) CreateCompilationFromAssembly(strin
             options: new CS.CSharpCompilationOptions(OutputKind.DynamicallyLinkedLibrary),
             syntaxTrees: s_assemblyBootstrap,
             references: GetReferenceAssemblies(assemblyPath)
-                .Concat(references ?? Enumerable.Empty<string>())
                 .Select(CreateMetadataReference)
+                .Concat(references ?? [])
                 .Append(metadataReference));
 
         var assembly = (IAssemblySymbol)compilation.GetAssemblyOrModuleSymbol(metadataReference)!;
diff --git a/src/Docfx.Dotnet/DotnetApiCatalog.Compile.cs b/src/Docfx.Dotnet/DotnetApiCatalog.Compile.cs
index 3473f2b6182..ae7a801f30e 100644
--- a/src/Docfx.Dotnet/DotnetApiCatalog.Compile.cs
+++ b/src/Docfx.Dotnet/DotnetApiCatalog.Compile.cs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ partial class DotnetApiCatalog
             _ => LoggerVerbosity.Quiet,
         });
 
-        var workspace = MSBuildWorkspace.Create(msbuildProperties);
+        using var workspace = MSBuildWorkspace.Create(msbuildProperties);
         workspace.WorkspaceFailed += (sender, e) => Logger.LogWarning($"{e.Diagnostic}");
 
         if (files.TryGetValue(FileType.NotSupported, out var unsupportedFiles))
@@ -88,26 +88,36 @@ await LoadCompilationFromProject(project.AbsolutePath) is { } compilation)
             assemblies.Add((compilation.Assembly, compilation));
         }
 
+        var references = config.References ?? [];
+        var metadataReferences = references.Select(assemblyPath =>
+        {
+            var documentation = XmlDocumentationProvider.CreateFromFile(Path.ChangeExtension(assemblyPath, ".xml"));
+            return MetadataReference.CreateFromFile(assemblyPath, documentation: documentation);
+        }).ToArray();
+
+        // LoadCompilationFrom C# source files
         if (files.TryGetValue(FileType.CSSourceCode, out var csFiles))
         {
-            var compilation = CompilationHelper.CreateCompilationFromCSharpFiles(csFiles.Select(f => f.NormalizedPath), msbuildProperties);
+            var compilation = CompilationHelper.CreateCompilationFromCSharpFiles(csFiles.Select(f => f.NormalizedPath), msbuildProperties, metadataReferences);
             hasCompilationError |= compilation.CheckDiagnostics(config.AllowCompilationErrors);
             assemblies.Add((compilation.Assembly, compilation));
         }
 
+        // LoadCompilationFrom VB source files
         if (files.TryGetValue(FileType.VBSourceCode, out var vbFiles))
         {
-            var compilation = CompilationHelper.CreateCompilationFromVBFiles(vbFiles.Select(f => f.NormalizedPath), msbuildProperties);
+            var compilation = CompilationHelper.CreateCompilationFromVBFiles(vbFiles.Select(f => f.NormalizedPath), msbuildProperties, metadataReferences);
             hasCompilationError |= compilation.CheckDiagnostics(config.AllowCompilationErrors);
             assemblies.Add((compilation.Assembly, compilation));
         }
 
+        // Load Compilation from assembly files
         if (files.TryGetValue(FileType.Assembly, out var assemblyFiles))
         {
             foreach (var assemblyFile in assemblyFiles)
             {
                 Logger.LogInfo($"Loading assembly {assemblyFile.NormalizedPath}");
-                var (compilation, assembly) = CompilationHelper.CreateCompilationFromAssembly(assemblyFile.NormalizedPath, config.References);
+                var (compilation, assembly) = CompilationHelper.CreateCompilationFromAssembly(assemblyFile.NormalizedPath, metadataReferences);
                 hasCompilationError |= compilation.CheckDiagnostics(config.AllowCompilationErrors);
                 assemblies.Add((assembly, compilation));
             }
diff --git a/test/Docfx.Dotnet.Tests/GenerateMetadataFromCSUnitTest.cs b/test/Docfx.Dotnet.Tests/GenerateMetadataFromCSUnitTest.cs
index 3a2e89e05dd..3f266d5453f 100644
--- a/test/Docfx.Dotnet.Tests/GenerateMetadataFromCSUnitTest.cs
+++ b/test/Docfx.Dotnet.Tests/GenerateMetadataFromCSUnitTest.cs
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ public class GenerateMetadataFromCSUnitTest
 {
     private static readonly Dictionary<string, string> EmptyMSBuildProperties = new();
 
-    private static MetadataItem Verify(string code, ExtractMetadataConfig config = null, IDictionary<string, string> msbuildProperties = null)
+    private static MetadataItem Verify(string code, ExtractMetadataConfig config = null, IDictionary<string, string> msbuildProperties = null, MetadataReference[] references = null)
     {
-        var compilation = CompilationHelper.CreateCompilationFromCSharpCode(code, msbuildProperties ?? EmptyMSBuildProperties, "test.dll");
+        var compilation = CompilationHelper.CreateCompilationFromCSharpCode(code, msbuildProperties ?? EmptyMSBuildProperties, "test.dll", references);
         var extensionMethods = compilation.Assembly.FindExtensionMethods(new(new(), new())).ToArray();
         return compilation.Assembly.GenerateMetadataItem(compilation, config, extensionMethods: extensionMethods);
     }
@@ -3771,4 +3771,30 @@ public void F1() {}
             Assert.Empty(foo.Items);
         }
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TestGenerateMetadataWithReference()
+    {
+        string code = @"
+namespace Test
+{
+    public class Foo
+    {
+        public TupleLibrary.XmlTasks Tasks{ get;set; }
+    }
+}
+";
+        var references = new string[] { "TestData/TupleLibrary.dll" }.Select(assemblyPath =>
+        {
+            var documentation = XmlDocumentationProvider.CreateFromFile(Path.ChangeExtension(assemblyPath, ".xml"));
+            return MetadataReference.CreateFromFile(assemblyPath, documentation: documentation);
+        }).ToArray();
+
+        // Act
+        var output = Verify(code, references: references);
+
+        // Assert
+        Assert.Contains("TupleLibrary", output.References.Keys);
+        Assert.Contains("TupleLibrary.XmlTasks", output.References.Keys);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/test/Docfx.Dotnet.Tests/GenerateMetadataFromVBUnitTest.cs b/test/Docfx.Dotnet.Tests/GenerateMetadataFromVBUnitTest.cs
index e3c5463bdca..ea798501ca4 100644
--- a/test/Docfx.Dotnet.Tests/GenerateMetadataFromVBUnitTest.cs
+++ b/test/Docfx.Dotnet.Tests/GenerateMetadataFromVBUnitTest.cs
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ public class GenerateMetadataFromVBUnitTest
 {
     private static readonly Dictionary<string, string> EmptyMSBuildProperties = new();
 
-    private static MetadataItem Verify(string code, ExtractMetadataConfig options = null, IDictionary<string, string> msbuildProperties = null, params MetadataReference[] references)
+    private static MetadataItem Verify(string code, ExtractMetadataConfig config = null, IDictionary<string, string> msbuildProperties = null, MetadataReference[] references = null)
     {
         var compilation = CompilationHelper.CreateCompilationFromVBCode(code, msbuildProperties ?? EmptyMSBuildProperties, "test.dll", references);
-        return compilation.Assembly.GenerateMetadataItem(compilation, options);
+        return compilation.Assembly.GenerateMetadataItem(compilation, config);
     }
 
     [Trait("Related", "Generic")]
@@ -1643,4 +1643,36 @@ End Namespace
             Assert.Empty(foo.Items);
         }
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TestGenerateMetadataWithReference()
+    {
+        string code = @"
+Namespace Test
+    Public Class Foo
+      Property Tasks As TupleLibrary.XmlTasks
+    End Class
+End Namespace
+namespace Test
+{
+    public class Foo
+    {
+        public TupleLibrary.XmlTasks Tasks { get;set; }
+    }
+}
+";
+
+        var references = new string[] { "TestData/TupleLibrary.dll" }.Select(assemblyPath =>
+        {
+            var documentation = XmlDocumentationProvider.CreateFromFile(Path.ChangeExtension(assemblyPath, ".xml"));
+            return MetadataReference.CreateFromFile(assemblyPath, documentation: documentation);
+        }).ToArray();
+
+        // Act
+        var output = Verify(code, references: references);
+
+        // Assert
+        Assert.Contains("TupleLibrary", output.References.Keys);
+        Assert.Contains("TupleLibrary.XmlTasks", output.References.Keys);
+    }
 }