diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 7c0cdfa91f..95d8100d62 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2607,6 +2607,7 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "dfx_info 0.0.0",
  "hex 0.3.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "ic-http-agent 0.1.0",
  "lalrpop 0.17.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "lalrpop-util 0.17.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "leb128 0.2.4 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
diff --git a/src/dfx_info/src/lib.rs b/src/dfx_info/src/lib.rs
index 990c499754..e594b751f6 100644
--- a/src/dfx_info/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/dfx_info/src/lib.rs
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ pub trait Serializer: Sized {
     fn serialize_struct(self) -> Result<Self::Compound, Self::Error>;
     fn serialize_vec(self, len: usize) -> Result<Self::Compound, Self::Error>;
     fn serialize_variant(self, index: u64) -> Result<Self::Compound, Self::Error>;
+    fn serialize_blob(self, v: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Self::Error>;
 }
 
 pub trait Compound {
diff --git a/src/dfx_info/src/types.rs b/src/dfx_info/src/types.rs
index 673429c7f3..6346c085fe 100644
--- a/src/dfx_info/src/types.rs
+++ b/src/dfx_info/src/types.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ pub enum Type {
     Vec(Box<Type>),
     Record(Vec<Field>),
     Variant(Vec<Field>),
+    Service,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Hash, Eq, Clone)]
@@ -38,10 +39,12 @@ pub struct Field {
     pub ty: Type,
 }
 
+// This function decides only non-primitive types go into the type table
 pub fn is_primitive(t: &Type) -> bool {
     use Type::*;
     match t {
         Null | Bool | Nat | Int | Text => true,
+        Service => false,
         Unknown => panic!("Unknown type"),
         Knot(_) => true,
         Opt(_) | Vec(_) | Record(_) | Variant(_) => false,
diff --git a/src/serde_idl/Cargo.toml b/src/serde_idl/Cargo.toml
index e8ae2a7363..15b244ecc7 100644
--- a/src/serde_idl/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src/serde_idl/Cargo.toml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ serde_bytes = "0.11.2"
 paste = "0.1"
 num_enum = "0.4.1"
 dfx_info = { path = "../dfx_info" }
+ic-http-agent = { path = "../ic_http_agent" }
 lalrpop-util = "0.17.2"
 pretty = "0.5"
 
diff --git a/src/serde_idl/src/de.rs b/src/serde_idl/src/de.rs
index bdc8c6d55f..16ceb54bc5 100644
--- a/src/serde_idl/src/de.rs
+++ b/src/serde_idl/src/de.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ enum Opcode {
     Vec = -19,
     Record = -20,
     Variant = -21,
+    Service = -23,
 }
 
 /// Use this struct to deserialize a sequence of Rust values (heterogeneous) from IDL binary message.
@@ -152,17 +153,21 @@ impl<'de> Deserializer<'de> {
     fn sleb128_read(&mut self) -> Result<i64> {
         sleb128_decode(&mut self.input).map_err(Error::msg)
     }
-    fn parse_string(&mut self, len: usize) -> Result<String> {
-        let mut buf = Vec::new();
-        buf.resize(len, 0);
-        self.input.read_exact(&mut buf)?;
-        String::from_utf8(buf).map_err(Error::msg)
-    }
     fn parse_byte(&mut self) -> Result<u8> {
         let mut buf = [0u8; 1];
         self.input.read_exact(&mut buf)?;
         Ok(buf[0])
     }
+    fn parse_bytes(&mut self, len: usize) -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
+        let mut buf = Vec::new();
+        buf.resize(len, 0);
+        self.input.read_exact(&mut buf)?;
+        Ok(buf)
+    }
+    fn parse_string(&mut self, len: usize) -> Result<String> {
+        let buf = self.parse_bytes(len)?;
+        String::from_utf8(buf).map_err(Error::msg)
+    }
     fn parse_magic(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
         let mut buf = [0u8; 4];
         match self.input.read(&mut buf) {
@@ -190,6 +195,18 @@ impl<'de> Deserializer<'de> {
                         buf.push(RawValue::I(self.sleb128_read()?));
                     }
                 }
+                Ok(Opcode::Service) => {
+                    let meth_len = self.leb128_read()?;
+                    buf.push(RawValue::U(meth_len));
+                    for _ in 0..meth_len {
+                        let name_len = self.leb128_read()?;
+                        buf.push(RawValue::U(name_len));
+                        for _ in 0..name_len {
+                            buf.push(RawValue::U(self.parse_byte()? as u64));
+                        }
+                        buf.push(RawValue::I(self.sleb128_read()?));
+                    }
+                }
                 _ => {
                     return Err(Error::msg(format!(
                         "Unsupported op_code {} in type table",
@@ -298,6 +315,7 @@ impl<'de, 'a> de::Deserializer<'de> for &'a mut Deserializer<'de> {
             Opcode::Opt => self.deserialize_option(visitor),
             Opcode::Record => self.deserialize_struct("_", &[], visitor),
             Opcode::Variant => self.deserialize_enum("_", &[], visitor),
+            Opcode::Service => self.deserialize_any(visitor),
         }
     }
 
@@ -342,6 +360,24 @@ impl<'de, 'a> de::Deserializer<'de> for &'a mut Deserializer<'de> {
                 }
                 visitor.visit_enum(Compound::new(&mut self, Style::Enum { len, fs }))
             }
+            Opcode::Service => {
+                self.check_type(Opcode::Service)?;
+                let len = self.pop_current_type()?.get_u64()? as u32;
+                for _ in 0..len {
+                    let name_len = self.pop_current_type()?.get_u64()? as u32;
+                    for _ in 0..name_len {
+                        self.pop_current_type()?.get_u64()?;
+                    }
+                    self.pop_current_type()?.get_i64()?;
+                }
+                let bit = self.parse_byte()?;
+                if bit != 1u8 {
+                    return Err(Error::msg("Opaque reference not supported"));
+                }
+                let len = self.leb128_read()? as usize;
+                let vec = self.parse_bytes(len)?;
+                visitor.visit_byte_buf(vec)
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/serde_idl/src/grammar.lalrpop b/src/serde_idl/src/grammar.lalrpop
index ff073f59aa..4f18673ee5 100644
--- a/src/serde_idl/src/grammar.lalrpop
+++ b/src/serde_idl/src/grammar.lalrpop
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ Arg: IDLValue = {
         IDLValue::Record(fs)
      },
     "variant" "{" <VariantField> "}" => IDLValue::Variant(Box::new(<>)),
+    "service" <"text"> => IDLValue::Service(<>),
 }
 
 Field: IDLField = {
diff --git a/src/serde_idl/src/lib.rs b/src/serde_idl/src/lib.rs
index 0e2916a52e..e13407b555 100644
--- a/src/serde_idl/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/serde_idl/src/lib.rs
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 //! ```
 
 extern crate dfx_info;
+extern crate ic_http_agent;
 extern crate leb128;
 extern crate num_enum;
 extern crate serde;
diff --git a/src/serde_idl/src/ser.rs b/src/serde_idl/src/ser.rs
index 46bf432767..a31f5816c8 100644
--- a/src/serde_idl/src/ser.rs
+++ b/src/serde_idl/src/ser.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use super::value::IDLValue;
 use dfx_info::types::{Field, Type};
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::io;
+use std::io::Write;
 use std::vec::Vec;
 
 use leb128::write::{signed as sleb128_encode, unsigned as leb128_encode};
@@ -67,6 +68,9 @@ impl ValueSerializer {
     fn write_leb128(&mut self, value: u64) {
         leb128_encode(&mut self.value, value).unwrap();
     }
+    fn write(&mut self, bytes: &[u8]) {
+        self.value.write_all(bytes).unwrap();
+    }
 }
 
 impl<'a> dfx_info::Serializer for &'a mut ValueSerializer {
@@ -74,7 +78,7 @@ impl<'a> dfx_info::Serializer for &'a mut ValueSerializer {
     type Compound = Compound<'a>;
     fn serialize_bool(self, v: bool) -> Result<()> {
         let v = if v { 1 } else { 0 };
-        self.write_leb128(v);
+        self.write(&[v]);
         Ok(())
     }
     fn serialize_int(self, v: i64) -> Result<()> {
@@ -91,6 +95,12 @@ impl<'a> dfx_info::Serializer for &'a mut ValueSerializer {
         self.value.append(&mut buf);
         Ok(())
     }
+    fn serialize_blob(self, blob: &[u8]) -> Result<()> {
+        self.write(&[1]);
+        self.write_leb128(blob.len() as u64);
+        self.write(blob);
+        Ok(())
+    }
     fn serialize_null(self, _v: ()) -> Result<()> {
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -209,6 +219,11 @@ impl TypeSerialize {
                         self.encode(&mut buf, ty)?;
                     }
                 }
+                Type::Service => {
+                    sleb128_encode(&mut buf, -23)?;
+                    // TODO add method types
+                    leb128_encode(&mut buf, 0)?;
+                }
                 _ => panic!("unreachable"),
             };
             self.type_table[idx] = buf;
diff --git a/src/serde_idl/src/value.rs b/src/serde_idl/src/value.rs
index 8f8756bfc4..b74f9e2a93 100644
--- a/src/serde_idl/src/value.rs
+++ b/src/serde_idl/src/value.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use dfx_info::types::{Field, Type};
+use ic_http_agent::CanisterId;
 use serde::de;
 use serde::de::{Deserialize, Visitor};
 use std::fmt;
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ pub enum IDLValue {
     Vec(Vec<IDLValue>),
     Record(Vec<IDLField>),
     Variant(Box<IDLField>),
+    Service(String),
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Clone)]
@@ -110,6 +112,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for IDLValue {
                 write!(f, "}}")
             }
             IDLValue::Variant(ref v) => write!(f, "variant {{ {} }}", v),
+            IDLValue::Service(ref s) => write!(f, "service \"{}\"", s),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -169,6 +172,7 @@ impl dfx_info::IDLType for IDLValue {
                 };
                 Type::Variant(vec![f])
             }
+            IDLValue::Service(_) => Type::Service,
         }
     }
     fn idl_serialize<S>(&self, serializer: S) -> Result<(), S::Error>
@@ -203,6 +207,10 @@ impl dfx_info::IDLType for IDLValue {
                 ser.serialize_element(&v.val)?;
                 Ok(())
             }
+            IDLValue::Service(ref s) => {
+                let blob = CanisterId::from_text(s).unwrap().into_blob();
+                serializer.serialize_blob(blob.as_slice())
+            }
         }
     }
 }
@@ -237,6 +245,10 @@ impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for IDLValue {
             {
                 self.visit_string(String::from(value))
             }
+            fn visit_byte_buf<E>(self, blob: Vec<u8>) -> Result<IDLValue, E> {
+                let canister_id = CanisterId::from_bytes(blob);
+                Ok(IDLValue::Service(canister_id.to_text()))
+            }
             fn visit_none<E>(self) -> Result<IDLValue, E> {
                 Ok(IDLValue::None)
             }
diff --git a/src/serde_idl/tests/value.rs b/src/serde_idl/tests/value.rs
index a6bd8e0c0e..79bde3c422 100644
--- a/src/serde_idl/tests/value.rs
+++ b/src/serde_idl/tests/value.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ fn test_parser() {
     parse_check(
         "(variant { cons=record{ 42; variant { cons=record{43; variant { nil=record{} }} } } })",
     );
+    parse_check("(service \"ic:00\")");
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -67,6 +68,16 @@ fn test_variant() {
     test_decode(&encoded, &value);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_reference() {
+    use IDLValue::*;
+    check(Service("ic:00".to_string()), "4449444c01690001000100");
+    check(
+        Service("ic:ABCD01A7".to_string()),
+        "4449444c01690001000103abcd01",
+    );
+}
+
 fn parse_check(str: &str) {
     let args = str.parse::<IDLArgs>().unwrap();
     let encoded = args.to_bytes().unwrap();