diff --git a/src/V3AstNodeOther.h b/src/V3AstNodeOther.h
index 219397bac..86e2de882 100644
--- a/src/V3AstNodeOther.h
+++ b/src/V3AstNodeOther.h
@@ -2071,6 +2071,7 @@ public:
     bool isPrimaryIO() const VL_MT_SAFE { return m_primaryIO; }
     bool isPrimaryInish() const { return isPrimaryIO() && isNonOutput(); }
     bool isIfaceRef() const { return varType() == VVarType::IFACEREF; }
+    void setIfaceRef() { m_varType = VVarType::IFACEREF; }
     bool isIfaceParent() const { return m_isIfaceParent; }
     bool isInternal() const { return m_isInternal; }
     bool isSignal() const { return varType().isSignal(); }
diff --git a/src/V3LinkCells.cpp b/src/V3LinkCells.cpp
index bd27b2f32..becf8b566 100644
--- a/src/V3LinkCells.cpp
+++ b/src/V3LinkCells.cpp
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ class LinkCellsVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
 
     // Below state needs to be preserved between each module call.
     AstNodeModule* m_modp = nullptr;  // Current module
+    AstVar* m_varp = nullptr;  // Current variable
     VSymGraph m_mods;  // Symbol table of all module names
     LinkCellsGraph m_graph;  // Linked graph of all cell interconnects
     LibraryVertex* m_libVertexp = nullptr;  // Vertex at root of all libraries
@@ -248,6 +249,9 @@ class LinkCellsVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
             pinp->param(true);
             if (pinp->name() == "") pinp->name("__paramNumber" + cvtToStr(pinp->pinNum()));
         }
+        // Parser didn't know what was interface, resolve now
+        // For historical reasons virtual interface reference variables remain VARs
+        if (m_varp && !nodep->isVirtual()) m_varp->setIfaceRef();
         // Note cannot do modport resolution here; modports are allowed underneath generates
     }
 
@@ -525,6 +529,10 @@ class LinkCellsVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
             pinp->param(true);
             if (pinp->name() == "") pinp->name("__paramNumber" + cvtToStr(pinp->pinNum()));
         }
+        if (m_varp) {  // Parser didn't know what was interface, resolve now
+            const AstNodeModule* const varModp = findModuleSym(nodep->name());
+            if (VN_IS(varModp, Iface)) m_varp->setIfaceRef();
+        }
     }
     void visit(AstClassOrPackageRef* nodep) override {
         iterateChildren(nodep);
@@ -538,6 +546,17 @@ class LinkCellsVisitor final : public VNVisitor {
         }
     }
 
+    void visit(AstVar* nodep) override {
+        {
+            VL_RESTORER(m_varp);
+            m_varp = nodep;
+            iterateAndNextNull(nodep->childDTypep());
+        }
+        iterateAndNextNull(nodep->delayp());
+        iterateAndNextNull(nodep->valuep());
+        iterateAndNextNull(nodep->attrsp());
+    }
+
     void visit(AstNode* nodep) override { iterateChildren(nodep); }
 
     // METHODS
diff --git a/src/verilog.y b/src/verilog.y
index 2ce3e4b08..17c249cb3 100644
--- a/src/verilog.y
+++ b/src/verilog.y
@@ -1528,12 +1528,14 @@ port<nodep>:                    // ==IEEE: port
         //                      // Expanded interface_port_header
         //                      // We use instantCb here because the non-port form looks just like a module instantiation
                 portDirNetE id/*interface*/                      portSig variable_dimensionListE sigAttrListE
-                        { $$ = $3; VARDECL(IFACEREF); VARIO(NONE);
+                        { // VAR for now, but V3LinkCells may call setIfcaeRef on it later
+                          $$ = $3; VARDECL(VAR); VARIO(NONE);
                           AstNodeDType* const dtp = new AstIfaceRefDType{$<fl>2, "", *$2};
                           VARDTYPE(dtp);
                           addNextNull($$, VARDONEP($$, $4, $5)); }
         |       portDirNetE id/*interface*/ '.' idAny/*modport*/ portSig variable_dimensionListE sigAttrListE
-                        { $$ = $5; VARDECL(IFACEREF); VARIO(NONE);
+                        { // VAR for now, but V3LinkCells may call setIfcaeRef on it later
+                          $$ = $5; VARDECL(VAR); VARIO(NONE);
                           AstNodeDType* const dtp = new AstIfaceRefDType{$<fl>2, $<fl>4, "", *$2, *$4};
                           VARDTYPE(dtp);
                           addNextNull($$, VARDONEP($$, $6, $7)); }