diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Markdown.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Markdown.hs
index b72ab22e2..0d4592599 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Markdown.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Markdown.hs
@@ -1775,8 +1775,7 @@ endline = try $ do
 -- a reference label for a link
 reference :: PandocMonad m => MarkdownParser m (F Inlines, Text)
 reference = do
-  -- guardDisabled Ext_footnotes <|> notFollowedBy' (string "[^")
-  -- guardDisabled Ext_citations <|> notFollowedBy' (string "[@")
+  guardDisabled Ext_footnotes <|> notFollowedBy' (string "[^")
   withRaw $ trimInlinesF <$> inlinesInBalancedBrackets
 
 parenthesizedChars :: PandocMonad m => MarkdownParser m Text
diff --git a/test/command/7723.md b/test/command/7723.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f3229eb1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/command/7723.md
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+```
+% pandoc -t native
+Bug![^1]
+
+[^1]: Note.
+^D
+[ Para [ Str "Bug!" , Note [ Para [ Str "Note." ] ] ] ]
+```