diff --git a/acceptance/tests/language/resource_refs_with_nested_arrays.rb b/acceptance/tests/language/resource_refs_with_nested_arrays.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7bc797885
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/tests/language/resource_refs_with_nested_arrays.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+test_name "#7681: Allow using array variables in resource references"
+
+test_manifest = <<MANIFEST
+$exec_names = ["first", "second"]
+exec { "first":
+  command => "echo the first command",
+  path => "/usr/bin:/bin",
+  logoutput => true,
+}
+exec { "second":
+  command => "echo the second command",
+  path => "/usr/bin:/bin",
+  logoutput => true,
+}
+exec { "third":
+  command => "echo the final command",
+  path => "/usr/bin:/bin",
+  logoutput => true,
+  require => Exec[$exec_names],
+}
+MANIFEST
+
+results = apply_manifest_on agents, test_manifest
+
+results.each do |result|
+  assert_match(/Exec\[third\].*the final command/, "#{result.stdout}")
+end
diff --git a/lib/puppet/parser/ast/resource_reference.rb b/lib/puppet/parser/ast/resource_reference.rb
index 0f8e655bf..256a99d75 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/parser/ast/resource_reference.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/parser/ast/resource_reference.rb
@@ -1,28 +1,28 @@
 require 'puppet/parser/ast'
 require 'puppet/parser/ast/branch'
 
 class Puppet::Parser::AST::ResourceReference < Puppet::Parser::AST::Branch
   attr_accessor :title, :type
 
   # Evaluate our object, but just return a simple array of the type
   # and name.
   def evaluate(scope)
-    titles = Array(title.safeevaluate(scope))
+    titles = Array(title.safeevaluate(scope)).flatten
 
     a_type, titles = scope.resolve_type_and_titles(type, titles)
 
     resources = titles.collect{ |a_title|
       Puppet::Resource.new(a_type, a_title)
     }
 
     return(resources.length == 1 ? resources.pop : resources)
   end
 
   def to_s
     if title.is_a?(Puppet::Parser::AST::ASTArray)
       "#{type.to_s.capitalize}#{title}"
     else
       "#{type.to_s.capitalize}[#{title}]"
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/parser/ast/resource_reference_spec.rb b/spec/unit/parser/ast/resource_reference_spec.rb
index 627754dd1..4d1c191cf 100755
--- a/spec/unit/parser/ast/resource_reference_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/parser/ast/resource_reference_spec.rb
@@ -1,40 +1,54 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env rspec
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe Puppet::Parser::AST::ResourceReference do
 
   ast = Puppet::Parser::AST
 
   before :each do
     @scope = Puppet::Parser::Scope.new
   end
 
+  def ast_name(value)
+    Puppet::Parser::AST::Name.new(:value => value)
+  end
+
   def newref(type, title)
-    title = stub 'title', :safeevaluate => title
-    ref = Puppet::Parser::AST::ResourceReference.new(:type => type, :title => title)
+    title_array = Puppet::Parser::AST::ASTArray.new(:children => [title])
+    ref = Puppet::Parser::AST::ResourceReference.new(:type => type, :title => title_array)
   end
 
   it "should correctly produce reference strings" do
-    newref("File", "/tmp/yay").evaluate(@scope).to_s.should == "File[/tmp/yay]"
+    newref("File", ast_name("/tmp/yay")).evaluate(@scope).to_s.should == "File[/tmp/yay]"
   end
 
   it "should produce a single resource when the title evaluates to a string" do
-    newref("File", "/tmp/yay").evaluate(@scope).should == Puppet::Resource.new("file", "/tmp/yay")
+    newref("File", ast_name("/tmp/yay")).evaluate(@scope).should == Puppet::Resource.new("file", "/tmp/yay")
   end
 
   it "should return an array of resources if given an array of titles" do
-    titles = mock 'titles', :safeevaluate => ["title1","title2"]
+    titles = Puppet::Parser::AST::ASTArray.new(:children => [ast_name("title1"), ast_name("title2")])
     ref = ast::ResourceReference.new( :title => titles, :type => "File" )
     ref.evaluate(@scope).should == [
       Puppet::Resource.new("file", "title1"),
       Puppet::Resource.new("file", "title2")
     ]
   end
 
+  it "should return an array of resources if given a variable containing an array of titles" do
+    @scope.setvar("my_files", ["foo", "bar"])
+    titles = Puppet::Parser::AST::Variable.new(:value => "my_files")
+    ref = newref('File', titles)
+    ref.evaluate(@scope).should == [
+      Puppet::Resource.new("file", "foo"),
+      Puppet::Resource.new("file", "bar")
+    ]
+  end
+
   it "should return a correct representation when converting to string" do
     type = stub 'type', :is_a? => true, :to_s => "file"
     title = stub 'title', :is_a? => true, :to_s => "[/tmp/a, /tmp/b]"
 
     ast::ResourceReference.new( :type => type, :title => title ).to_s.should == "File[/tmp/a, /tmp/b]"
   end
 end