diff --git a/evennia/prototypes/protfuncs.py b/evennia/prototypes/protfuncs.py
index a13aa7e532..e222876221 100644
--- a/evennia/prototypes/protfuncs.py
+++ b/evennia/prototypes/protfuncs.py
@@ -37,12 +37,15 @@ prototype key (this value must be possible to serialize in an Attribute).
 
 from ast import literal_eval
 from random import randint as base_randint, random as base_random, choice as base_choice
+import re
 
 from evennia.utils import search
 from evennia.utils.utils import justify as base_justify, is_iter, to_str
 
 _PROTLIB = None
 
+_RE_DBREF = re.compile(r"\#[0-9]+")
+
 
 # default protfuncs
 
@@ -325,3 +328,14 @@ def objlist(*args, **kwargs):
 
     """
     return ["#{}".format(obj.id) for obj in _obj_search(return_list=True, *args, **kwargs)]
+
+
+def dbref(*args, **kwargs):
+    """
+    Usage $dbref(<#dbref>)
+    Returns one Object searched globally by #dbref. Error if #dbref is invalid.
+    """
+    if not args or len(args) < 1 or _RE_DBREF.match(args[0]) is None:
+        raise ValueError('$dbref requires a valid #dbref argument.')
+
+    return obj(args[0])
diff --git a/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py b/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py
index 833316cf59..a3281777e0 100644
--- a/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py
+++ b/evennia/prototypes/prototypes.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ Handling storage of prototypes, both database-based ones (DBPrototypes) and thos
 
 """
 
-import re
 import hashlib
 import time
 from ast import literal_eval
@@ -33,8 +32,6 @@ _PROTOTYPE_TAG_CATEGORY = "from_prototype"
 _PROTOTYPE_TAG_META_CATEGORY = "db_prototype"
 PROT_FUNCS = {}
 
-_RE_DBREF = re.compile(r"(?<!\$obj\()(#[0-9]+)")
-
 
 class PermissionError(RuntimeError):
     pass
@@ -576,9 +573,6 @@ def protfunc_parser(value, available_functions=None, testing=False, stacktrace=F
 
     available_functions = PROT_FUNCS if available_functions is None else available_functions
 
-    # insert $obj(#dbref) for #dbref
-    value = _RE_DBREF.sub("$obj(\\1)", value)
-
     result = inlinefuncs.parse_inlinefunc(
         value, available_funcs=available_functions,
         stacktrace=stacktrace, testing=testing, **kwargs)
diff --git a/evennia/prototypes/tests.py b/evennia/prototypes/tests.py
index 411bd45c27..e8ef8a4e6b 100644
--- a/evennia/prototypes/tests.py
+++ b/evennia/prototypes/tests.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from evennia.utils.test_resources import EvenniaTest
 from evennia.utils.tests.test_evmenu import TestEvMenu
 from evennia.prototypes import spawner, prototypes as protlib
 from evennia.prototypes import menus as olc_menus
+from evennia.prototypes import protfuncs as protofuncs
 
 from evennia.prototypes.prototypes import _PROTOTYPE_TAG_META_CATEGORY
 
@@ -312,11 +313,83 @@ class TestProtFuncs(EvenniaTest):
         self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser(
             "$eval({'test': '1', 2:3, 3: $toint(3.5)})"), {'test': '1', 2: 3, 3: 3})
 
-        self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("$obj(#1)", session=self.session), '#1')
-        self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("#1", session=self.session), '#1')
-        self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("$obj(Char)", session=self.session), '#6')
-        self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("$obj(Char)", session=self.session), '#6')
-        self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("$objlist(#1)", session=self.session), ['#1'])
+
+        # no object search
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("obj(#1)", session=self.session), 'obj(#1)')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("dbref(#1)", session=self.session), 'dbref(#1)')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("stone(#12345)", session=self.session), 'stone(#12345)')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("#1", session=self.session), '#1')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("#12345", session=self.session), '#12345')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("nothing(#1)", session=self.session), 'nothing(#1)')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("(#12345)", session=self.session), '(#12345)')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("obj(Char)", session=self.session), 'obj(Char)')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("objlist(#1)", session=self.session), 'objlist(#1)')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("dbref(Char)", session=self.session), 'dbref(Char)')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
+
+        # obj search happens
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("$objlist(#1)", session=self.session), ['#1'])
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_called_once()
+            assert ('#1',) == mocked__obj_search.call_args[0]
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("$obj(#1)", session=self.session), '#1')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_called_once()
+            assert ('#1',) == mocked__obj_search.call_args[0]
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("$dbref(#1)", session=self.session), '#1')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_called_once()
+            assert ('#1',) == mocked__obj_search.call_args[0]
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("$obj(Char)", session=self.session), '#6')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_called_once()
+            assert ('Char',) == mocked__obj_search.call_args[0]
+
+
+        # bad invocation
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertEqual(protlib.protfunc_parser("$badfunc(#1)", session=self.session), '<UNKNOWN>')
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
+        with mock.patch("evennia.prototypes.protfuncs._obj_search", wraps=protofuncs._obj_search) as mocked__obj_search:
+            self.assertRaises(ValueError, protlib.protfunc_parser, "$dbref(Char)")
+            mocked__obj_search.assert_not_called()
+
 
         self.assertEqual(protlib.value_to_obj(
             protlib.protfunc_parser("#6", session=self.session)), self.char1)