diff --git a/movie_editor/backend/builder.py b/movie_editor/backend/builder.py
index 69c1ac2d..2736ad5d 100644
--- a/movie_editor/backend/builder.py
+++ b/movie_editor/backend/builder.py
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ from typing import Any, Optional
 
 from . import config
 from . import pipeline_wiring
-from .nodes import (WIDGET_PRIMITIVES, connection_inputs, node_outputs, type_accepts,
-                    widget_type_of, _combo_default, _combo_choices)
+from .nodes import (WIDGET_PRIMITIVES, WIDGET_REFERENCE_FIELDS, connection_inputs,
+                    node_outputs, type_accepts, widget_type_of, _combo_default, _combo_choices)
 
 # ── fixed core ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # logical id -> class_type
@@ -593,6 +593,32 @@ def build(object_info: dict, models_config: dict, params: dict, media: dict | No
         same_kind.sort(key=lambda r: int(r.get("index") or 0))
         return same_kind[n - 1] if 1 <= n <= len(same_kind) else None
 
+    # 3a. widget-level references: a plain combo/upload field (VHS_LoadVideo's "video",
+    # LoadImage's "image", ...) set in the node panel to a Media Bin reference, using the
+    # same "ref:<id>" / "ref#<kind>:<n>" values as Input sources — but landing straight in
+    # the widget instead of wiring a socket, since WIDGET_REFERENCE_FIELDS entries aren't
+    # sockets at all (see nodes.connection_inputs, which skips them).
+    for s in slots:
+        sid = slot_node_id[s["id"]]
+        cls = s.get("node_class")
+        for wname, raw in (s.get("inputs") or {}).items():
+            if not isinstance(raw, str) or not (raw.startswith("ref:") or raw.startswith("ref#")):
+                continue
+            want_kind = WIDGET_REFERENCE_FIELDS.get((cls, wname))
+            if not want_kind:
+                continue
+            if raw.startswith("ref:"):
+                ref = references.get(raw[4:])
+            else:
+                kind, _, num = raw[4:].partition(":")
+                ref = _reference_by_slot(kind, int(num)) if kind == want_kind and num.isdigit() else None
+            if ref and ref.get("filename") and (ref.get("kind") or "image") == want_kind:
+                graph[sid]["inputs"][wname] = ref["filename"]
+                report["wired"].append(f"Reference {want_kind} -> {sid}.{wname}")
+            else:
+                report["unsatisfied"].append(
+                    f"{cls}.{wname}: reference '{raw}' is no longer in the media bin.")
+
     def _reference_link(ref_id: str, want_type: Optional[str], where: str):
         ref = references.get(ref_id)
         if not ref or not ref.get("filename"):
diff --git a/movie_editor/backend/nodes.py b/movie_editor/backend/nodes.py
index 846828ea..c299659a 100644
--- a/movie_editor/backend/nodes.py
+++ b/movie_editor/backend/nodes.py
@@ -339,7 +339,20 @@ def node_outputs(node_def: dict) -> list[dict]:
     return out
 
 
-def widget_inputs(node_def: dict) -> list[dict]:
+# Widget-typed inputs that take a Media Bin reference's filename directly: a plain
+# combo/upload field (VHS_LoadVideo's "video", LoadImage's "image", ...), not a wireable
+# socket, so the Editor's node panel offers marked references of this kind alongside the
+# node's own installed choices. Keyed by (class, field name) since a plain string combo
+# carries no type info of its own to key off of.
+WIDGET_REFERENCE_FIELDS: dict[tuple[str, str], str] = {
+    ("LoadImage", "image"): "image",
+    ("LoadAudio", "audio"): "audio",
+    ("LoadVideo", "file"): "video",
+    ("VHS_LoadVideo", "video"): "video",
+}
+
+
+def widget_inputs(node_def: dict, cls: str | None = None) -> list[dict]:
     """User-facing widgets for a node: combos (with options) and primitive fields.
     Skips graph-connection inputs (MODEL/CLIP/IMAGE/...) and forceInput sockets."""
     out = []
@@ -354,6 +367,9 @@ def widget_inputs(node_def: dict) -> list[dict]:
             if opts.get("forceInput"):
                 continue
             field = {"name": name, "required": group == "required", "options": opts}
+            ref_kind = WIDGET_REFERENCE_FIELDS.get((cls, name))
+            if ref_kind:
+                field["ref_kind"] = ref_kind
             # A widget the node itself calls advanced: real, tweakable, and validated at
             # its default, so the panel folds it away rather than putting five of them
             # between the user and the file picker.
@@ -408,7 +424,7 @@ def candidates(object_info: dict, role_key: str) -> list[dict]:
                 "class": cls,
                 "display_name": node_def.get("display_name", cls),
                 "category": node_def.get("category", ""),
-                "inputs": widget_inputs(node_def),
+                "inputs": widget_inputs(node_def, cls),
                 "outputs": node_outputs(node_def),
                 "connection_inputs": connection_inputs(node_def),
             })
@@ -442,7 +458,7 @@ def describe_node(object_info: dict, cls: str) -> dict | None:
         "class": cls,
         "display_name": nd.get("display_name", cls),
         "category": nd.get("category", ""),
-        "inputs": widget_inputs(nd),
+        "inputs": widget_inputs(nd, cls),
         "outputs": node_outputs(nd),
         "connection_inputs": connection_inputs(nd),
     }
diff --git a/movie_editor/frontend/models.js b/movie_editor/frontend/models.js
index afcc970d..ca409054 100644
--- a/movie_editor/frontend/models.js
+++ b/movie_editor/frontend/models.js
@@ -595,6 +595,25 @@
     return wrap;
   }
 
+  // Marked Media Bin references of exactly `refKind` ("image"/"audio"/"video"), as options
+  // for a widget-level reference field (spec.ref_kind) — e.g. VHS_LoadVideo's "video" combo.
+  // Kept a strict kind match (not typeAccepts cross-kind, like referenceSources() uses for
+  // real sockets): a widget takes the reference's filename verbatim, with no loader in
+  // between to bridge a video into an image-only field the way a real IMAGE socket can.
+  function widgetRefOptions(refKind) {
+    const st = window.Store?.get() || {};
+    const marks = st.project?.references || [];
+    const bin = st.mediaBin || [];
+    const out = [];
+    marks.forEach((id) => {
+      const m = bin.find((x) => x.id === id);
+      if (!m || (m.kind || "image") !== refKind) return;
+      const n = window.References.referenceNumber(marks, bin, id);
+      out.push({ value: `ref:${id}`, label: `R${n} · ${m.name}` });
+    });
+    return out;
+  }
+
   function widgetField(spec, value, onChange) {
     if (spec.kind === "list") return listField(spec, value, onChange);
     const wrap = el("label", "field");
@@ -602,12 +621,20 @@
     let ctrl;
     if (spec.kind === "combo") {
       ctrl = el("select");
+      const refOpts = spec.ref_kind ? widgetRefOptions(spec.ref_kind) : [];
+      if (refOpts.length) {
+        const og = el("optgroup"); og.label = `Media Bin reference (${spec.ref_kind})`;
+        refOpts.forEach((o) => { const opt = el("option", null, o.label); opt.value = o.value; if (o.value === value) opt.selected = true; og.append(opt); });
+        ctrl.append(og);
+      }
       (spec.choices || []).forEach((c) => { const o = el("option", null, String(c)); o.value = c; if (c === value) o.selected = true; ctrl.append(o); });
-      if (!spec.choices || !spec.choices.length) { ctrl.append(el("option", null, "(none installed)")); ctrl.disabled = true; }
-      // A saved value that no longer exists (renamed/removed file) leaves nothing
-      // selected — the browser then shows the first option without persisting it,
-      // so the stale value silently goes to generation. Persist what's displayed.
-      else if (value != null && !spec.choices.includes(value)) onChange(spec.choices[0]);
+      if ((!spec.choices || !spec.choices.length) && !refOpts.length) { ctrl.append(el("option", null, "(none installed)")); ctrl.disabled = true; }
+      // A saved value that no longer exists (renamed/removed file, or an unmarked
+      // reference) leaves nothing selected — the browser then shows the first option
+      // without persisting it, so the stale value silently goes to generation. Persist
+      // what's displayed.
+      else if (value != null && !spec.choices.includes(value) && !refOpts.some((o) => o.value === value))
+        onChange(spec.choices[0] ?? refOpts[0]?.value);
       ctrl.onchange = () => onChange(ctrl.value);
     } else if (spec.kind === "boolean") {
       ctrl = el("input"); ctrl.type = "checkbox"; ctrl.checked = !!value; ctrl.style.width = "auto";
diff --git a/movie_editor/tests/test_builder.py b/movie_editor/tests/test_builder.py
index e08dbaeb..1b41141f 100644
--- a/movie_editor/tests/test_builder.py
+++ b/movie_editor/tests/test_builder.py
@@ -1070,6 +1070,51 @@ def test_prevvideo_retrieval_failure_is_declared_not_silent():
                for u in report["unsatisfied"])
 
 
+# ── widget-level references (a manually placed VHS_LoadVideo's "video" combo, not a
+# wireable socket) ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_a_reference_set_on_a_widget_combo_resolves_to_its_filename():
+    models = {"slots": [
+        {"id": "lv", "node_class": "VHS_LoadVideo", "inputs": {"video": "ref:m1"}, "wires": {}},
+    ]}
+    params = _ref_params({"id": "m1", "kind": "video", "name": "clip.mp4",
+                          "filename": "funpack_movie_m1.mp4"})
+    graph, report = builder.build(VIDEO_OI, models, params)
+    assert graph["slot_lv"]["inputs"]["video"] == "funpack_movie_m1.mp4"
+    assert any("video" in w.lower() and "slot_lv.video" in w for w in report["wired"])
+
+
+def test_a_widget_reference_of_the_wrong_kind_is_not_wired():
+    """VHS_LoadVideo's "video" field only takes a video reference — an image marked in the
+    bin must not land there just because it happens to be the only reference around."""
+    models = {"slots": [
+        {"id": "lv", "node_class": "VHS_LoadVideo", "inputs": {"video": "ref:m1"}, "wires": {}},
+    ]}
+    params = _ref_params({"id": "m1", "kind": "image", "name": "face.png",
+                          "filename": "funpack_movie_m1.png"})
+    graph, report = builder.build(VIDEO_OI, models, params)
+    assert graph["slot_lv"]["inputs"]["video"] != "funpack_movie_m1.png"
+    assert any("VHS_LoadVideo.video" in u for u in report["unsatisfied"])
+
+
+def test_a_widget_reference_that_is_gone_reports_instead_of_silently_defaulting():
+    models = {"slots": [
+        {"id": "lv", "node_class": "VHS_LoadVideo", "inputs": {"video": "ref:missing"}, "wires": {}},
+    ]}
+    graph, report = builder.build(VIDEO_OI, models, _ref_params())
+    assert graph["slot_lv"]["inputs"]["video"] == "a.mp4"  # falls back to the node's own default
+    assert any("VHS_LoadVideo.video" in u for u in report["unsatisfied"])
+
+
+def test_a_plain_widget_value_that_is_not_a_reference_is_left_alone():
+    models = {"slots": [
+        {"id": "lv", "node_class": "VHS_LoadVideo", "inputs": {"video": "a.mp4"}, "wires": {}},
+    ]}
+    graph, _report = builder.build(VIDEO_OI, models, _ref_params())
+    assert graph["slot_lv"]["inputs"]["video"] == "a.mp4"
+
+
 def test_the_loader_matches_what_the_destination_socket_asks_for():
     """An audio reference feeding an AUDIO socket needs LoadAudio, not LoadImage — the
     loader is chosen by the socket's type, not by guessing from the file."""