diff --git a/ext/java/org/jruby/ext/ref/ReferencesService.java b/ext/java/org/jruby/ext/ref/ReferencesService.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ef38f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/java/org/jruby/ext/ref/ReferencesService.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package org.jruby.ext.ref;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import org.jruby.Ruby;
+import org.jruby.RubyClass;
+import org.jruby.RubyModule;
+import org.jruby.runtime.builtin.IRubyObject;
+import org.jruby.runtime.load.BasicLibraryService;
+
+/**
+ * This library adds native Java support for weak and soft references.
+ * 
+ * @author Brian Durand
+ */
+public class ReferencesService implements BasicLibraryService {
+  public boolean basicLoad(Ruby runtime) throws IOException {
+    RubyModule refModule = runtime.getModule("Ref");
+    RubyClass referenceClass = refModule.getClass("Reference");
+    
+    RubyClass rubyWeakReferenceClass = runtime.defineClassUnder("WeakReference", referenceClass, RubyWeakReference.ALLOCATOR, refModule);
+    rubyWeakReferenceClass.defineAnnotatedMethods(RubyWeakReference.class);
+    
+    RubyClass rubySoftReferenceClass = runtime.defineClassUnder("SoftReference", referenceClass, RubySoftReference.ALLOCATOR, refModule);
+    rubySoftReferenceClass.defineAnnotatedMethods(RubySoftReference.class);
+    
+    return true;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/ext/java/org/jruby/ext/ref/RubySoftReference.java b/ext/java/org/jruby/ext/ref/RubySoftReference.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55690fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/java/org/jruby/ext/ref/RubySoftReference.java
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+package org.jruby.ext.ref;
+
+import java.lang.ref.SoftReference;
+import org.jruby.Ruby;
+import org.jruby.RubyClass;
+import org.jruby.RubyObject;
+import org.jruby.anno.JRubyMethod;
+import org.jruby.runtime.builtin.IRubyObject;
+import org.jruby.runtime.ObjectAllocator;
+import org.jruby.runtime.ThreadContext;
+import org.jruby.runtime.Visibility;
+
+public class RubySoftReference extends RubyObject {
+  private SoftReference _ref;
+  private static final String REFERENCED_OBJECT_ID_VARIABLE = "@referenced_object_id".intern();
+
+  public RubySoftReference(Ruby runtime, RubyClass klass) {
+    super(runtime, klass);
+  }
+  
+  public static final ObjectAllocator ALLOCATOR = new ObjectAllocator() {
+    public IRubyObject allocate(Ruby runtime, RubyClass klass) {
+      return new RubySoftReference(runtime, klass);
+    }
+  };
+  
+  @JRubyMethod(name = "initialize", frame = true, visibility = Visibility.PRIVATE)
+  public IRubyObject initialize(ThreadContext context, IRubyObject obj) {
+    _ref = new SoftReference<IRubyObject>(obj);
+    fastSetInstanceVariable(REFERENCED_OBJECT_ID_VARIABLE, obj.id());
+    return context.getRuntime().getNil();
+  }
+
+  @JRubyMethod(name = "object")
+  public IRubyObject object() {
+    IRubyObject obj = (IRubyObject)_ref.get();
+    if (obj != null) {
+      return obj;
+    } else {
+      return getRuntime().getNil();
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/ext/java/org/jruby/ext/ref/RubyWeakReference.java b/ext/java/org/jruby/ext/ref/RubyWeakReference.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e9b0f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/java/org/jruby/ext/ref/RubyWeakReference.java
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+package org.jruby.ext.ref;
+
+import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
+import org.jruby.Ruby;
+import org.jruby.RubyClass;
+import org.jruby.RubyObject;
+import org.jruby.anno.JRubyMethod;
+import org.jruby.runtime.builtin.IRubyObject;
+import org.jruby.runtime.ObjectAllocator;
+import org.jruby.runtime.ThreadContext;
+import org.jruby.runtime.Visibility;
+
+public class RubyWeakReference extends RubyObject {
+  private WeakReference _ref;
+  private static final String REFERENCED_OBJECT_ID_VARIABLE = "@referenced_object_id".intern();
+
+  public RubyWeakReference(Ruby runtime, RubyClass klass) {
+    super(runtime, klass);
+  }
+  
+  public static final ObjectAllocator ALLOCATOR = new ObjectAllocator() {
+    public IRubyObject allocate(Ruby runtime, RubyClass klass) {
+      return new RubyWeakReference(runtime, klass);
+    }
+  };
+  
+  @JRubyMethod(name = "initialize", frame = true, visibility = Visibility.PRIVATE)
+  public IRubyObject initialize(ThreadContext context, IRubyObject obj) {
+    _ref = new WeakReference<IRubyObject>(obj);
+    fastSetInstanceVariable(REFERENCED_OBJECT_ID_VARIABLE, obj.id());
+    return context.getRuntime().getNil();
+  }
+
+  @JRubyMethod(name = "object")
+  public IRubyObject object() {
+    IRubyObject obj = (IRubyObject)_ref.get();
+    if (obj != null) {
+      return obj;
+    } else {
+      return getRuntime().getNil();
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/org/jruby/ext/ref/references.jar b/lib/org/jruby/ext/ref/references.jar
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..171d717
Binary files /dev/null and b/lib/org/jruby/ext/ref/references.jar differ
diff --git a/lib/ref.rb b/lib/ref.rb
index f61c752..f483ea2 100644
--- a/lib/ref.rb
+++ b/lib/ref.rb
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ module Ref
 
   # Set the best implementation for weak references based on the runtime.
   if defined?(RUBY_PLATFORM) && RUBY_PLATFORM == 'java'
-    $LOAD_PATH.unshift(File.dirname(__FILE__))
-    require 'ref/jruby/weak_reference'
-    require 'ref/jruby/soft_reference'
-
-    $LOAD_PATH.shift if $LOAD_PATH.first == File.dirname(__FILE__)
+    # Use native Java references
+    begin
+      $LOAD_PATH.unshift(File.dirname(__FILE__))
+      require 'org/jruby/ext/ref/references'
+    ensure
+      $LOAD_PATH.shift if $LOAD_PATH.first == File.dirname(__FILE__)
+    end
   else
     require 'ref/soft_reference'
     if defined?(RUBY_ENGINE) && RUBY_ENGINE == 'rbx'
diff --git a/lib/ref/jruby/soft_reference.rb b/lib/ref/jruby/soft_reference.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index 941a392..0000000
--- a/lib/ref/jruby/soft_reference.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-module Ref
-
-  class SoftReference < Reference
-    def initialize(obj)
-      @_ref = java.lang.ref.SoftReference.new(obj)
-      @referenced_object_id = obj.__id__
-    end
-
-    def object
-      @_ref.get()
-    end
-  end
-end
diff --git a/lib/ref/jruby/weak_reference.rb b/lib/ref/jruby/weak_reference.rb
deleted file mode 100644
index a08d10a..0000000
--- a/lib/ref/jruby/weak_reference.rb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-module Ref
-  class WeakReference < Reference
-
-    def initialize(obj)
-      @_ref = java.lang.ref.WeakReference.new(obj)
-      @referenced_object_id = obj.__id__
-    end
-
-    def object
-      @_ref.get()
-    end
-
-  end
-
-end