diff --git a/lisp/ob-ref.el b/lisp/ob-ref.el
index e482cb835..f350d618d 100644
--- a/lisp/ob-ref.el
+++ b/lisp/ob-ref.el
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 (declare-function org-remove-if-not "org" (predicate seq))
 (declare-function org-at-table-p "org" (&optional table-type))
 (declare-function org-count "org" (CL-ITEM CL-SEQ))
+(declare-function org-in-item-p "org-list" ())
 
 (defvar org-babel-ref-split-regexp
   "[ \f\t\n\r\v]*\\(.+?\\)[ \f\t\n\r\v]*=[ \f\t\n\r\v]*\\(.+\\)[ \f\t\n\r\v]*")
diff --git a/lisp/ob.el b/lisp/ob.el
index 368961968..5603cf561 100644
--- a/lisp/ob.el
+++ b/lisp/ob.el
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@
 (declare-function org-babel-ref-resolve "ob-ref" (ref))
 (declare-function org-babel-lob-execute-maybe "ob-lob" ())
 (declare-function org-number-sequence "org-compat" (from &optional to inc))
+(declare-function org-in-item-p "org-list" ())
+(declare-function org-list-parse-list "org-list" (&optional delete))
+(declare-function org-list-to-generic "org-list" (LIST PARAMS))
+(declare-function org-list-bottom-point "org-list" ())
 
 (defgroup org-babel nil
   "Code block evaluation and management in `org-mode' documents."
@@ -906,10 +910,9 @@ may be specified at the top of the current buffer."
 		  arg)
 		 (cons (intern (match-string 1 arg))
 		       (org-babel-read (org-babel-chomp (match-string 2 arg))))
-	       (cons (intern (concat ":" arg)) nil)))
-	   ;; walk the list splitting on balanced instances of [ \t]:
+	       (cons (intern arg) nil)))
 	   (let ((balance 0) (partial nil) (lst nil) (last 0))
-	     (mapc (lambda (ch)
+	     (mapc (lambda (ch)  ; split on [] balanced instances of [ \t]:
 		     (setq balance (+ balance
 				      (cond ((equal 91 ch) 1)
 					    ((equal 93 ch) -1)