diff --git a/src/visualBuilder/components/__test__/fieldlabelwrapper/fieldLabelWrapper.referenceMapRequest.test.tsx b/src/visualBuilder/components/__test__/fieldlabelwrapper/fieldLabelWrapper.referenceMapRequest.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..656a8496
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/visualBuilder/components/__test__/fieldlabelwrapper/fieldLabelWrapper.referenceMapRequest.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { render, waitFor, cleanup } from "@testing-library/preact";
+import FieldLabelWrapperComponent from "../../fieldLabelWrapper";
+import visualBuilderPostMessage from "../../../utils/visualBuilderPostMessage";
+import { VisualBuilderPostMessageEvents } from "../../../utils/types/postMessage.types";
+import React from "preact/compat";
+import { mockFieldMetadata } from "./fieldLabelWrapper.mocks";
+
+vi.mock("../../../utils/visualBuilderPostMessage", () => ({
+    default: { send: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({}) },
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../../../utils/fieldSchemaMap", () => ({
+    FieldSchemaMap: {
+        getFieldSchema: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+            display_name: "Title",
+            data_type: "text",
+            field_metadata: {},
+            uid: "title",
+        }),
+    },
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../../../utils/fetchEntryPermissionsAndStageDetails", () => ({
+    fetchEntryPermissionsAndStageDetails: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({}),
+}));
+
+// class names only; generating the real stylesheet slows jsdom down test after test
+vi.mock("../../../visualBuilder.style", () => ({
+    visualBuilderStyles: () =>
+        new Proxy({}, { get: (_target, name) => String(name) }),
+}));
+
+describe("FieldLabelWrapperComponent - reference map request", () => {
+    afterEach(() => {
+        cleanup();
+        vi.clearAllMocks();
+    });
+
+    test("names the hovered field's entry so the editor can skip building the whole map", async () => {
+        render(
+            <FieldLabelWrapperComponent
+                fieldMetadata={mockFieldMetadata}
+                eventDetails={{
+                    editableElement: document.createElement("div"),
+                    cslpData: "",
+                    fieldMetadata: mockFieldMetadata,
+                }}
+                parentPaths={[]}
+                getParentEditableElement={() => document.createElement("div")}
+            />
+        );
+
+        await waitFor(() =>
+            expect(visualBuilderPostMessage!.send).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+                VisualBuilderPostMessageEvents.REFERENCE_MAP,
+                {
+                    entry_uid: mockFieldMetadata.entry_uid,
+                    content_type_uid: mockFieldMetadata.content_type_uid,
+                    locale: mockFieldMetadata.locale,
+                }
+            )
+        );
+    });
+});
diff --git a/src/visualBuilder/components/fieldLabelWrapper.tsx b/src/visualBuilder/components/fieldLabelWrapper.tsx
index b92a2834..3c5fa0c4 100644
--- a/src/visualBuilder/components/fieldLabelWrapper.tsx
+++ b/src/visualBuilder/components/fieldLabelWrapper.tsx
@@ -50,9 +50,15 @@ async function getContentTypeName(contentTypeUid: string) {
     }
 }
 
-async function getReferenceParentMap() {
+// Naming the hovered entry lets the editor answer without building the whole
+// map, e.g. at once for the page entry. Older editors ignore the payload.
+async function getReferenceParentMap(fieldMetadata: CslpData) {
     try {
-        const result = await visualBuilderPostMessage?.send<ReferenceParentMap>(VisualBuilderPostMessageEvents.REFERENCE_MAP, {}) ?? {};
+        const result = await visualBuilderPostMessage?.send<ReferenceParentMap>(VisualBuilderPostMessageEvents.REFERENCE_MAP, {
+            entry_uid: fieldMetadata.entry_uid,
+            content_type_uid: fieldMetadata.content_type_uid,
+            locale: fieldMetadata.locale,
+        }) ?? {};
         return result;
     } catch(e) {
         console.warn("[getFieldLabelWrapper] Error getting reference parent map", e);
@@ -240,7 +246,7 @@ function FieldLabelWrapperComponent(
                 getContentTypeName(
                     props.fieldMetadata.content_type_uid
                 ),
-                getReferenceParentMap()
+                getReferenceParentMap(props.fieldMetadata)
             ]);
             const entryUid = props.fieldMetadata.entry_uid;