diff --git a/app/services/system_notes/issuables_service.rb b/app/services/system_notes/issuables_service.rb
index 1442628853456c7232545eb45772961aa99271ee..2e2cd0c89a6c70efdf7ba1ca0348be38bb43b64d 100644
--- a/app/services/system_notes/issuables_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/system_notes/issuables_service.rb
@@ -267,7 +267,10 @@ def cross_reference(mentioned_in)
         track_cross_reference_action
 
         created_at = mentioned_in.created_at if USE_COMMIT_DATE_FOR_CROSS_REFERENCE_NOTE && mentioned_in.is_a?(Commit)
-        create_note(NoteSummary.new(noteable, noteable.project, author, body, action: 'cross_reference', created_at: created_at), skip_touch_noteable: true)
+        note = create_note(NoteSummary.new(noteable, noteable.project, author, body, action: 'cross_reference', created_at: created_at), skip_touch_noteable: true)
+        track_cross_reference(mentioned_in, note)
+
+        note
       end
     end
 
@@ -518,6 +521,23 @@ def track_cross_reference_action
       track_issue_event(:track_issue_cross_referenced_action)
     end
 
+    def track_cross_reference(mentioned_in, note)
+      work_item = case mentioned_in
+                  when Epic
+                    mentioned_in.issue
+                  when WorkItem, Issue
+                    mentioned_in
+                  end
+
+      return unless work_item
+
+      ::Gitlab::WorkItems::Instrumentation::TrackingService.new(
+        work_item: work_item,
+        current_user: note.author,
+        event: Gitlab::WorkItems::Instrumentation::EventActions::REFERENCE_ADD
+      ).execute
+    end
+
     def hierarchy_note_params(action, parent, child)
       return {} unless child && parent
 
diff --git a/ee/spec/services/ee/system_notes/issuables_service_spec.rb b/ee/spec/services/ee/system_notes/issuables_service_spec.rb
index 518f9720f17cd085a82e96796009344f1f9fd331..f6506a2bba61b12e2a014d97b9579131e32c16ba 100644
--- a/ee/spec/services/ee/system_notes/issuables_service_spec.rb
+++ b/ee/spec/services/ee/system_notes/issuables_service_spec.rb
@@ -333,6 +333,26 @@
 
         subject
       end
+
+      context 'with work item instrumentation tracking' do
+        before do
+          allow_next_instance_of(described_class) do |instance|
+            allow(instance).to receive(:cross_reference_disallowed?).and_return(false)
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'when mentioned_in is an Epic' do
+          let_it_be(:epic) { create(:epic, group: group) }
+          let_it_be(:epic_work_item) { create(:work_item, project: project) }
+          let(:mentioned_in) { epic }
+
+          before do
+            allow(epic).to receive(:issue).and_return(epic_work_item)
+          end
+
+          it_behaves_like 'tracks work item event', :epic_work_item, :author, 'work_item_reference_add', :subject
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     context 'with project and group having the same path name' do
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/work_items/instrumentation/event_actions.rb b/lib/gitlab/work_items/instrumentation/event_actions.rb
index 9d4f7f2e0f46efccf1be22e8470fdc4c1ed06727..9b785e2afadd844d0c685116ede71fbc910da0e9 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/work_items/instrumentation/event_actions.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/work_items/instrumentation/event_actions.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ module EventActions
         NOTE_CREATE = 'work_item_note_create'
         NOTE_DESTROY = 'work_item_note_destroy'
         NOTE_UPDATE = 'work_item_note_update'
+        REFERENCE_ADD = 'work_item_reference_add'
         REOPEN = 'work_item_reopen'
 
         ALL_EVENTS = [
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ module EventActions
           NOTE_CREATE,
           NOTE_DESTROY,
           NOTE_UPDATE,
+          REFERENCE_ADD,
           REOPEN
         ].freeze
 
diff --git a/spec/services/system_notes/issuables_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/system_notes/issuables_service_spec.rb
index eff3036442bdf56cb9d1005ac578ac1cc3e475cb..2acb0d605768d5ae57573b0ce560691fa16ac408 100644
--- a/spec/services/system_notes/issuables_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/system_notes/issuables_service_spec.rb
@@ -521,6 +521,39 @@ def build_note(added_count, removed_count)
           subject
         end
       end
+
+      context 'with work item instrumentation tracking' do
+        before do
+          allow_next_instance_of(described_class) do |instance|
+            allow(instance).to receive(:cross_reference_disallowed?).and_return(false)
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'when mentioned_in is a WorkItem' do
+          let(:mentioned_in) { create(:work_item, project: project) }
+
+          it_behaves_like 'tracks work item event', :mentioned_in, :author, 'work_item_reference_add', :subject
+        end
+
+        context 'when mentioned_in is an Issue' do
+          let(:mentioned_in) { create(:issue, project: project) }
+          let(:work_item) { WorkItem.find(mentioned_in.id) }
+
+          it_behaves_like 'tracks work item event', :work_item, :author, 'work_item_reference_add', :subject
+        end
+
+        context 'when mentioned_in is a MergeRequest' do
+          let(:mentioned_in) { create(:merge_request, :simple, source_project: project) }
+
+          it_behaves_like 'does not track work item event', :subject
+        end
+
+        context 'when mentioned_in is a Commit' do
+          let(:mentioned_in) { project.repository.commit }
+
+          it_behaves_like 'does not track work item event', :subject
+        end
+      end
     end
   end