diff --git a/code/_compile_options.dm b/code/_compile_options.dm
index b19b2eba6d..1aca8959c2 100644
--- a/code/_compile_options.dm
+++ b/code/_compile_options.dm
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 //#define REFERENCE_TRACKING
 #ifdef REFERENCE_TRACKING
 
+///alternate to reftracking, extool variant
+//#define EXTOOLS_REFERENCE_TRACKING
+
 ///Should we be logging our findings or not
 #define REFERENCE_TRACKING_LOG
 
diff --git a/code/game/world.dm b/code/game/world.dm
index f466913346..14a85bb619 100644
--- a/code/game/world.dm
+++ b/code/game/world.dm
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ GLOBAL_LIST(topic_status_cache)
 		call(debug_server, "auxtools_init")()
 		enable_debugging()
 	AUXTOOLS_CHECK(AUXMOS)
-#ifdef REFERENCE_TRACKING
+#ifdef EXTOOLS_REFERENCE_TRACKING
 	enable_reference_tracking()
 #endif
 	world.Profile(PROFILE_START)
diff --git a/code/modules/admin/view_variables/topic_basic.dm b/code/modules/admin/view_variables/topic_basic.dm
index 01b5536948..043c50173d 100644
--- a/code/modules/admin/view_variables/topic_basic.dm
+++ b/code/modules/admin/view_variables/topic_basic.dm
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 				usr.client.debug_variables(src)
 				return
 
-		#ifdef REFERENCE_TRACKING
+		#ifdef EXTOOLS_REFERENCE_TRACKING
 		if(href_list[VV_HK_VIEW_REFERENCES])
 			var/datum/D = locate(href_list[VV_HK_TARGET])
 			if(!D)