diff --git a/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaBookPayloadReader.kt b/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaBookPayloadReader.kt
index 3e7c4d78..42dd9a48 100644
--- a/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaBookPayloadReader.kt
+++ b/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaBookPayloadReader.kt
@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@ internal class SefariaBookPayloadReader(
             val collectiveTitleEn = (schemaJson["collective_title"] as? JsonObject)
                 ?.get("en")?.stringOrNull()?.trim()?.takeIf { it.isNotEmpty() }
             val titleAliasKeys = extractTitleAliasKeys(schemaJson, schemaObj)
+            val isReferenceWork = schemaJson["categories"]?.jsonArray
+                ?.firstOrNull()?.jsonPrimitive?.contentOrNull == "Reference"
 
             BookPayload(
                 heTitle = hebrewTitle,
@@ -150,6 +152,7 @@ internal class SefariaBookPayloadReader(
                 baseTextTitleKeys = baseTextTitleKeys,
                 collectiveTitleEn = collectiveTitleEn,
                 titleAliasKeys = titleAliasKeys,
+                isReferenceWork = isReferenceWork,
             )
         }.onFailure { e ->
             logger.w(e) { "Failed to prepare book from $textPath" }
diff --git a/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaDirectImporter.kt b/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaDirectImporter.kt
index e8057d99..c3336e25 100644
--- a/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaDirectImporter.kt
+++ b/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaDirectImporter.kt
@@ -280,6 +280,7 @@ class SefariaDirectImporter(
                 // Resolved in a second pass; left empty for now.
                 baseTextBookIds = emptySet(),
                 collectiveTitleEn = payload.collectiveTitleEn,
+                isReferenceWork = payload.isReferenceWork,
             )
             if (payload.baseTextTitleKeys.isNotEmpty()) {
                 pendingBaseTextKeysByBookId[bookId] = payload.baseTextTitleKeys
diff --git a/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaImportModels.kt b/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaImportModels.kt
index 035f899b..26b03828 100644
--- a/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaImportModels.kt
+++ b/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaImportModels.kt
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ internal data class BookMeta(
     // "Rashi on Exodus"…). Used by the density chain to aggregate per-collective
     // signal so volume-level noise doesn't tip the per-pair ratio.
     val collectiveTitleEn: String? = null,
+    // Sefaria `Reference` work (dictionary, lexicon…). It explains words of other
+    // texts without being their base or their commentary, so a link between a
+    // reference work and a non-reference book is never oriented.
+    val isReferenceWork: Boolean = false,
 )
 
 internal data class BookPayload(
@@ -65,6 +69,8 @@ internal data class BookPayload(
     // so that title-pattern base parsing ("X on Y") can resolve "Y" to a bookId
     // when "Y" is a Sefaria-recognised alias (e.g. "Avot" → Pirkei Avot).
     val titleAliasKeys: List<String> = emptyList(),
+    // Top-level Sefaria category is `Reference` (dictionaries, lexicons, bibliographies).
+    val isReferenceWork: Boolean = false,
 )
 
 internal data class RefEntry(
diff --git a/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaLinksImporter.kt b/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaLinksImporter.kt
index e4450ccd..6af82aeb 100644
--- a/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaLinksImporter.kt
+++ b/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmMain/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaLinksImporter.kt
@@ -591,6 +591,15 @@ internal fun resolveDirectionalConnectionTypesForMeta(
         return baseType to baseType
     }
 
+    // A reference work (e.g. Otzar La'azei Rashi, a dictionary of Rashi's Old French
+    // glosses) is neither the base nor a commentary of the texts it explains. Sefaria
+    // still types those rows `commentary`, and since a dictionary has no `dependence`
+    // the asymmetry below would make it Rashi's base (Zayit issue #503). Links inside
+    // the reference category (Hafla'ah she-ba'Arakhin on Sefer HeArukh) stay oriented.
+    if (sourceMeta.isReferenceWork != targetMeta.isReferenceWork) {
+        return ConnectionType.REFERENCE to ConnectionType.REFERENCE
+    }
+
     // (1) Strongest signal: explicit base_text_titles declaration.
     val targetDependsOnSource = sourceBookId in targetMeta.baseTextBookIds
     val sourceDependsOnTarget = targetBookId in sourceMeta.baseTextBookIds
diff --git a/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmTest/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaLinksImporterTest.kt b/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmTest/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaLinksImporterTest.kt
index bbb8e8e8..9da25e39 100644
--- a/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmTest/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaLinksImporterTest.kt
+++ b/generator/sefariasqlite/src/jvmTest/kotlin/io/github/kdroidfilter/seforimlibrary/sefariasqlite/SefariaLinksImporterTest.kt
@@ -64,6 +64,55 @@ class SefariaLinksImporterTest {
         assertEquals(ConnectionType.COMMENTARY, reverse)
     }
 
+    // Zayit #503: Sefaria types Otzar La'azei Rashi → Rashi on X rows `commentary`.
+    // The dictionary has no dependence, so it must not become Rashi's base.
+    @Test
+    fun referenceWorkIsNeverOrientedAgainstNonReferenceBook() {
+        val dictionary = BookMeta(isBaseBook = false, categoryLevel = 1, priorityRank = null, isReferenceWork = true)
+        val rashi = BookMeta(
+            isBaseBook = false,
+            categoryLevel = 2,
+            priorityRank = null,
+            dependence = Dependence.COMMENTARY,
+        )
+
+        val (forward, reverse) = resolveDirectionalConnectionTypesForMeta(
+            baseType = ConnectionType.COMMENTARY,
+            sourceBookId = 10L,
+            targetBookId = 20L,
+            sourceMeta = dictionary,
+            targetMeta = rashi
+        )
+
+        assertEquals(ConnectionType.REFERENCE, forward)
+        assertEquals(ConnectionType.REFERENCE, reverse)
+    }
+
+    // A commentary on a dictionary (Hafla'ah she-ba'Arakhin on Sefer HeArukh) stays oriented.
+    @Test
+    fun commentaryInsideReferenceCategoryKeepsOrientation() {
+        val arukh = BookMeta(isBaseBook = false, categoryLevel = 1, priorityRank = null, isReferenceWork = true)
+        val haflaah = BookMeta(
+            isBaseBook = false,
+            categoryLevel = 1,
+            priorityRank = null,
+            dependence = Dependence.COMMENTARY,
+            baseTextBookIds = setOf(10L),
+            isReferenceWork = true,
+        )
+
+        val (forward, reverse) = resolveDirectionalConnectionTypesForMeta(
+            baseType = ConnectionType.COMMENTARY,
+            sourceBookId = 10L,
+            targetBookId = 20L,
+            sourceMeta = arukh,
+            targetMeta = haflaah
+        )
+
+        assertEquals(ConnectionType.COMMENTARY, forward)
+        assertEquals(ConnectionType.SOURCE, reverse)
+    }
+
     // When base_text_titles couldn't be resolved (e.g. the base book is not in
     // our DB), fall back to schema dependence flag.
     @Test