diff --git a/src/libstore/legacy-ssh-store.cc b/src/libstore/legacy-ssh-store.cc
index 9b6e6e6d7..b43e34484 100644
--- a/src/libstore/legacy-ssh-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/legacy-ssh-store.cc
@@ -114,11 +114,7 @@ struct LegacySSHStore : public Store
             if (GET_PROTOCOL_MINOR(conn->remoteVersion) >= 4) {
                 auto s = readString(conn->from);
                 info->narHash = s.empty() ? Hash() : Hash(s);
-                {
-                    std::string rawCaOpt;
-                    conn->from >> rawCaOpt;
-                    info->ca = parseContentAddressOpt(rawCaOpt);
-                }
+                info->ca = parseContentAddressOpt(readString(conn->from));
                 info->sigs = readStrings<StringSet>(conn->from);
             }
 
diff --git a/src/libstore/local-store.cc b/src/libstore/local-store.cc
index 2067343c7..93697ae47 100644
--- a/src/libstore/local-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/local-store.cc
@@ -999,7 +999,9 @@ void LocalStore::addToStore(const ValidPathInfo & info, Source & source,
 
             deletePath(realPath);
 
-            if (info.ca && !info.references.empty() && !std::holds_alternative<TextHash>(*info.ca))
+            // text hashing has long been allowed to have non-self-references because it is used for drv files.
+            bool refersToSelf = info.references.count(info.path) > 0;
+            if (info.ca && !info.references.empty() && !(std::holds_alternative<TextHash>(*info.ca) && !refersToSelf))
                 settings.requireExperimentalFeature("ca-references");
 
             /* While restoring the path from the NAR, compute the hash
diff --git a/src/libstore/remote-store.cc b/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
index 6dab9dc16..0faa4d824 100644
--- a/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/remote-store.cc
@@ -381,9 +381,7 @@ void RemoteStore::queryPathInfoUncached(const StorePath & path,
             if (GET_PROTOCOL_MINOR(conn->daemonVersion) >= 16) {
                 conn->from >> info->ultimate;
                 info->sigs = readStrings<StringSet>(conn->from);
-                string caOptRaw;
-                conn->from >> caOptRaw;
-                info->ca = parseContentAddressOpt(caOptRaw);
+                info->ca = parseContentAddressOpt(readString(conn->from));
             }
         }
         callback(std::move(info));
diff --git a/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc b/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc
index 5d8d04252..c74847394 100644
--- a/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc
+++ b/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc
@@ -944,11 +944,7 @@ static void opServe(Strings opFlags, Strings opArgs)
                 info.references = readStorePaths<StorePathSet>(*store, in);
                 in >> info.registrationTime >> info.narSize >> info.ultimate;
                 info.sigs = readStrings<StringSet>(in);
-                {
-                    std::string rawCA;
-                    in >> rawCA;
-                    info.ca = parseContentAddressOpt(rawCA);
-                }
+                info.ca = parseContentAddressOpt(readString(in));
 
                 if (info.narSize == 0)
                     throw Error("narInfo is too old and missing the narSize field");
diff --git a/src/nix/verify.cc b/src/nix/verify.cc
index d8636435c..d9b200591 100644
--- a/src/nix/verify.cc
+++ b/src/nix/verify.cc
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ struct CmdVerify : StorePathsCommand
                 if (!noContents) {
 
                     std::unique_ptr<AbstractHashSink> hashSink;
-                    if (info->ca)
+                    if (!info->ca)
                         hashSink = std::make_unique<HashSink>(info->narHash.type);
                     else
                         hashSink = std::make_unique<HashModuloSink>(info->narHash.type, storePathToHash(store->printStorePath(info->path)));