diff --git references/node_reference/node_reference.module references/node_reference/node_reference.module
index 0768ff3..876ac3e 100644
--- references/node_reference/node_reference.module
+++ references/node_reference/node_reference.module
@@ -242,8 +242,15 @@ function node_reference_field_prepare_view($entity_type, $entities, $field, $ins
         ->fields('n')
         ->condition('n.nid', $missing_ids)
         ->addTag('node_access');
-      if (!user_access('administer nodes')) {
-        $query->condition('status', 1);
+      if (!(user_access('administer nodes') || user_access('bypass node access'))) {
+        if (user_access('view own unpublished content') && $own_unpublished = db_select('node', 'n')->fields('n', array('nid'))->condition('uid', $GLOBALS['user']->uid)->condition('status', NODE_NOT_PUBLISHED)->fetchCol()) {
+          $query->condition(db_or()
+            ->condition('n.status', NODE_PUBLISHED)
+            ->condition('n.nid', $own_published, 'IN')
+          );
+        } else {
+          $query->condition('status', NODE_PUBLISHED);
+        }
       }
       $fetched_nodes += $query->execute()->fetchAllAssoc('nid');
     }