diff --git a/jedi/inference/dynamic_params.py b/jedi/inference/dynamic_params.py
index e37c442e..407200b7 100644
--- a/jedi/inference/dynamic_params.py
+++ b/jedi/inference/dynamic_params.py
@@ -21,13 +21,13 @@ from jedi import settings
 from jedi import debug
 from jedi.parser_utils import get_parent_scope
 from jedi.inference.cache import inference_state_method_cache
-from jedi.inference import imports
 from jedi.inference.arguments import TreeArguments
 from jedi.inference.param import get_executed_param_names
 from jedi.inference.helpers import is_stdlib_path
 from jedi.inference.utils import to_list
 from jedi.inference.value import instance
 from jedi.inference.base_value import ValueSet, NO_VALUES
+from jedi.inference.references import get_module_contexts_containing_name
 from jedi.inference import recursion
 
 
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ def _search_function_arguments(module_context, funcdef, string_name):
     found_arguments = False
     i = 0
     inference_state = module_context.inference_state
-    for for_mod_context in imports.get_module_contexts_containing_name(
+    for for_mod_context in get_module_contexts_containing_name(
             inference_state, [module_context], string_name):
         for name, trailer in _get_potential_nodes(for_mod_context, string_name):
             i += 1
diff --git a/jedi/inference/imports.py b/jedi/inference/imports.py
index c6ef0244..3fb8584e 100644
--- a/jedi/inference/imports.py
+++ b/jedi/inference/imports.py
@@ -498,64 +498,6 @@ def load_module_from_path(inference_state, file_io, base_names=None):
     return module
 
 
-def get_module_contexts_containing_name(inference_state, module_contexts, name):
-    """
-    Search a name in the directories of modules.
-    """
-    def check_directory(folder_io):
-        for file_name in folder_io.list():
-            if file_name.endswith('.py'):
-                yield folder_io.get_file_io(file_name)
-
-    def check_fs(file_io, base_names):
-        try:
-            code = file_io.read()
-        except FileNotFoundError:
-            return None
-        code = python_bytes_to_unicode(code, errors='replace')
-        if name not in code:
-            return None
-        new_file_io = KnownContentFileIO(file_io.path, code)
-        m = load_module_from_path(inference_state, new_file_io, base_names)
-        if isinstance(m, compiled.CompiledObject):
-            return None
-        return m.as_context()
-
-    # skip non python modules
-    used_mod_paths = set()
-    folders_with_names_to_be_checked = []
-    for module_context in module_contexts:
-        path = module_context.py__file__()
-        if path not in used_mod_paths:
-            file_io = module_context.get_value().file_io
-            if file_io is not None:
-                used_mod_paths.add(path)
-                folders_with_names_to_be_checked.append((
-                    file_io.get_parent_folder(),
-                    module_context.get_value().py__package__()
-                ))
-        yield module_context
-
-    if not settings.dynamic_params_for_other_modules:
-        return
-
-    def get_file_ios_to_check():
-        for folder_io, base_names in folders_with_names_to_be_checked:
-            for file_io in check_directory(folder_io):
-                if file_io.path not in used_mod_paths:
-                    yield file_io, base_names
-
-        for p in settings.additional_dynamic_modules:
-            p = os.path.abspath(p)
-            if p not in used_mod_paths:
-                yield FileIO(p), None
-
-    for file_io, base_names in get_file_ios_to_check():
-        m = check_fs(file_io, base_names)
-        if m is not None:
-            yield m
-
-
 def follow_error_node_imports_if_possible(context, name):
     error_node = tree.search_ancestor(name, 'error_node')
     if error_node is not None:
diff --git a/jedi/inference/references.py b/jedi/inference/references.py
index 20b287f3..dab5369f 100644
--- a/jedi/inference/references.py
+++ b/jedi/inference/references.py
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
-from jedi.inference import imports
+import os
+
+from parso import python_bytes_to_unicode
+
+from jedi import settings
+from jedi.file_io import FileIO, KnownContentFileIO
+from jedi.inference.imports import SubModuleName, load_module_from_path
+from jedi.inference.compiled import CompiledObject
 from jedi.inference.filters import ParserTreeFilter
 from jedi.inference.gradual.conversion import convert_names
 
@@ -10,7 +17,7 @@ def _resolve_names(definition_names, avoid_names=()):
             # on the same module.
             continue
 
-        if not isinstance(name, imports.SubModuleName):
+        if not isinstance(name, SubModuleName):
             # SubModuleNames are not actually existing names but created
             # names when importing something like `import foo.bar.baz`.
             yield name
@@ -109,7 +116,7 @@ def find_references(module_context, tree_name):
     module_contexts = set(m for m in module_contexts if not m.is_compiled())
 
     non_matching_reference_maps = {}
-    potential_modules = imports.get_module_contexts_containing_name(
+    potential_modules = get_module_contexts_containing_name(
         inf, module_contexts, search_name
     )
     for module_context in potential_modules:
@@ -130,3 +137,61 @@ def find_references(module_context, tree_name):
                 for name in new:
                     non_matching_reference_maps.setdefault(name, []).append(new)
     return found_names_dct.values()
+
+
+def get_module_contexts_containing_name(inference_state, module_contexts, name):
+    """
+    Search a name in the directories of modules.
+    """
+    def check_directory(folder_io):
+        for file_name in folder_io.list():
+            if file_name.endswith('.py'):
+                yield folder_io.get_file_io(file_name)
+
+    def check_fs(file_io, base_names):
+        try:
+            code = file_io.read()
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            return None
+        code = python_bytes_to_unicode(code, errors='replace')
+        if name not in code:
+            return None
+        new_file_io = KnownContentFileIO(file_io.path, code)
+        m = load_module_from_path(inference_state, new_file_io, base_names)
+        if isinstance(m, CompiledObject):
+            return None
+        return m.as_context()
+
+    # skip non python modules
+    used_mod_paths = set()
+    folders_with_names_to_be_checked = []
+    for module_context in module_contexts:
+        path = module_context.py__file__()
+        if path not in used_mod_paths:
+            file_io = module_context.get_value().file_io
+            if file_io is not None:
+                used_mod_paths.add(path)
+                folders_with_names_to_be_checked.append((
+                    file_io.get_parent_folder(),
+                    module_context.get_value().py__package__()
+                ))
+        yield module_context
+
+    if not settings.dynamic_params_for_other_modules:
+        return
+
+    def get_file_ios_to_check():
+        for folder_io, base_names in folders_with_names_to_be_checked:
+            for file_io in check_directory(folder_io):
+                if file_io.path not in used_mod_paths:
+                    yield file_io, base_names
+
+        for p in settings.additional_dynamic_modules:
+            p = os.path.abspath(p)
+            if p not in used_mod_paths:
+                yield FileIO(p), None
+
+    for file_io, base_names in get_file_ios_to_check():
+        m = check_fs(file_io, base_names)
+        if m is not None:
+            yield m
diff --git a/test/completion/import_tree/references.py b/test/completion/import_tree/references.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dd3c9838
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/completion/import_tree/references.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+from ..usages import usage_definition
+
+
+def x():
+    usage_definition()
diff --git a/test/completion/on_import.py b/test/completion/on_import.py
index aa96883d..76984b12 100644
--- a/test/completion/on_import.py
+++ b/test/completion/on_import.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ from import_tree.pkg.mod1 import not_existant,    # whitespace before
 from import_tree.pkg.mod1 import not_existant, 
 #? 22 ['mod1', 'base']
 from import_tree.pkg. import mod1
-#? 17 ['mod1', 'mod2', 'random', 'pkg', 'rename1', 'rename2', 'classes', 'globals', 'recurse_class1', 'recurse_class2', 'invisible_pkg', 'flow_import']
+#? 17 ['mod1', 'mod2', 'random', 'pkg', 'references', 'rename1', 'rename2', 'classes', 'globals', 'recurse_class1', 'recurse_class2', 'invisible_pkg', 'flow_import']
 from import_tree. import pkg
 
 #? 18 ['pkg']
diff --git a/test/completion/usages.py b/test/completion/usages.py
index c3afb8d6..312765b2 100644
--- a/test/completion/usages.py
+++ b/test/completion/usages.py
@@ -367,3 +367,13 @@ in_python
 from stub_folder.with_stub_folder.nested_with_stub import in_both
 #< ('stub_folder.with_stub_folder.nested_with_stub', 2, 0), ('stub:stub_folder.with_stub_folder.nested_with_stub', 2, 0), ('stubs', 66, 17), (-2, 58), (0, 0)
 in_both
+
+# -----------------
+# across directories
+# -----------------
+
+#< 8 (0, 0), (3, 4), ('import_tree.references', 1, 21), ('import_tree.references', 5, 4)
+usage_definition = 1
+if False:
+    #< 8 (-3, 0), (0, 4), ('import_tree.references', 1, 21), ('import_tree.references', 5, 4)
+    usage_definition()
diff --git a/test/test_inference/test_imports.py b/test/test_inference/test_imports.py
index 17d40500..e9edaf8e 100644
--- a/test/test_inference/test_imports.py
+++ b/test/test_inference/test_imports.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from jedi.inference import compiled
 from jedi.inference import imports
 from jedi.api.project import Project
 from jedi.inference.gradual.conversion import _stub_to_python_value_set
+from jedi.inference.references import get_module_contexts_containing_name
 from ..helpers import cwd_at, get_example_dir, test_dir, root_dir
 
 THIS_DIR = os.path.dirname(__file__)
@@ -319,7 +320,7 @@ def test_get_modules_containing_name(inference_state, path, goal, is_package):
     )
     assert module
     module_context = module.as_context()
-    input_module, found_module = imports.get_module_contexts_containing_name(
+    input_module, found_module = get_module_contexts_containing_name(
         inference_state,
         [module_context],
         'string_that_only_exists_here'