diff --git a/coreapi/linphone_proxy_config.h b/coreapi/linphone_proxy_config.h
index 3bd1cda3d..2fb5bda9f 100644
--- a/coreapi/linphone_proxy_config.h
+++ b/coreapi/linphone_proxy_config.h
@@ -524,6 +524,29 @@ LINPHONE_PUBLIC void linphone_proxy_config_set_custom_header(LinphoneProxyConfig
 **/
 LINPHONE_PUBLIC const LinphoneAuthInfo* linphone_proxy_config_find_auth_info(const LinphoneProxyConfig *cfg);
 
+
+/**
+ * Get the persistent reference key associated to the proxy config.
+ *
+ * The reference key can be for example an id to an external database.
+ * It is stored in the config file, thus can survive to process exits/restarts.
+ *
+ * @param[in] cfg #LinphoneProxyConfig object.
+ * @return The reference key string that has been associated to the proxy config, or NULL if none has been associated.
+**/
+LINPHONE_PUBLIC const char * linphone_proxy_config_get_ref_key(const LinphoneProxyConfig *cfg);
+
+/**
+ * Associate a persistent reference key to the proxy config.
+ *
+ * The reference key can be for example an id to an external database.
+ * It is stored in the config file, thus can survive to process exits/restarts.
+ *
+ * @param[in] cfg #LinphoneProxyConfig object.
+ * @param[in] refkey The reference key string to associate to the proxy config.
+**/
+LINPHONE_PUBLIC void linphone_proxy_config_set_ref_key(LinphoneProxyConfig *cfg, const char *refkey);
+
 /**
  * @}
  */
diff --git a/coreapi/private.h b/coreapi/private.h
index 98fdb93cf..f79b646c0 100644
--- a/coreapi/private.h
+++ b/coreapi/private.h
@@ -631,6 +631,7 @@ struct _LinphoneProxyConfig
 	LinphoneEvent *long_term_event;
 	unsigned long long previous_publish_config_hash[2];
 
+	char *refkey;
 };
 
 BELLE_SIP_DECLARE_VPTR(LinphoneProxyConfig);
diff --git a/coreapi/proxy.c b/coreapi/proxy.c
index 3e0a7cefb..ef4f47874 100644
--- a/coreapi/proxy.c
+++ b/coreapi/proxy.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ static void linphone_proxy_config_init(LinphoneCore* lc, LinphoneProxyConfig *cf
 	const char *quality_reporting_collector = lc ? lp_config_get_default_string(lc->config, "proxy", "quality_reporting_collector", NULL) : NULL;
 	const char *contact_params = lc ? lp_config_get_default_string(lc->config, "proxy", "contact_parameters", NULL) : NULL;
 	const char *contact_uri_params = lc ? lp_config_get_default_string(lc->config, "proxy", "contact_uri_parameters", NULL) : NULL;
-
+	const char *refkey = lc ? lp_config_get_default_string(lc->config, "proxy", "refkey", NULL) : NULL;
 	cfg->expires = lc ? lp_config_get_default_int(lc->config, "proxy", "reg_expires", 3600) : 3600;
 	cfg->reg_sendregister = lc ? lp_config_get_default_int(lc->config, "proxy", "reg_sendregister", 1) : 1;
 	cfg->dial_prefix = dial_prefix ? ms_strdup(dial_prefix) : NULL;
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ static void linphone_proxy_config_init(LinphoneCore* lc, LinphoneProxyConfig *cf
 	cfg->avpf_mode = lc ? lp_config_get_default_int(lc->config, "proxy", "avpf", LinphoneAVPFDefault) : LinphoneAVPFDefault;
 	cfg->avpf_rr_interval = lc ? lp_config_get_default_int(lc->config, "proxy", "avpf_rr_interval", 5) : 5;
 	cfg->publish_expires=-1;
+	cfg->refkey = refkey ? ms_strdup(refkey) : NULL;
 }
 
 LinphoneProxyConfig *linphone_proxy_config_new() {
@@ -218,6 +219,7 @@ void _linphone_proxy_config_destroy(LinphoneProxyConfig *cfg){
 	if (cfg->saved_identity!=NULL) linphone_address_destroy(cfg->saved_identity);
 	if (cfg->sent_headers!=NULL) sal_custom_header_free(cfg->sent_headers);
 	if (cfg->pending_contact) linphone_address_unref(cfg->pending_contact);
+	if (cfg->refkey) ms_free(cfg->refkey);
 	_linphone_proxy_config_release_ops(cfg);
 }
 
@@ -1334,6 +1336,7 @@ void linphone_proxy_config_write_to_config_file(LpConfig *config, LinphoneProxyC
 	lp_config_set_int(config,key,"dial_escape_plus",cfg->dial_escape_plus);
 	lp_config_set_string(config,key,"dial_prefix",cfg->dial_prefix);
 	lp_config_set_int(config,key,"privacy",cfg->privacy);
+	if (cfg->refkey) lp_config_set_string(config,key,"refkey",cfg->refkey);
 }
 
 
@@ -1390,6 +1393,9 @@ LinphoneProxyConfig *linphone_proxy_config_new_from_config_file(LinphoneCore* lc
 	if (tmp!=NULL && strlen(tmp)>0)
 		linphone_proxy_config_set_sip_setup(cfg,tmp);
 	CONFIGURE_INT_VALUE(cfg,config,key,privacy,"privacy")
+
+	CONFIGURE_STRING_VALUE(cfg,config,key,ref_key,"refkey")
+
 	return cfg;
 }
 
@@ -1640,3 +1646,15 @@ const struct _LinphoneAuthInfo* linphone_proxy_config_find_auth_info(const Linph
 	const char* domain =  cfg->identity_address ? linphone_address_get_domain(cfg->identity_address) : NULL;
 	return _linphone_core_find_auth_info(cfg->lc, cfg->realm, username, domain, TRUE);
 }
+
+const char * linphone_proxy_config_get_ref_key(const LinphoneProxyConfig *cfg) {
+	return cfg->refkey;
+}
+
+void linphone_proxy_config_set_ref_key(LinphoneProxyConfig *cfg, const char *refkey) {
+	if (cfg->refkey!=NULL){
+		ms_free(cfg->refkey);
+		cfg->refkey=NULL;
+	}
+	if (refkey) cfg->refkey=ms_strdup(refkey);
+}