orleans: Json serialization, references, wrong ordering

Using Json serialization when you have multiple references to the same object usually creates a graph such that the first time an object is encountered it has the properties and an $id which identifies that instance. Thereafter, in the JSON a $ref property is used to identify that pre-defined object and a reference is inserted.

I have a situation where the $ref comes before the definition of the object, which means that is being deserialized to null.

This is a real headscratcher, because I cant reproduce the same problem in isolation using a simpler object graph and JSON.NET. Butmy fairly complex grain state exhibits the problem every time.

Has anyone ever experienced this?

Below is a (snipped) copy of my JSON demonstrating the problem. You’ll notice 2 "$ref" : "5" that come before the definition of "$id": "5":

{
  "$id": "1",
  "$type": "Redacted.GrainSTateTypeName, Redacted.GrainAssembly",
  "Block": {
    "$id": "2",
    "$type": "Redacted.TypeName, Redacted.Assembly",
    "Terms": {
      "$type": "Redacted.TypeName.SubTypeName[], Redacted.Assembly",
      "$values": [
        {
          "$ref": "5"
        }
      ]
    },
    "Action": "Transition",
    "Driver": {
      "$id": "27",
      "$type": "Redacted.OtherTypeName, Redacted.Assembly",
      "Terms": {
        "$type": "Redacted.TypeName.SubTypeName[], Redacted.Assembly",
        "$values": [
          {
            "$ref": "5"
          }
        ]
      },
     [....snip...]
    "currentStateRecord": {
      "$id": "4",
      "$type": "Redected.TypeName.StateTypeName, Redacted.Assembly",
      "State": 1,
      "Terms": {
        "$type": "Redacted.TypeName.SubTypeName[], Redacted.Assembly",
        "$values": [
          {
            "$id": "5",
            "Name": "qty",
            "$type": "Redacted.TypeName.SubTypeName, Redacted.Assembly",
            "value": 10
          }
        ]
      }
   [...snip...]
   }
}