diff --git a/src/ocaml_protoc_plugin/deserialize_json.ml b/src/ocaml_protoc_plugin/deserialize_json.ml
index 26d077d..6f2e6d0 100644
--- a/src/ocaml_protoc_plugin/deserialize_json.ml
+++ b/src/ocaml_protoc_plugin/deserialize_json.ml
@@ -309,8 +309,8 @@ let read_value: type a b. (a, b) spec -> Json.t -> a = function
    | String -> to_string
    | Bytes -> to_bytes
    | Enum (module Enum) ->
-     let map_enum_json = map_enum_json (module Enum) in
-     fun json -> map_enum_json json |> to_enum (module Enum)
+     let map_enum_json = Lazy.from_fun (fun () -> map_enum_json (module Enum)) in
+     fun json -> Lazy.force map_enum_json json |> to_enum (module Enum)
    | Message (module Message) ->
      Message.from_json_exn
 
diff --git a/test/dune b/test/dune
index 21e92b2..d74ec12 100644
--- a/test/dune
+++ b/test/dune
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
    included2.ml included3_dash.ml service.ml recursive.ml recursive2.ml protocol.ml name_clash.ml
    name_clash_mangle.ml proto2.ml packed.ml mangle_names.ml extensions.ml
    options.ml name_clash2.ml empty.ml service_rpc_clash.ml service_empty_package.ml
-   deprecated.ml json_encoding.ml comments.ml)
+   deprecated.ml json_encoding.ml comments.ml json_enum_initialization.ml)
  (deps
   (:plugin %{bin:protoc-gen-ocaml})
   (:proto
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
     recursive.proto recursive2.proto protocol.proto name_clash.proto name_clash_mangle.proto
     proto2.proto packed.proto mangle_names.proto extensions.proto options.proto
     name_clash2.proto empty.proto service_rpc_clash.proto service_empty_package.proto
-    deprecated.proto json_encoding.proto comments.proto)
+    deprecated.proto json_encoding.proto comments.proto json_enum_initialization.proto)
  )
  (action
   (run %{bin:protoc} -I %{read-lines:google_include} -I .
diff --git a/test/json_enum_initialization.proto b/test/json_enum_initialization.proto
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bac7e31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/json_enum_initialization.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+syntax = "proto2";
+
+message A {
+  optional B.Kind kind = 1;
+}
+
+message B {
+  enum Kind {
+    ZERO = 0;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/json_enum_initialization_test.ml b/test/json_enum_initialization_test.ml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1184d6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/json_enum_initialization_test.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+open Json_enum_initialization
+
+let%expect_test "JSON decoder initialization with a cross-message enum reference" =
+  let decoded = A.from_json_exn (`Assoc ["kind", `String "ZERO"]) in
+  let expected = A.make ~kind:B.Kind.ZERO () in
+  Printf.printf "%b\n" (A.equal decoded expected);
+  [%expect {| true |}]