diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a17f7cad7..15ed8d190 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -23,3 +23,4 @@ temp
 
 # Python
 __pycache__
+build_dir/
diff --git a/include/boost/json/impl/value_ref.hpp b/include/boost/json/impl/value_ref.hpp
index 20634cfd1..34c117f99 100644
--- a/include/boost/json/impl/value_ref.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/json/impl/value_ref.hpp
@@ -26,12 +26,15 @@ from_builtin(
         std::move(sp));
 }
 
+namespace detail {
+
+// Native type implementation: use value constructor
 template<class T>
 value
-value_ref::
-from_const(
+from_const_impl(
     void const* p,
-    storage_ptr sp)
+    storage_ptr sp,
+    std::true_type /* is_native */)
 {
     return value(
         *reinterpret_cast<
@@ -39,12 +42,31 @@ from_const(
         std::move(sp));
 }
 
+// UDT implementation: use value_from
+// Note: A suitable tag_invoke overload for value_from_tag must be
+// visible at the point of instantiation for the type T.
 template<class T>
 value
-value_ref::
-from_rvalue(
+from_const_impl(
+    void const* p,
+    storage_ptr sp,
+    std::false_type /* is_native */)
+{
+    value jv(std::move(sp));
+    value_from(
+        *reinterpret_cast<
+            T const*>(p),
+        jv);
+    return jv;
+}
+
+// Native type implementation: use value constructor
+template<class T>
+value
+from_rvalue_impl(
     void* p,
-    storage_ptr sp)
+    storage_ptr sp,
+    std::true_type /* is_native */)
 {
     return value(
         std::move(
@@ -52,6 +74,52 @@ from_rvalue(
         std::move(sp));
 }
 
+// UDT implementation: use value_from
+// Note: A suitable tag_invoke overload for value_from_tag must be
+// visible at the point of instantiation for the type T.
+template<class T>
+value
+from_rvalue_impl(
+    void* p,
+    storage_ptr sp,
+    std::false_type /* is_native */)
+{
+    value jv(std::move(sp));
+    value_from(
+        std::move(
+            *reinterpret_cast<T*>(p)),
+        jv);
+    return jv;
+}
+
+} // namespace detail
+
+template<class T>
+value
+value_ref::
+from_const(
+    void const* p,
+    storage_ptr sp)
+{
+    return detail::from_const_impl<T>(
+        p,
+        std::move(sp),
+        detail::is_native_value_type<T>());
+}
+
+template<class T>
+value
+value_ref::
+from_rvalue(
+    void* p,
+    storage_ptr sp)
+{
+    return detail::from_rvalue_impl<T>(
+        p,
+        std::move(sp),
+        detail::is_native_value_type<T>());
+}
+
 } // namespace json
 } // namespace boost
 
diff --git a/include/boost/json/value_ref.hpp b/include/boost/json/value_ref.hpp
index e3137a308..2ed66c6fa 100644
--- a/include/boost/json/value_ref.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/json/value_ref.hpp
@@ -27,6 +27,41 @@ class array;
 class string;
 #endif
 
+namespace detail {
+
+// Trait to detect types that have native value constructors.
+// These are types for which value(T, storage_ptr) is well-formed:
+// - JSON types: value, array, object, string
+// - Numeric types: bool, signed/unsigned integers, float, double  
+// - String-like: string_view, char const*
+// - Null: std::nullptr_t
+// Types NOT in this list (user-defined types) require value_from conversion.
+template<class T>
+struct is_native_value_type : std::integral_constant<bool,
+    std::is_same<T, value>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, array>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, object>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, string>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, bool>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, std::nullptr_t>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, signed char>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, short>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, int>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, long>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, long long>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, unsigned char>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, unsigned short>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, unsigned int>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, unsigned long>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, unsigned long long>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, float>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, double>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, string_view>::value ||
+    std::is_same<T, char const*>::value
+> {};
+
+} // namespace detail
+
 //----------------------------------------------------------
 
 /** The type used in initializer lists.
diff --git a/test/value_ref.cpp b/test/value_ref.cpp
index bb23eed31..27785cb16 100644
--- a/test/value_ref.cpp
+++ b/test/value_ref.cpp
@@ -12,14 +12,37 @@
 
 #include <boost/json/value.hpp>
 #include <boost/json/serialize.hpp>
+#include <boost/json/value_from.hpp>
 
 #include "test_suite.hpp"
 
+#include <vector>
+
 namespace boost {
 namespace json {
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------
 
+// UDT for testing value_ref with user-defined types
+struct test_udt
+{
+    int value;
+    std::string name;
+};
+
+// tag_invoke for value_from
+inline
+void
+tag_invoke(
+    value_from_tag,
+    value& jv,
+    test_udt const& t)
+{
+    jv = { {"value", t.value}, {"name", t.name} };
+}
+
+//----------------------------------------------------------
+
 // From the javadoc
 
     class my_type
@@ -389,6 +412,77 @@ class value_ref_test
         }
     }
 
+    void
+    testUDT()
+    {
+        // Test UDT in value_ref constructor (lvalue)
+        {
+            test_udt udt{42, "test"};
+            value_ref ref(udt);
+            value jv = ref;
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.is_object());
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.at("value").as_int64() == 42);
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.at("name").as_string() == "test");
+        }
+
+        // Test UDT in array initializer list (rvalue)
+        {
+            array arr{test_udt{100, "rvalue"}};
+            BOOST_TEST(arr.size() == 1);
+            BOOST_TEST(arr[0].is_object());
+            BOOST_TEST(arr[0].at("value").as_int64() == 100);
+            BOOST_TEST(arr[0].at("name").as_string() == "rvalue");
+        }
+
+        // Test UDT in array initializer list (lvalue)
+        {
+            test_udt udt1{1, "first"};
+            test_udt udt2{2, "second"};
+            array arr{udt1, udt2, 123};
+            BOOST_TEST(arr.size() == 3);
+            BOOST_TEST(arr[0].is_object());
+            BOOST_TEST(arr[0].at("value").as_int64() == 1);
+            BOOST_TEST(arr[1].at("value").as_int64() == 2);
+            BOOST_TEST(arr[2].as_int64() == 123);
+        }
+
+        // Test UDT in value initializer list
+        {
+            test_udt udt{42, "test"};
+            value jv = {udt, 123};
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.is_array());
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.at(0).is_object());
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.at(1).as_int64() == 123);
+        }
+
+        // Test UDT as object value
+        {
+            test_udt udt{42, "test"};
+            object obj{{"udt", udt}, {"num", 123}};
+            BOOST_TEST(obj.at("udt").is_object());
+            BOOST_TEST(obj.at("udt").at("value").as_int64() == 42);
+            BOOST_TEST(obj.at("num").as_int64() == 123);
+        }
+
+        // Test nested initialization with UDT
+        {
+            test_udt udt{42, "test"};
+            value jv = {{"data", {udt}}, {"count", 1}};
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.is_object());
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.at("data").is_array());
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.at("data").at(0).at("value").as_int64() == 42);
+        }
+
+        // Test vector of UDTs
+        {
+            std::vector<test_udt> udts{{1, "a"}, {2, "b"}};
+            value jv = value_from(udts);
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.is_array());
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.at(0).at("value").as_int64() == 1);
+            BOOST_TEST(jv.at(1).at("value").as_int64() == 2);
+        }
+    }
+
     void
     run()
     {
@@ -397,6 +491,7 @@ class value_ref_test
         testMakeValue();
         testObjects();
         testMoveFrom();
+        testUDT();
     }
 };