diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 69e6564ab..c1f8e5a26 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@
 
 ## 0.14.1
 
+###### Enhancements
+
+* Add support for absolute, group and container project references in workspaces  
+  [Kyle Fuller](https://github.com/kylef)
+  [#118](https://github.com/CocoaPods/Xcodeproj/issues/118)
+
 ###### Bug Fixes
 
 * [Gem] On MRI 1.8.7 /dev/tty is considered writable when not configured,
diff --git a/lib/xcodeproj/workspace.rb b/lib/xcodeproj/workspace.rb
index a70fe2979..b4ecb3782 100644
--- a/lib/xcodeproj/workspace.rb
+++ b/lib/xcodeproj/workspace.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 require 'fileutils'
 require 'rexml/document'
+require 'xcodeproj/workspace/file_reference'
 
 module Xcodeproj
 
@@ -9,15 +10,16 @@ module Xcodeproj
   class Workspace
 
     # @return [Array<String>] the paths of the projects contained in the
+    # @return [Array<FileReference>] the paths of the projects contained in the
     #         workspace.
     #
-    attr_reader :projpaths
+    attr_reader :file_references
     attr_reader :schemes
 
-    # @param  [Array] projpaths @see projpaths
+    # @param  [Array] file_references @see file_references
     #
-    def initialize(*projpaths)
-      @projpaths = projpaths.flatten
+    def initialize(*file_references)
+      @file_references = file_references.flatten
       @schemes = {}
     end
 
@@ -50,10 +52,10 @@ def self.new_from_xcworkspace(path)
     #
     def self.from_s(xml, workspace_path='')
       document = REXML::Document.new(xml)
-      projpaths = document.get_elements("/Workspace/FileRef").map do |node|
-        node.attribute("location").value.sub(/^group:/, '')
+      file_references = document.get_elements("/Workspace/FileRef").map do |node|
+        FileReference.from_node(node)
       end
-      instance = new(projpaths)
+      instance = new(file_references)
       instance.load_schemes(workspace_path)
       instance
     end
@@ -69,19 +71,20 @@ def self.from_s(xml, workspace_path='')
     # @return [void]
     #
     def <<(projpath)
-      @projpaths << projpath
+      @file_references << projpath
       load_schemes_from_project File.expand_path(projpath)
     end
 
-    # Checks if the workspace contains the project with the given path.
+    # Checks if the workspace contains the project with the given file
+    # reference.
     #
-    # @param  [String] projpath
-    #         The path of the project to add.
+    # @param  [FileReference] file_reference
+    #         The file_reference to the project.
     #
     # @return [Boolean] whether the project is contained in the workspace.
     #
-    def include?(projpath)
-      @projpaths.include?(projpath)
+    def include?(file_reference)
+      @file_references.include?(file_reference)
     end
 
     # The template to generate a workspace XML representation.
@@ -92,10 +95,8 @@ def include?(projpath)
     #
     def to_s
       REXML::Document.new(TEMPLATE).tap do |document|
-        @projpaths.each do |projpath|
-          document.root << REXML::Element.new("FileRef").tap do |el|
-            el.attributes['location'] = "group:#{projpath}"
-          end
+        @file_references.each do |file_reference|
+          document.root << file_reference.to_node
         end
       end.to_s
     end
@@ -124,9 +125,9 @@ def save_as(path)
     # @return [void]
     #
     def load_schemes workspace_dir_path
-      @projpaths.each do |projpath|
-        project_full_path = File.expand_path(File.join(workspace_dir_path, projpath))
-        load_schemes_from_project project_full_path
+      @file_references.each do |file_reference|
+        project_full_path = file_reference.absolute_path(workspace_dir_path)
+        load_schemes_from_project(project_full_path)
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/xcodeproj/workspace/file_reference.rb b/lib/xcodeproj/workspace/file_reference.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5e45a89ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/xcodeproj/workspace/file_reference.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+module Xcodeproj
+  class Workspace
+    # Describes a file reference of a Workspace.
+    #
+    class FileReference
+      # @return [String] the path to the project
+      #
+      attr_reader :path
+
+      # @return [String] the type of reference to the project
+      #
+      # This can be of the following values:
+      # - absolute
+      # - group
+      # - container
+      # - developer (unsupported)
+      #
+      attr_reader :type
+
+      # @param [#to_s] path @see path
+      # @param [#to_s] type @see type
+      #
+      def initialize(path, type="group")
+        @path = path.to_s
+        @type = type.to_s
+      end
+
+      # @return [Bool] Wether a file reference is equal to another.
+      #
+      def ==(other)
+        path == other.path && type == other.type
+      end
+      alias_method :eql?, :==
+
+      # @return [Fixnum] A hash identical for equals objects.
+      #
+      def hash
+        [path, type].hash
+      end
+
+      # Returns a file reference given XML representation.
+      #
+      # @param  [REXML::Element] xml_node
+      #         the XML representation.
+      #
+      # @return [FileReference] The new file reference instance.
+      #
+      def self.from_node(xml_node)
+        type, path = xml_node.attribute('location').value.split(':', 2)
+        new(path, type)
+      end
+
+      # @return [REXML::Element] the XML representation of the file reference.
+      #
+      def to_node
+        REXML::Element.new("FileRef").tap do |element|
+          element.attributes['location'] = "#{type}:#{path}"
+        end
+      end
+
+      # Returns the absolute path of a file reference given the path of the
+      # directory containing workspace.
+      #
+      # @param  [#to_s] workspace_dir_path
+      #         The Path of the directory containing the workspace.
+      #
+      # @return [String] The absolute path to the project.
+      #
+      def absolute_path(workspace_dir_path)
+        workspace_dir_path = workspace_dir_path.to_s
+        case type
+        when 'group'
+          File.expand_path(File.join(workspace_dir_path, path))
+        when 'container'
+          File.expand_path(File.join(workspace_dir_path, path))
+        when 'absolute'
+          File.expand_path(path)
+        when 'developer'
+          raise "Developer workspace file reference type is not yet " \
+            "#{self}"
+        else
+          raise "Unsupported workspace file reference type #{type}"
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/workspace/file_reference_spec.rb b/spec/workspace/file_reference_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cda44647a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/workspace/file_reference_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+require File.expand_path('../../spec_helper', __FILE__)
+
+module Xcodeproj
+  describe Workspace do
+    before do
+      @subject = Workspace::FileReference.new('project.xcodeproj', 'group')
+    end
+
+    it 'properly implements equality comparison' do
+      @subject.should == @subject.dup
+      @subject.should.eql @subject.dup
+      @subject.hash.should == @subject.dup.hash
+    end
+
+    it 'can be initialized by the XML representation' do
+      node = REXML::Element.new("FileRef")
+      node.attributes['location'] = "group:project.xcodeproj"
+      result = Workspace::FileReference.from_node(node)
+      result.should == @subject
+    end
+
+    it 'returns the XML representation' do
+      result = @subject.to_node
+      result.class.should == REXML::Element
+      result.to_s.should == "<FileRef location='group:project.xcodeproj'/>"
+    end
+
+    it 'can be converted back and forth without loss of information' do
+      result = Workspace::FileReference.from_node(@subject.to_node)
+      result.should == @subject
+    end
+
+    it 'returns the absolute path for group types' do
+      result = @subject.absolute_path('/path/to/')
+      result.should == "/path/to/project.xcodeproj"
+    end
+
+    it 'returns the absolute path for container types' do
+      @subject.stubs(:type).returns('container')
+      result = @subject.absolute_path('/path/to/')
+      result.should == "/path/to/project.xcodeproj"
+    end
+
+    it 'returns the absolute path for absolute types' do
+      @subject.stubs(:type).returns('absolute')
+      result = @subject.absolute_path('/path/to/')
+      result.should == File.expand_path(@subject.path)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/workspace_spec.rb b/spec/workspace_spec.rb
index 603b5c175..32482dddd 100644
--- a/spec/workspace_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/workspace_spec.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 require File.expand_path('../spec_helper', __FILE__)
 
-describe "Xcodeproj::Workspace" do
+describe Xcodeproj::Workspace do
   describe "from new" do
     before do
       @workspace = Xcodeproj::Workspace.new('Pods/Pods.xcodeproj', 'App.xcodeproj')
@@ -8,13 +8,15 @@
 
     it "accepts new projects" do
       @workspace << 'Framework.xcodeproj'
-      @workspace.projpaths.should.include 'Framework.xcodeproj'
+      @workspace.file_references.should.include 'Framework.xcodeproj'
     end
   end
 
   describe "converted to XML" do
     before do
-      @workspace = Xcodeproj::Workspace.new('Pods/Pods.xcodeproj', 'App.xcodeproj')
+      pods_project_file_reference = Xcodeproj::Workspace::FileReference.new('Pods/Pods.xcodeproj')
+      project_file_reference = Xcodeproj::Workspace::FileReference.new('App.xcodeproj')
+      @workspace = Xcodeproj::Workspace.new(pods_project_file_reference, project_file_reference)
       @doc = REXML::Document.new(@workspace.to_s)
     end
 
@@ -35,9 +37,9 @@
     end
 
     it "contains all of the projects in the workspace" do
-      @workspace.projpaths.should.include "libPusher.xcodeproj"
-      @workspace.projpaths.should.include "libPusher-OSX/libPusher-OSX.xcodeproj"
-      @workspace.projpaths.should.include "Pods/Pods.xcodeproj"
+      @workspace.file_references.should.include Xcodeproj::Workspace::FileReference.new("libPusher.xcodeproj")
+      @workspace.file_references.should.include Xcodeproj::Workspace::FileReference.new("libPusher-OSX/libPusher-OSX.xcodeproj")
+      @workspace.file_references.should.include Xcodeproj::Workspace::FileReference.new("Pods/Pods.xcodeproj")
     end
   end
 
@@ -47,36 +49,36 @@
     end
 
     it "contains no projects" do
-      @workspace.projpaths.should.be.empty
+      @workspace.file_references.should.be.empty
     end
   end
-  
+
   describe "load schemes for all projects from workspace file" do
     before do
       @workspace = Xcodeproj::Workspace.new_from_xcworkspace(fixture_path("SharedSchemes/SharedSchemes.xcworkspace"))
     end
-    
+
     it "returns data type should be hash" do
       @workspace.schemes.should.instance_of Hash
     end
-    
-    it "schemes count should be greater or equal to projpaths count" do
-      @workspace.schemes.count.should >= @workspace.projpaths.count
+
+    it "schemes count should be greater or equal to file_references count" do
+      @workspace.schemes.count.should >= @workspace.file_references.count
     end
-    
+
     it "contains only test data schemes" do
       @workspace.schemes.keys.sort.should == ['Pods', 'SharedSchemes', 'SharedSchemesForTest']
     end
   end
-  
+
   describe "built from a workspace file with XML entities in a project path" do
     before do
       @workspace = Xcodeproj::Workspace.new_from_xcworkspace(fixture_path("Otto's Remote.xcworkspace"))
     end
 
     it "contains all of the projects in the workspace" do
-      @workspace.projpaths.should.include "Otto's Remote.xcodeproj"
-      @workspace.projpaths.should.include "Pods/Pods.xcodeproj"
+      @workspace.file_references.should.include Xcodeproj::Workspace::FileReference.new("Otto's Remote.xcodeproj")
+      @workspace.file_references.should.include Xcodeproj::Workspace::FileReference.new("Pods/Pods.xcodeproj")
     end
   end
 end