diff --git a/data.go b/data.go
index 457dce2..73ed80c 100644
--- a/data.go
+++ b/data.go
@@ -61,9 +61,6 @@ func loadDir(dir string) (*group, error) {
 		}
 		full := filepath.Join(dir, e.Name())
 		if e.IsDir() {
-			if isRef(e.Name()) {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: folder %q starts with %q, which is reserved for {..path} bindings", full, e.Name(), refPrefix)
-			}
 			child, err := loadDir(full)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
@@ -81,9 +78,6 @@ func loadDir(dir string) (*group, error) {
 			continue
 		}
 		name := strings.TrimSuffix(e.Name(), ".json")
-		if isRef(name) {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: category %q starts with %q, which is reserved for {..path} bindings", full, name, refPrefix)
-		}
 		if err := checkName(name); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: category %w", full, err)
 		}
diff --git a/reference.go b/reference.go
index 5bee46c..25d2a3d 100644
--- a/reference.go
+++ b/reference.go
@@ -170,8 +170,8 @@ func contained(n node) []namedNode {
 
 // named skips a bound {..path} key: it is a render edge, not containment, so using
 // it as a path segment would report a node under a path that does not reach it. Only
-// a template's fields hold bindings — loadDir rejects a category or folder carrying
-// the prefix — so this one skip serves a group's children too.
+// a template's fields hold bindings — loadDir skips a dot-prefixed entry, so a
+// group's children never carry the prefix — so this one skip serves both.
 func named(m map[string]node) []namedNode {
 	out := make([]namedNode, 0, len(m))
 	for _, name := range sortedNames(m) {