diff --git a/repository/src/main/java/org/apache/atlas/repository/store/graph/v2/AtlasBusinessMetadataDefStoreV2.java b/repository/src/main/java/org/apache/atlas/repository/store/graph/v2/AtlasBusinessMetadataDefStoreV2.java
index 5511935f918..5d793fdbc31 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/java/org/apache/atlas/repository/store/graph/v2/AtlasBusinessMetadataDefStoreV2.java
+++ b/repository/src/main/java/org/apache/atlas/repository/store/graph/v2/AtlasBusinessMetadataDefStoreV2.java
@@ -31,10 +31,14 @@
 import org.apache.atlas.model.typedef.AtlasBusinessMetadataDef;
 import org.apache.atlas.model.typedef.AtlasStructDef;
 import org.apache.atlas.repository.Constants;
+import org.apache.atlas.repository.graphdb.AtlasGraph;
+import org.apache.atlas.repository.graphdb.AtlasGraphQuery;
 import org.apache.atlas.repository.graphdb.AtlasVertex;
 import org.apache.atlas.type.AtlasBusinessMetadataType;
 import org.apache.atlas.type.AtlasStructType;
 import org.apache.atlas.type.AtlasType;
+import org.apache.atlas.type.AtlasEntityType;
+import org.apache.atlas.type.AtlasArrayType;
 import org.apache.atlas.type.AtlasTypeRegistry;
 import org.apache.atlas.typesystem.types.DataTypes;
 import org.apache.atlas.utils.AtlasJson;
@@ -50,6 +54,7 @@
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 
 import static org.apache.atlas.model.typedef.AtlasBusinessMetadataDef.ATTR_OPTION_APPLICABLE_ENTITY_TYPES;
 
@@ -58,11 +63,14 @@ public class AtlasBusinessMetadataDefStoreV2 extends AtlasAbstractDefStoreV2<Atl
 
     private final EntityDiscoveryService entityDiscoveryService;
 
+    private final AtlasGraph graph;
+
     @Inject
-    public AtlasBusinessMetadataDefStoreV2(AtlasTypeDefGraphStoreV2 typeDefStore, AtlasTypeRegistry typeRegistry, EntityDiscoveryService entityDiscoveryService) {
+    public AtlasBusinessMetadataDefStoreV2(AtlasTypeDefGraphStoreV2 typeDefStore, AtlasTypeRegistry typeRegistry, EntityDiscoveryService entityDiscoveryService, AtlasGraph graph) {
         super(typeDefStore, typeRegistry);
 
         this.entityDiscoveryService = entityDiscoveryService;
+        this.graph = graph;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -363,44 +371,111 @@ private AtlasBusinessMetadataDef toBusinessMetadataDef(AtlasVertex vertex) throw
     private void checkBusinessMetadataRef(String typeName) throws AtlasBaseException {
         AtlasBusinessMetadataDef businessMetadataDef = typeRegistry.getBusinessMetadataDefByName(typeName);
 
-        if (businessMetadataDef != null) {
-            List<AtlasStructDef.AtlasAttributeDef> attributeDefs = businessMetadataDef.getAttributeDefs();
+        if (businessMetadataDef == null || CollectionUtils.isEmpty(businessMetadataDef.getAttributeDefs())) {
+            return;
+        }
 
-            for (AtlasStructDef.AtlasAttributeDef attributeDef : attributeDefs) {
-                String      qualifiedName      = AtlasStructType.AtlasAttribute.getQualifiedAttributeName(businessMetadataDef, attributeDef.getName());
-                String      vertexPropertyName = AtlasStructType.AtlasAttribute.generateVertexPropertyName(businessMetadataDef, attributeDef, qualifiedName);
-                Set<String> applicableTypes    = AtlasJson.fromJson(attributeDef.getOption(AtlasBusinessMetadataDef.ATTR_OPTION_APPLICABLE_ENTITY_TYPES), Set.class);
+        for (AtlasStructDef.AtlasAttributeDef attributeDef : businessMetadataDef.getAttributeDefs()) {
+            validateAttributeReferences(businessMetadataDef, attributeDef);
+        }
+    }
 
-                if (CollectionUtils.isNotEmpty(applicableTypes) && isBusinessAttributePresent(vertexPropertyName, applicableTypes)) {
-                    throw new AtlasBaseException(AtlasErrorCode.TYPE_HAS_REFERENCES, typeName);
-                }
-            }
+    private void validateAttributeReferences(AtlasBusinessMetadataDef bmDef, AtlasStructDef.AtlasAttributeDef attributeDef) throws AtlasBaseException {
+        String applicableTypesStr = attributeDef.getOption(ATTR_OPTION_APPLICABLE_ENTITY_TYPES);
+        Set<String> applicableTypes = StringUtils.isBlank(applicableTypesStr) ? null : AtlasJson.fromJson(applicableTypesStr, Set.class);
+
+        if (CollectionUtils.isEmpty(applicableTypes)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        Set<String> allApplicableTypes = getApplicableTypesWithSubTypes(applicableTypes);
+        String qualifiedName      = AtlasStructType.AtlasAttribute.getQualifiedAttributeName(bmDef, attributeDef.getName());
+        String vertexPropertyName = AtlasStructType.AtlasAttribute.generateVertexPropertyName(bmDef, attributeDef, qualifiedName);
+
+        boolean isPresent;
+        long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
+
+        if (isArrayAttribute(attributeDef)) {
+            isPresent = isBusinessAttributePresentInGraph(vertexPropertyName, allApplicableTypes);
+        } else {
+            isPresent = isBusinessAttributePresent(qualifiedName, allApplicableTypes);
+        }
+
+        if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) {
+            LOG.info("Reference check for attribute {} took {} ms. Found: {}",
+                    attributeDef.getName(), (System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime), isPresent);
+        }
+
+        if (isPresent) {
+            throw new AtlasBaseException(AtlasErrorCode.TYPE_HAS_REFERENCES, bmDef.getName());
         }
     }
 
     private boolean isBusinessAttributePresent(String attrName, Set<String> applicableTypes) throws AtlasBaseException {
         SearchParameters.FilterCriteria criteria = new SearchParameters.FilterCriteria();
-
         criteria.setAttributeName(attrName);
         criteria.setOperator(SearchParameters.Operator.NOT_EMPTY);
 
         SearchParameters.FilterCriteria entityFilters = new SearchParameters.FilterCriteria();
-
         entityFilters.setCondition(SearchParameters.FilterCriteria.Condition.OR);
         entityFilters.setCriterion(Collections.singletonList(criteria));
 
         SearchParameters searchParameters = new SearchParameters();
-
         searchParameters.setTypeName(String.join(SearchContext.TYPENAME_DELIMITER, applicableTypes));
-        searchParameters.setExcludeDeletedEntities(true);
+        searchParameters.setExcludeDeletedEntities(false);
         searchParameters.setIncludeSubClassifications(false);
         searchParameters.setEntityFilters(entityFilters);
-        searchParameters.setAttributes(Collections.singleton(attrName));
-        searchParameters.setOffset(0);
         searchParameters.setLimit(1);
 
         AtlasSearchResult atlasSearchResult = entityDiscoveryService.searchWithParameters(searchParameters);
+        return atlasSearchResult != null && CollectionUtils.isNotEmpty(atlasSearchResult.getEntities());
+    }
+
+    private boolean isBusinessAttributePresentInGraph(String vertexPropertyName, Set<String> allApplicableTypes) {
+        if (graph == null || CollectionUtils.isEmpty(allApplicableTypes)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        try {
+            Iterable<AtlasVertex> vertices = graph.query()
+                    .has(vertexPropertyName, AtlasGraphQuery.ComparisionOperator.NOT_EQUAL, (Object) null)
+                    .vertices();
 
-        return CollectionUtils.isNotEmpty(atlasSearchResult.getEntities());
+            if (vertices != null) {
+                Iterator<AtlasVertex> iterator = vertices.iterator();
+                if (iterator.hasNext()) {
+                    if (LOG.isDebugEnabled()) {
+                        LOG.info("Found ARRAY BM reference for property {}",vertexPropertyName);
+                    }
+                    return true;
+                }
+            }
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            LOG.error("Error occurred while querying graph for references of property: {}", vertexPropertyName, e);
+            return true;
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private boolean isArrayAttribute(AtlasStructDef.AtlasAttributeDef attrDef) throws AtlasBaseException {
+        AtlasType type = typeRegistry.getType(attrDef.getTypeName());
+        return type instanceof AtlasArrayType;
+    }
+
+    private Set<String> getApplicableTypesWithSubTypes(Set<String> applicableTypes) throws AtlasBaseException {
+        Set<String> allTypes = new HashSet<>();
+
+        for (String typeName : applicableTypes) {
+            AtlasType type = typeRegistry.getType(typeName);
+
+            if (type instanceof AtlasEntityType) {
+                AtlasEntityType entityType = (AtlasEntityType) type;
+                allTypes.add(entityType.getTypeName());
+                allTypes.addAll(entityType.getAllSubTypes());
+            } else {
+                allTypes.add(typeName);
+            }
+        }
+        return allTypes;
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/repository/src/main/java/org/apache/atlas/repository/store/graph/v2/AtlasTypeDefGraphStoreV2.java b/repository/src/main/java/org/apache/atlas/repository/store/graph/v2/AtlasTypeDefGraphStoreV2.java
index 57146521ab8..2ae2ec10164 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/java/org/apache/atlas/repository/store/graph/v2/AtlasTypeDefGraphStoreV2.java
+++ b/repository/src/main/java/org/apache/atlas/repository/store/graph/v2/AtlasTypeDefGraphStoreV2.java
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ protected AtlasDefStore<AtlasRelationshipDef> getRelationshipDefStore(AtlasTypeR
 
     @Override
     protected AtlasDefStore<AtlasBusinessMetadataDef> getBusinessMetadataDefStore(AtlasTypeRegistry typeRegistry) {
-        return new AtlasBusinessMetadataDefStoreV2(this, typeRegistry, this.entityDiscoveryService);
+        return new AtlasBusinessMetadataDefStoreV2(this, typeRegistry, this.entityDiscoveryService, this.atlasGraph);
     }
 
     @Override