diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/api/generator/gapic/model/ResourceReference.java b/src/main/java/com/google/api/generator/gapic/model/ResourceReference.java
index 90a63199e3..cbd0ff8548 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/api/generator/gapic/model/ResourceReference.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/api/generator/gapic/model/ResourceReference.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 package com.google.api.generator.gapic.model;
 
+import com.google.api.generator.gapic.utils.ResourceNameConstants;
 import com.google.auto.value.AutoValue;
 
 @AutoValue
@@ -23,6 +24,10 @@ public abstract class ResourceReference {
 
   public abstract boolean isChildType();
 
+  public boolean isOnlyWildcard() {
+    return resourceTypeString().equals(ResourceNameConstants.WILDCARD_PATTERN);
+  }
+
   public static ResourceReference withType(String resourceTypeString) {
     return builder().setResourceTypeString(resourceTypeString).setIsChildType(false).build();
   }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/api/generator/gapic/protoparser/ResourceReferenceParser.java b/src/main/java/com/google/api/generator/gapic/protoparser/ResourceReferenceParser.java
index 7970598d34..7d198fbb99 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/api/generator/gapic/protoparser/ResourceReferenceParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/api/generator/gapic/protoparser/ResourceReferenceParser.java
@@ -43,7 +43,14 @@ public static List<ResourceName> parseResourceNames(
       @Nullable String description,
       Map<String, ResourceName> resourceNames,
       Map<String, ResourceName> patternsToResourceNames) {
-    ResourceName resourceName = resourceNames.get(resourceReference.resourceTypeString());
+    ResourceName resourceName = null;
+    if (resourceReference.isOnlyWildcard()) {
+      resourceName = ResourceName.createWildcard("*", "com.google.api.wildcard.placeholder");
+      resourceNames.put(resourceName.resourceTypeString(), resourceName);
+    } else {
+      resourceName = resourceNames.get(resourceReference.resourceTypeString());
+    }
+    resourceName = resourceNames.get(resourceReference.resourceTypeString());
     Preconditions.checkNotNull(
         resourceName,
         String.format(