diff --git a/src/app/core/data/base/base-data.service.spec.ts b/src/app/core/data/base/base-data.service.spec.ts
index b17e024a540..6f323956672 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/base/base-data.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/base/base-data.service.spec.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  *
  * http://www.dspace.org/license/
  */
+// eslint-disable-next-line max-classes-per-file
 import {
   fakeAsync,
   tick,
@@ -26,14 +27,20 @@ import { HALEndpointServiceStub } from '../../../shared/testing/hal-endpoint-ser
 import { ObjectCacheServiceStub } from '../../../shared/testing/object-cache-service.stub';
 import { createPaginatedList } from '../../../shared/testing/utils.test';
 import { followLink } from '../../../shared/utils/follow-link-config.model';
-import { LinkDefinition } from '../../cache/builders/build-decorators';
+import {
+  link,
+  typedObject,
+} from '../../cache/builders/build-decorators';
 import { RemoteDataBuildService } from '../../cache/builders/remote-data-build.service';
 import { ObjectCacheEntry } from '../../cache/object-cache.reducer';
 import { ObjectCacheService } from '../../cache/object-cache.service';
+import { BITSTREAM } from '../../shared/bitstream.resource-type';
+import { COLLECTION } from '../../shared/collection.resource-type';
 import { HALEndpointService } from '../../shared/hal-endpoint.service';
 import { HALLink } from '../../shared/hal-link.model';
-import { HALResource } from '../../shared/hal-resource.model';
+import { ResourceType } from '../../shared/resource-type';
 import { FindListOptions } from '../find-list-options.model';
+import { PaginatedList } from '../paginated-list.model';
 import { RemoteData } from '../remote-data';
 import { RequestService } from '../request.service';
 import { RequestEntryState } from '../request-entry-state.model';
@@ -58,6 +65,25 @@ class TestService extends BaseDataService<any> {
   }
 }
 
+@typedObject
+class BaseData {
+  static type = new ResourceType('test');
+
+  foo: string;
+
+  _links: {
+    followLink1: HALLink;
+    followLink2: HALLink[];
+    self: HALLink;
+  };
+
+  @link(COLLECTION)
+  followLink1: Observable<any>;
+
+  @link(BITSTREAM, true, 'followLink2')
+  followLink2CustomVariableName: Observable<PaginatedList<any>>;
+}
+
 describe('BaseDataService', () => {
   let service: TestService;
   let requestService;
@@ -68,8 +94,8 @@ describe('BaseDataService', () => {
   let linksToFollow;
   let testScheduler;
   let remoteDataTimestamp: number;
-  let remoteDataMocks: { [responseType: string]: RemoteData<any> };
-  let remoteDataPageMocks: { [responseType: string]: RemoteData<any> };
+  let remoteDataMocks: { [responseType: string]: RemoteData<BaseData> };
+  let remoteDataPageMocks: { [responseType: string]: RemoteData<PaginatedList<BaseData>> };
 
   function initTestService(): TestService {
     requestService = getMockRequestService();
@@ -92,10 +118,10 @@ describe('BaseDataService', () => {
     // as cached values.
     remoteDataTimestamp = new Date().getTime() + 60 * 1000;
     const msToLive = 15 * 60 * 1000;
-    const payload = {
+    const payload: BaseData = Object.assign(new BaseData(), {
       foo: 'bar',
-      followLink1: {},
-      followLink2: {},
+      followLink1: observableOf({}),
+      followLink2CustomVariableName: observableOf(createPaginatedList()),
       _links: {
         self: Object.assign(new HALLink(), {
           href: 'self-test-link',
@@ -112,7 +138,7 @@ describe('BaseDataService', () => {
           }),
         ],
       },
-    };
+    });
     const statusCodeSuccess = 200;
     const statusCodeError = 404;
     const errorMessage = 'not found';
@@ -439,11 +465,6 @@ describe('BaseDataService', () => {
         spyOn(rdbService, 'buildSingle').and.returnValue(cold('a', {
           a: remoteDataMocks.Success,
         }));
-        spyOn(service, 'getLinkDefinition').and.callFake((source, linkName) => {
-          return {
-            propertyName: linkName,
-          } as any as LinkDefinition<HALResource>;
-        });
         const expected = 'a';
         const values = {
           a: remoteDataMocks.Success,
@@ -670,19 +691,16 @@ describe('BaseDataService', () => {
             c: remoteDataPageMocks.ResponsePending,
             d: remoteDataPageMocks.Success,
           }));
-          spyOn(service, 'getLinkDefinition').and.callFake((source, linkName) => {
-            return {
-              propertyName: linkName,
-            } as any as LinkDefinition<HALResource>;
-          });
           const expected = '--b-c-d';
           const values = {
             b: remoteDataPageMocks.RequestPending,
             c: remoteDataPageMocks.ResponsePending,
             d: remoteDataPageMocks.Success,
           };
+
           expectObservable(service.findListByHref(selfLink, findListOptions, false, false, ...linksToFollow)).toBe(expected, values);
           flush();
+          expect(objectCache.addDependency).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
         });
       });
     });
diff --git a/src/app/core/data/base/base-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/base/base-data.service.ts
index 2d4eceb41b3..df4e9b7a487 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/base/base-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/base/base-data.service.ts
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ export class BaseDataService<T extends CacheableObject> implements HALDataServic
             if (hasValue(object?._links)) {
               for (const followLinkName of Object.keys(object._links) as (keyof typeof object._links)[]) {
                 // only add the followLinks if they are embedded, and we get only links from the linkMap with the correct name
-                const linkDefinition: LinkDefinition<PaginatedList<T>> = getLinkDefinition(remoteDataObject.payload.constructor as GenericConstructor<PaginatedList<T>>, followLinkName);
+                const linkDefinition: LinkDefinition<PaginatedList<T>> = getLinkDefinition(object.constructor as GenericConstructor<PaginatedList<T>>, followLinkName);
                 if (linkDefinition?.propertyName && followLinkName !== 'self' && hasValue(object[linkDefinition.propertyName])) {
                   // followLink can be either an individual HALLink or a HALLink[]
                   const followLinksList: HALLink[] = [].concat(object._links[followLinkName]);