diff --git a/demos/init-db.php b/demos/init-db.php
index 5280f87717..b07550b354 100644
--- a/demos/init-db.php
+++ b/demos/init-db.php
@@ -270,10 +270,15 @@ protected function init(): void
             'type' => 'string',
             'ui' => [
                 'form' => [Form\Control\Line::class],
-                'table' => [Table\Column\CountryFlag::class],
+                'table' => [Table\Column\CountryFlag::class, 'nameField' => $this->fieldName()->client_country],
             ],
         ])
-            ->addField($this->fieldName()->client_country, Country::hinting()->fieldName()->name);
+            ->addField($this->fieldName()->client_country, Country::hinting()->fieldName()->name, [
+                // caption needs to be set explicitly because HasOneSql::addField() uses the value from referenced field
+                // https://github.com/atk4/data/blob/4.0.0/src/Reference/HasOneSql.php#L87
+                // https://github.com/atk4/data/pull/447/files#r1063408315
+                'caption' => 'Client Country Name',
+            ]);
 
         $this->addField($this->fieldName()->is_commercial, ['type' => 'boolean']);
         $this->addField($this->fieldName()->currency, ['values' => ['EUR' => 'Euro', 'USD' => 'US Dollar', 'GBP' => 'Pound Sterling']]);
diff --git a/demos/interactive/cardtable.php b/demos/interactive/cardtable.php
index e3c61519ae..4020539009 100644
--- a/demos/interactive/cardtable.php
+++ b/demos/interactive/cardtable.php
@@ -12,4 +12,11 @@
 
 Header::addTo($app, ['Card displays read-only data of a single record']);
 
-CardTable::addTo($app)->setModel((new Stat($app->db))->loadAny());
+$entity = (new Stat($app->db))->loadAny();
+$entity->project_code .= ' <b>no reload</b>';
+
+CardTable::addTo($app)->setModel($entity);
+
+// CardTable uses internally atk4_local_object type which uses weak references,
+// force GC to test the data are kept referenced correctly
+gc_collect_cycles();
diff --git a/src/CardTable.php b/src/CardTable.php
index c0fe44f2e4..4a5ba1e75f 100644
--- a/src/CardTable.php
+++ b/src/CardTable.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 namespace Atk4\Ui;
 
+use Atk4\Data\Field;
 use Atk4\Data\Model;
 
 /**
@@ -34,12 +35,12 @@ public function setModel(Model $entity, array $columns = null): void
         }
 
         $data = [];
-        foreach ($entity->get() as $key => $value) {
+        foreach (array_keys($entity->get()) as $key) {
             if (in_array($key, $columns, true)) {
                 $data[] = [
                     'id' => $key,
                     'field' => $entity->getField($key)->getCaption(),
-                    'value' => $this->getApp()->uiPersistence->typecastSaveField($entity->getField($key), $value),
+                    'value' => new Model\EntityFieldPair($entity, $key),
                 ];
             }
         }
@@ -51,17 +52,13 @@ public function setModel(Model $entity, array $columns = null): void
             $this->_bypass = false;
         }
 
-        $this->addDecorator('value', [Table\Column\Multiformat::class, function (Model $row) use ($entity) {
-            $field = $entity->getField($row->getId());
-            $ret = $this->decoratorFactory(
-                $field,
-                $field->type === 'boolean' ? [Table\Column\Status::class, ['positive' => [true, 'Yes'], 'negative' => [false, 'No']]] : []
-            );
-            if ($ret instanceof Table\Column\Money) {
-                $ret->attr['all']['class'] = ['single line'];
+        $this->addDecorator('value', [Table\Column\Multiformat::class, function (Model $row, Field $field) {
+            $c = $this->decoratorFactory($field);
+            if ($c instanceof Table\Column\Money) {
+                $c->attr['all']['class'] = ['single line'];
             }
 
-            return [$ret];
+            return [$c];
         }]);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Table.php b/src/Table.php
index 861a07cd98..6a47335d5b 100644
--- a/src/Table.php
+++ b/src/Table.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 use Atk4\Core\Factory;
 use Atk4\Data\Field;
 use Atk4\Data\Model;
+use Atk4\Data\Model\EntityFieldPair;
 use Atk4\Ui\Js\Jquery;
 use Atk4\Ui\Js\JsChain;
 use Atk4\Ui\Js\JsExpression;
@@ -389,6 +390,40 @@ public function setModel(Model $model, array $columns = null): void
         }
     }
 
+    public function setSource(array $data, $fields = null): Model
+    {
+        // mainly for CardTable to support different field type for different row
+        // related with https://github.com/atk4/data/blob/4.0.0/tests/Persistence/StaticTest.php#L142
+        $dataWithObjects = [];
+        if (is_array(reset($data))) {
+            foreach ($data as $rowKey => $row) {
+                foreach ($row as $k => $v) {
+                    if ($v instanceof EntityFieldPair) {
+                        $dataWithObjects[$row['id']][$k] = $v;
+                        $data[$rowKey][$k] = null;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        $model = parent::setSource($data, $fields);
+
+        foreach ($dataWithObjects as $id => $row) {
+            $entity = $model->load($id);
+            foreach ($row as $k => $v) {
+                $model->getField($k)->type = 'atk4_local_object';
+                $entity->set($k, $v);
+            }
+            $entity->save();
+        }
+        $model->onHook(Model::HOOK_BEFORE_LOAD, function () use ($dataWithObjects) {
+            // useless hook, but make sure the $dataWithObjects is kept referenced from $model
+            $count = count($dataWithObjects);
+        });
+
+        return $model;
+    }
+
     protected function renderView(): void
     {
         if (!$this->columns) {
@@ -420,8 +455,9 @@ protected function renderView(): void
         // the same in Lister class
         $modelBackup = $this->model;
         try {
-            foreach ($this->model as $this->model) {
-                $this->currentRow = $this->model;
+            foreach ($this->model as $entity) {
+                $this->model = $entity;
+                $this->currentRow = $entity; // TODO we should either drop currentRow property or never update model property
                 if ($this->hook(self::HOOK_BEFORE_ROW) === false) {
                     continue;
                 }
diff --git a/src/Table/Column/Multiformat.php b/src/Table/Column/Multiformat.php
index c50a4d4265..7e5c5ef023 100644
--- a/src/Table/Column/Multiformat.php
+++ b/src/Table/Column/Multiformat.php
@@ -31,6 +31,13 @@ public function getDataCellHtml(Field $field = null, array $attr = []): string
 
     public function getHtmlTags(Model $row, ?Field $field): array
     {
+        // mainly for CardTable to support different field type for different row
+        $fieldValue = $field->get($row);
+        if ($fieldValue instanceof Model\EntityFieldPair) {
+            $row = $fieldValue->getEntity();
+            $field = $fieldValue->getField();
+        }
+
         $decorators = ($this->callback)($row, $field);
         // we need to smartly wrap things up
         $name = $field->shortName;