A running gag concerning Lwaxana Troi's love interests recurs here. In one scene, Odo is anxiously looking around as he exits a turbolift, fearing running into her (which he does). Jean-Luc Picard acted similarly on the Enterprise when she was on board at one time (TNG: "Half a Life (1991)").
Lwaxana's story about a brief affair with a Ferengi refers to the events of TNG: Ménage à Troi (1990).
This episode marks the first of several changes to Major Kira's (Nana Visitor) uniform. The separate jacket and pants are now a one-piece jumpsuit.
When the station's computer is infected by downloading files from a probe, O'Brien creates a sub-program called "pup" - referring to a stray puppy that wants attention all the time - to isolate the infection. In more recent real-life computer history, ironically, a PUP is a "Potentially Unwanted Program".