diff --git a/cli.js b/cli.js
index af145b62..0ecbe224 100755
--- a/cli.js
+++ b/cli.js
@@ -20,11 +20,13 @@ const logger = require('@adobe/helix-log');
 const {
   iter, pipe, filter, map, obj,
 } = require('ferrum');
+const npath = require('path');
 const traverse = require('./lib/traverseSchema');
 const build = require('./lib/markdownBuilder');
 const { writereadme, writemarkdown } = require('./lib/writeMarkdown');
 const readme = require('./lib/readmeBuilder');
 const { loader } = require('./lib/schemaProxy');
+const { writeSchema } = require('./lib/writeSchema');
 
 const { info, error, debug } = logger;
 
@@ -115,11 +117,19 @@ readdirp.promise(schemaPath, { root: schemaPath, fileFilter: `*.${schemaExtensio
       map(path => schemaloader(require(path), path)),
       // find contained schemas
       traverse,
-      // build readme
     );
   })
 
   .then(schemas => Promise.all([
+    (() => {
+      if (argv.x !== '-') {
+        writeSchema({
+          schemadir: argv.x,
+          origindir: argv.d,
+        })(schemas);
+      }
+    })(),
+
     (() => {
       if (argv.n) {
         return pipe(
@@ -148,6 +158,17 @@ readdirp.promise(schemaPath, { root: schemaPath, fileFilter: `*.${schemaExtensio
         header: argv.h,
         links: docs,
         includeproperties: argv.p,
+        rewritelinks: (origin) => {
+          const mddir = argv.o;
+          const srcdir = argv.d;
+          const schemadir = argv.x !== '-' ? argv.x : argv.d;
+
+          const target = npath.relative(
+            mddir,
+            npath.resolve(schemadir, npath.relative(srcdir, origin)),
+          );
+          return target;
+        },
       }),
 
 
diff --git a/examples/schemas/complex.schema.json b/examples/schemas/complex.schema.json
index b4732956..cd8de566 100644
--- a/examples/schemas/complex.schema.json
+++ b/examples/schemas/complex.schema.json
@@ -26,16 +26,6 @@
       "version": "1.0.0",
       "testProperty": "test"
     },
-    "reflist": {
-      "type": "array",
-      "items": {
-        "$ref": "https://example.com/schemas/simple",
-        "version": "1.0.0",
-        "testProperty": "test"
-      },
-      "version": "1.0.0",
-      "testProperty": "test"
-    },
     "refobj": {
       "type": "object",
       "properties": {
diff --git a/lib/markdownBuilder.js b/lib/markdownBuilder.js
index 8cae01f8..2b2eed76 100644
--- a/lib/markdownBuilder.js
+++ b/lib/markdownBuilder.js
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ const s = require('./symbols');
 const { gentitle } = require('./formattingTools');
 const { keyword } = require('./keywords');
 
-function build({ header, links = {}, includeproperties = [] } = {}) {
+function build({
+  header, links = {}, includeproperties = [], rewritelinks = x => x,
+} = {}) {
   const formats = {
     'date-time': {
       label: i18n`date time`,
@@ -190,6 +192,7 @@ function build({ header, links = {}, includeproperties = [] } = {}) {
    * @param {*} schema
    */
   function makeheader(schema) {
+    // console.log('making header for', schema[s.filename], schema[s.pointer]);
     if (header) {
       return [
         heading(1, text(i18n`${gentitle(schema[s.titles], schema.type)} Schema`)),
@@ -217,7 +220,7 @@ function build({ header, links = {}, includeproperties = [] } = {}) {
                     && typeof schema[s.meta][prop.name] === 'object'
                     && schema[s.meta][prop.name].link
                     && schema[s.meta][prop.name].text) {
-                    return tableCell(link(schema[s.meta][prop.name].link, i18n`open original schema`, [text(schema[s.meta][prop.name].text)]));
+                    return tableCell(link(rewritelinks(schema[s.meta][prop.name].link), i18n`open original schema`, [text(schema[s.meta][prop.name].text)]));
                   }
                   const value = schema[s.meta] ? schema[s.meta][prop.name] : undefined;
                   if (prop[`${String(value)}label`]) {
diff --git a/lib/writeSchema.js b/lib/writeSchema.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fccf40ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/writeSchema.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2019 Adobe. All rights reserved.
+ * This file is licensed to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy
+ * of the License at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under
+ * the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS
+ * OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language
+ * governing permissions and limitations under the License.
+ */
+const fs = require('fs-extra');
+const path = require('path');
+const s = require('./symbols');
+
+function writeSchema({ schemadir, origindir }) {
+  const targetpath = filename => path.resolve(schemadir, path.relative(origindir, filename));
+
+
+  return (schemas) => {
+    console.log('writing schemas to', schemadir);
+
+    const realschemas = Object.values(schemas).filter(schema => !schema[s.parent]);
+    realschemas.forEach((schema) => {
+      // console.log('writing', schema[s.filename], 'to ', targetpath(schema[s.filename]));
+      const filename = targetpath(schema[s.filename]);
+      const dirname = path.dirname(filename);
+
+
+      const out = Object.assign({}, schema);
+      if (schema[s.meta] && schema[s.meta].description) {
+        // copy description from external file
+        out.description = schema[s.meta].description;
+      }
+      if (schema.examples && Array.isArray(schema.examples) && schema.examples.length > 0) {
+        // copy examples from external files
+        out.examples = [...schema.examples];
+      }
+      fs.mkdirpSync(dirname);
+      fs.writeJsonSync(filename, out);
+    });
+  };
+}
+
+module.exports = { writeSchema };
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e5cb210f..3d8bf249 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
     "js-yaml": "^3.13.1",
     "mdast-builder": "^1.1.1",
     "mdast-util-to-string": "^1.0.7",
-    "mkdirp": "^0.5.1",
     "mocha": "^6.2.2",
     "readdirp": "^3.3.0",
     "remark-parse": "^7.0.2",