diff --git a/lib/spec/openapi/utils.js b/lib/spec/openapi/utils.js
index 11863616..4b0e6871 100644
--- a/lib/spec/openapi/utils.js
+++ b/lib/spec/openapi/utils.js
@@ -98,6 +98,13 @@ function transformDefsToComponents (jsonSchema) {
         Object.keys(jsonSchema[key]).forEach(function (prop) {
           jsonSchema[key][prop] = transformDefsToComponents(jsonSchema[key][prop])
         })
+        // definitions are not allowed in openapi schema, so we mutate them to properties
+      } else if (key === 'definitions') {
+        jsonSchema.properties = {
+          ...transformDefsToComponents(jsonSchema[key]),
+          ...jsonSchema.properties
+        }
+        delete jsonSchema[key]
       } else if (key === '$ref') {
         // replace the top-lvl path
         jsonSchema[key] = jsonSchema[key].replace('definitions', 'components/schemas')
@@ -406,29 +413,11 @@ function prepareOpenapiSchemas (schemas, ref) {
     .reduce((res, [name, schema]) => {
       const _ = { ...schema }
 
-      // 'definitions' keyword is not supported by openapi in schema item
-      // but we can receive it from json-schema input
-      if (_.definitions) {
-        _.properties = {
-          ..._.definitions,
-          ..._.properties
-        }
-      }
-
-      // ref.resolve call does 3 things:
-      // modifies underlying cache of ref
-      // adds 'definitions' with resolved schema(which we don't need here anymore)
-      // mutates $ref to point to the resolved schema
-      // ($ref will be mutated again by transformDefsToComponents)
       const resolvedRef = ref.resolve(_, { externalSchemas: [schemas] })
 
       // swagger doesn't accept $id on components schemas
-      // $ids are needed by ref.resolve to check the URI
-      // definitions are added by resolve, but they are not needed, as we resolve
-      // the $ref to already existing schemas in components.schemas using method below
-      // therefore, we delete both $id and definitions at the end of the process
+      // $ids are needed only for ref.resolve to check the URI
       delete resolvedRef.$id
-      delete resolvedRef.definitions
 
       const components = transformDefsToComponents(resolvedRef)
 
diff --git a/test/spec/openapi/refs.js b/test/spec/openapi/refs.js
index 83e2283f..242cea9b 100644
--- a/test/spec/openapi/refs.js
+++ b/test/spec/openapi/refs.js
@@ -283,26 +283,21 @@ test('uses examples if has property required in body', async (t) => {
   t.same(schema.parameters[0].in, 'query')
 })
 
-test('support schema $ref inside the json-schema definitions', async (t) => {
+test('support absolute $ref inside the json-schema definitions', async (t) => {
   const fastify = Fastify()
 
   await fastify.register(fastifySwagger, openapiOption)
   fastify.register(async (instance) => {
     instance.addSchema({
       $id: 'NestedSchema',
-      properties: {
-        id: { type: 'string' }
-      },
       definitions: {
         SchemaA: {
-          $id: 'SchemaA',
           type: 'object',
           properties: {
             id: { type: 'string' }
           }
         },
         SchemaB: {
-          $id: 'SchemaB',
           type: 'object',
           properties: {
             example: { $ref: 'NestedSchema#/definitions/SchemaA' }
@@ -310,7 +305,7 @@ test('support schema $ref inside the json-schema definitions', async (t) => {
         }
       }
     })
-    instance.post('/url1', { schema: { body: { $ref: 'NestedSchema#/definitions/SchemaB' }, response: { 200: { $ref: 'NestedSchema#/definitions/SchemaA' } } } }, () => {})
+    instance.post('/url1/:test', { schema: { body: { $ref: 'NestedSchema#/definitions/SchemaB' }, params: { $ref: 'NestedSchema#/definitions/SchemaA' }, response: { 200: { $ref: 'NestedSchema#/definitions/SchemaA' } } } }, () => {})
   })
 
   await fastify.ready()