diff --git a/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/SchemaConstraint.php b/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/SchemaConstraint.php
index fad577b7..8218d256 100644
--- a/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/SchemaConstraint.php
+++ b/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/SchemaConstraint.php
@@ -36,16 +36,17 @@ public function check(&$element, $schema = null, JsonPointer $path = null, $i =
             // passed schema
             $validationSchema = $schema;
         } elseif ($this->getTypeCheck()->propertyExists($element, $this->inlineSchemaProperty)) {
-            $inlineSchema = $this->getTypeCheck()->propertyGet($element, $this->inlineSchemaProperty);
-            if (is_array($inlineSchema)) {
-                $inlineSchema = json_decode(json_encode($inlineSchema));
-            }
             // inline schema
-            $validationSchema = $inlineSchema;
+            $validationSchema = $this->getTypeCheck()->propertyGet($element, $this->inlineSchemaProperty);
         } else {
             throw new InvalidArgumentException('no schema found to verify against');
         }
 
+        // cast array schemas to object
+        if (is_array($validationSchema)) {
+            $validationSchema = BaseConstraint::arrayToObjectRecursive($validationSchema);
+        }
+
         // validate schema against whatever is defined in $validationSchema->$schema. If no
         // schema is defined, assume self::DEFAULT_SCHEMA_SPEC (currently draft-04).
         if ($this->factory->getConfig(self::CHECK_MODE_VALIDATE_SCHEMA)) {
diff --git a/src/JsonSchema/SchemaStorage.php b/src/JsonSchema/SchemaStorage.php
index 3ee081e3..3c17c8c4 100644
--- a/src/JsonSchema/SchemaStorage.php
+++ b/src/JsonSchema/SchemaStorage.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace JsonSchema;
 
+use JsonSchema\Constraints\BaseConstraint;
 use JsonSchema\Entity\JsonPointer;
 use JsonSchema\Exception\UnresolvableJsonPointerException;
 use JsonSchema\Iterator\ObjectIterator;
@@ -51,6 +52,12 @@ public function addSchema($id, $schema = null)
             // schemas do not have an associated URI when passed via Validator::validate().
             $schema = $this->uriRetriever->retrieve($id);
         }
+
+        // cast array schemas to object
+        if (is_array($schema)) {
+            $schema = BaseConstraint::arrayToObjectRecursive($schema);
+        }
+
         $objectIterator = new ObjectIterator($schema);
         foreach ($objectIterator as $toResolveSchema) {
             if (property_exists($toResolveSchema, '$ref') && is_string($toResolveSchema->{'$ref'})) {
diff --git a/src/JsonSchema/Validator.php b/src/JsonSchema/Validator.php
index 49fec4c1..8d1b50c9 100644
--- a/src/JsonSchema/Validator.php
+++ b/src/JsonSchema/Validator.php
@@ -45,11 +45,6 @@ public function validate(&$value, $schema = null, $checkMode = null)
         // reset errors prior to validation
         $this->reset();
 
-        // make sure $schema is an object
-        if (is_array($schema)) {
-            $schema = self::arrayToObjectRecursive($schema);
-        }
-
         // set checkMode
         $initialCheckMode = $this->factory->getConfig();
         if ($checkMode !== null) {
@@ -60,7 +55,10 @@ public function validate(&$value, $schema = null, $checkMode = null)
         $this->factory->getSchemaStorage()->addSchema(SchemaStorage::INTERNAL_PROVIDED_SCHEMA_URI, $schema);
 
         $validator = $this->factory->createInstanceFor('schema');
-        $validator->check($value, $schema);
+        $validator->check(
+            $value,
+            $this->factory->getSchemaStorage()->getSchema(SchemaStorage::INTERNAL_PROVIDED_SCHEMA_URI)
+        );
 
         $this->factory->setConfig($initialCheckMode);