diff --git a/lib/spec/openapi/index.js b/lib/spec/openapi/index.js
index 872c8111..e0fb0b4c 100644
--- a/lib/spec/openapi/index.js
+++ b/lib/spec/openapi/index.js
@@ -25,16 +25,6 @@ module.exports = function (opts, cache, routes, Ref, done) {
       ...(ref.definitions().definitions)
     }, ref)
 
-    // Swagger doesn't accept $id on /definitions schemas.
-    // The $ids are needed by Ref() to check the URI so we need
-    // to remove them at the end of the process
-    // definitions are added by resolve but they are replace by components.schemas
-    Object.values(openapiObject.components.schemas)
-      .forEach((_) => {
-        delete _.$id
-        delete _.definitions
-      })
-
     for (const route of routes) {
       const schema = defOpts.transform
         ? defOpts.transform(route.schema)
diff --git a/lib/spec/openapi/utils.js b/lib/spec/openapi/utils.js
index 92fd32ae..48598323 100644
--- a/lib/spec/openapi/utils.js
+++ b/lib/spec/openapi/utils.js
@@ -326,10 +326,16 @@ function prepareOpenapiSchemas (schemas, ref) {
     .reduce((res, [name, schema]) => {
       const _ = { ...schema }
       const resolved = transformDefsToComponents(ref.resolve(_, { externalSchemas: [schemas] }))
-      return {
-        ...res,
-        [name]: resolved
-      }
+
+      // Swagger doesn't accept $id on /definitions schemas.
+      // The $ids are needed by Ref() to check the URI so we need
+      // to remove them at the end of the process
+      // definitions are added by resolve but they are replace by components.schemas
+      delete resolved.$id
+      delete resolved.definitions
+
+      res[name] = resolved
+      return res
     }, {})
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/spec/swagger/index.js b/lib/spec/swagger/index.js
index 485a58dc..72cf8991 100644
--- a/lib/spec/swagger/index.js
+++ b/lib/spec/swagger/index.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 const yaml = require('js-yaml')
 const { shouldRouteHide } = require('../../util/common')
-const { prepareDefaultOptions, prepareSwaggerObject, prepareSwaggerMethod, normalizeUrl } = require('./utils')
+const { prepareDefaultOptions, prepareSwaggerObject, prepareSwaggerMethod, normalizeUrl, prepareSwaggerDefinitions } = require('./utils')
 
 module.exports = function (opts, cache, routes, Ref, done) {
   let ref
@@ -19,16 +19,10 @@ module.exports = function (opts, cache, routes, Ref, done) {
     const swaggerObject = prepareSwaggerObject(defOpts, done)
 
     ref = Ref()
-    swaggerObject.definitions = {
+    swaggerObject.definitions = prepareSwaggerDefinitions({
       ...swaggerObject.definitions,
       ...(ref.definitions().definitions)
-    }
-
-    // Swagger doesn't accept $id on /definitions schemas.
-    // The $ids are needed by Ref() to check the URI so we need
-    // to remove them at the end of the process
-    Object.values(swaggerObject.definitions)
-      .forEach(_ => { delete _.$id })
+    }, ref)
 
     swaggerObject.paths = {}
     for (const route of routes) {
diff --git a/lib/spec/swagger/utils.js b/lib/spec/swagger/utils.js
index 2a465d6a..36d4a13e 100644
--- a/lib/spec/swagger/utils.js
+++ b/lib/spec/swagger/utils.js
@@ -266,9 +266,27 @@ function prepareSwaggerMethod (schema, ref, swaggerObject) {
   return swaggerMethod
 }
 
+function prepareSwaggerDefinitions (definitions, ref) {
+  return Object.entries(definitions)
+    .reduce((res, [name, definition]) => {
+      const _ = { ...definition }
+      const resolved = ref.resolve(_, { externalSchemas: [definitions] })
+
+      // Swagger doesn't accept $id on /definitions schemas.
+      // The $ids are needed by Ref() to check the URI so we need
+      // to remove them at the end of the process
+      delete resolved.$id
+      delete resolved.definitions
+
+      res[name] = resolved
+      return res
+    }, {})
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   prepareDefaultOptions,
   prepareSwaggerObject,
   prepareSwaggerMethod,
-  normalizeUrl
+  normalizeUrl,
+  prepareSwaggerDefinitions
 }
diff --git a/test/spec/openapi/refs.js b/test/spec/openapi/refs.js
index 322dfb1f..d62a2652 100644
--- a/test/spec/openapi/refs.js
+++ b/test/spec/openapi/refs.js
@@ -103,3 +103,31 @@ test('support $ref in response schema', async (t) => {
 
   await Swagger.validate(openapiObject)
 })
+
+test('support nested $ref schema : complex case without modifying buildLocalReference', async (t) => {
+  const fastify = Fastify()
+  fastify.register(fastifySwagger, { openapi: {} })
+  fastify.register(async (instance) => {
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaA', type: 'object', properties: { id: { type: 'integer' } } })
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaB', type: 'object', properties: { id: { type: 'string' } } })
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaC', type: 'object', properties: { a: { type: 'array', items: { $ref: 'schemaA' } } } })
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaD', type: 'object', properties: { b: { $ref: 'schemaB' }, c: { $ref: 'schemaC' } } })
+    instance.post('/url1', { schema: { body: { $ref: 'schemaD' }, response: { 200: { $ref: 'schemaB' } } } }, () => {})
+    instance.post('/url2', { schema: { body: { $ref: 'schemaC' }, response: { 200: { $ref: 'schemaA' } } } }, () => {})
+  })
+
+  await fastify.ready()
+
+  const openapiObject = fastify.swagger()
+  t.equal(typeof openapiObject, 'object')
+
+  const schemas = openapiObject.components.schemas
+  t.match(Object.keys(schemas), ['def-0', 'def-1', 'def-2', 'def-3'])
+
+  // ref must be prefixed by '#/components/schemas/'
+  t.equal(schemas['def-2'].properties.a.items.$ref, '#/components/schemas/def-0')
+  t.equal(schemas['def-3'].properties.b.$ref, '#/components/schemas/def-1')
+  t.equal(schemas['def-3'].properties.c.$ref, '#/components/schemas/def-2')
+
+  await Swagger.validate(openapiObject)
+})
diff --git a/test/spec/swagger/refs.js b/test/spec/swagger/refs.js
index 9acc349d..dd33747b 100644
--- a/test/spec/swagger/refs.js
+++ b/test/spec/swagger/refs.js
@@ -64,3 +64,69 @@ test('support $ref schema', async t => {
   await Swagger.validate(res.json())
   t.pass('valid swagger object')
 })
+
+test('support nested $ref schema : complex case', async (t) => {
+  const options = {
+    swagger: {},
+    refResolver: {
+      buildLocalReference: (json, baseUri, fragment, i) => {
+        return json.$id || `def-${i}`
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  const fastify = Fastify()
+  fastify.register(fastifySwagger, options)
+  fastify.register(async (instance) => {
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaA', type: 'object', properties: { id: { type: 'integer' } } })
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaB', type: 'object', properties: { id: { type: 'string' } } })
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaC', type: 'object', properties: { a: { type: 'array', items: { $ref: 'schemaA' } } } })
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaD', type: 'object', properties: { b: { $ref: 'schemaB' }, c: { $ref: 'schemaC' } } })
+    instance.post('/url1', { schema: { body: { $ref: 'schemaD' }, response: { 200: { $ref: 'schemaB' } } } }, () => {})
+    instance.post('/url2', { schema: { body: { $ref: 'schemaC' }, response: { 200: { $ref: 'schemaA' } } } }, () => {})
+  })
+
+  await fastify.ready()
+
+  const swaggerObject = fastify.swagger()
+  t.equal(typeof swaggerObject, 'object')
+  const definitions = swaggerObject.definitions
+  t.match(Object.keys(definitions), ['schemaA', 'schemaB', 'schemaC', 'schemaD'])
+
+  // ref must be prefixed by '#/definitions/'
+  t.equal(definitions.schemaC.properties.a.items.$ref, '#/definitions/schemaA')
+  t.equal(definitions.schemaD.properties.b.$ref, '#/definitions/schemaB')
+  t.equal(definitions.schemaD.properties.c.$ref, '#/definitions/schemaC')
+
+  await Swagger.validate(swaggerObject)
+})
+
+test('support nested $ref schema : complex case without modifying buildLocalReference', async (t) => {
+  const fastify = Fastify()
+  fastify.register(fastifySwagger, {
+    routePrefix: '/docs',
+    exposeRoute: true
+  })
+  fastify.register(async (instance) => {
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaA', type: 'object', properties: { id: { type: 'integer' } } })
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaB', type: 'object', properties: { id: { type: 'string' } } })
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaC', type: 'object', properties: { a: { type: 'array', items: { $ref: 'schemaA' } } } })
+    instance.addSchema({ $id: 'schemaD', type: 'object', properties: { b: { $ref: 'schemaB' }, c: { $ref: 'schemaC' } } })
+    instance.post('/url1', { schema: { body: { $ref: 'schemaD' }, response: { 200: { $ref: 'schemaB' } } } }, () => {})
+    instance.post('/url2', { schema: { body: { $ref: 'schemaC' }, response: { 200: { $ref: 'schemaA' } } } }, () => {})
+  })
+
+  await fastify.ready()
+
+  const swaggerObject = fastify.swagger()
+  t.equal(typeof swaggerObject, 'object')
+
+  const definitions = swaggerObject.definitions
+  t.match(Object.keys(definitions), ['def-0', 'def-1', 'def-2', 'def-3'])
+
+  // ref must be prefixed by '#/definitions/'
+  t.equal(definitions['def-2'].properties.a.items.$ref, '#/definitions/def-0')
+  t.equal(definitions['def-3'].properties.b.$ref, '#/definitions/def-1')
+  t.equal(definitions['def-3'].properties.c.$ref, '#/definitions/def-2')
+
+  await Swagger.validate(swaggerObject)
+})