diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 410a8b9..685a9c3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set up PHP
         uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
+        with:
+          php-version: "8.0"
 
       - name: Install composer dependencies
         uses: ramsey/composer-install@v2
@@ -35,6 +37,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Set up PHP
         uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
+        with:
+          php-version: "8.0"
 
       - name: Install composer dependencies
         uses: ramsey/composer-install@v2
diff --git a/src/ValidatorBuilder.php b/src/ValidatorBuilder.php
index 6d6f1d4..aa52482 100644
--- a/src/ValidatorBuilder.php
+++ b/src/ValidatorBuilder.php
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@
 namespace Osteel\OpenApi\Testing;
 
 use cebe\openapi\Reader;
+use cebe\openapi\ReferenceContext;
 use InvalidArgumentException;
 use League\OpenAPIValidation\PSR7\ValidatorBuilder as BaseValidatorBuilder;
-use Osteel\OpenApi\Testing\Adapters\MessageAdapterInterface;
 use Osteel\OpenApi\Testing\Adapters\HttpFoundationAdapter;
+use Osteel\OpenApi\Testing\Adapters\MessageAdapterInterface;
 use Osteel\OpenApi\Testing\Cache\CacheAdapterInterface;
 use Osteel\OpenApi\Testing\Cache\Psr16Adapter;
 
@@ -34,9 +35,9 @@ public function __construct(private BaseValidatorBuilder $validatorBuilder)
      */
     public static function fromYaml(string $definition): ValidatorBuilderInterface
     {
-        $method = self::isUrl($definition) || is_file($definition) ? 'readFromYamlFile' : 'readFromYaml';
-
-        return self::fromMethod($method, $definition);
+        return self::isUrl($definition) || is_file($definition)
+            ? self::fromYamlFile($definition)
+            : self::fromYamlString($definition);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -46,9 +47,9 @@ public static function fromYaml(string $definition): ValidatorBuilderInterface
      */
     public static function fromJson(string $definition): ValidatorBuilderInterface
     {
-        $method = self::isUrl($definition) || is_file($definition) ? 'readFromJsonFile' : 'readFromJson';
-
-        return self::fromMethod($method, $definition);
+        return self::isUrl($definition) || is_file($definition)
+            ? self::fromJsonFile($definition)
+            : self::fromJsonString($definition);
     }
 
     private static function isUrl(string $value): bool
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ public static function fromJsonFile(string $definition): ValidatorBuilderInterfa
      */
     public static function fromYamlString(string $definition): ValidatorBuilderInterface
     {
-        return self::fromMethod('readFromYaml', $definition);
+        return self::fromMethod('readFromYaml', $definition, resolveReferences: true);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -99,18 +100,22 @@ public static function fromYamlString(string $definition): ValidatorBuilderInter
      */
     public static function fromJsonString(string $definition): ValidatorBuilderInterface
     {
-        return self::fromMethod('readFromJson', $definition);
+        return self::fromMethod('readFromJson', $definition, resolveReferences: true);
     }
 
     /**
      * Create a Validator object based on an OpenAPI definition.
      *
-     * @param string $method     the ValidatorBuilder object's method to use
-     * @param string $definition the OpenAPI definition
+     * @param string $method            the ValidatorBuilder object's method to use
+     * @param string $definition        the OpenAPI definition
+     * @param bool   $resolveReferences whether to resolve references in the definition
      */
-    private static function fromMethod(string $method, string $definition): ValidatorBuilderInterface
+    private static function fromMethod(string $method, string $definition, bool $resolveReferences = false): ValidatorBuilderInterface
     {
         $specObject = Reader::{$method}($definition);
+
+        $resolveReferences && $specObject->resolveReferences(new ReferenceContext($specObject, '/'));
+
         $builder = (new BaseValidatorBuilder())->fromSchema($specObject);
 
         return new ValidatorBuilder($builder);
diff --git a/tests/stubs/example.json b/tests/stubs/example.json
index c0cca51..4735156 100644
--- a/tests/stubs/example.json
+++ b/tests/stubs/example.json
@@ -18,16 +18,7 @@
             "content": {
               "application/json": {
                 "schema": {
-                  "type": "object",
-                  "required": [
-                    "foo"
-                  ],
-                  "properties": {
-                    "foo": {
-                      "type": "string",
-                      "example": "bar"
-                    }
-                  }
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Test"
                 }
               }
             }
@@ -135,5 +126,21 @@
         }
       }
     }
+  },
+  "components": {
+    "schemas": {
+      "Test": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "required": [
+          "foo"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "foo": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "example": "bar"
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/stubs/example.yaml b/tests/stubs/example.yaml
index 11964d4..2005c8a 100644
--- a/tests/stubs/example.yaml
+++ b/tests/stubs/example.yaml
@@ -16,13 +16,7 @@ paths:
           content:
             application/json:
               schema:
-                type: object
-                required:
-                    - foo
-                properties:
-                  foo:
-                    type: string
-                    example: bar
+                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Test'
     post:
       requestBody:
         content:
@@ -81,3 +75,14 @@ paths:
       responses:
         '204':
           description: No content
+
+components:
+  schemas:
+    Test:
+      type: object
+      required:
+        - foo
+      properties:
+        foo:
+          type: string
+          example: bar
\ No newline at end of file