diff --git a/test/schema-feature.test.js b/test/schema-feature.test.js
index 40a84c7b640..427385c6e2b 100644
--- a/test/schema-feature.test.js
+++ b/test/schema-feature.test.js
@@ -615,15 +615,15 @@ test('Get schema anyway should not add `properties` if allOf is present', t => {
           second: { type: 'number' }
         }
       },
-      fastify.getSchema('first')
+      { $ref: 'first' }
     ]
   })
 
   fastify.get('/', {
     handler: () => {},
     schema: {
-      querystring: fastify.getSchema('second'),
-      response: { 200: fastify.getSchema('second') }
+      querystring: { $ref: 'second' },
+      response: { 200: { $ref: 'second' } }
     }
   })
 
@@ -652,15 +652,15 @@ test('Get schema anyway should not add `properties` if oneOf is present', t => {
           second: { type: 'number' }
         }
       },
-      fastify.getSchema('first')
+      { $ref: 'first' }
     ]
   })
 
   fastify.get('/', {
     handler: () => {},
     schema: {
-      querystring: fastify.getSchema('second'),
-      response: { 200: fastify.getSchema('second') }
+      querystring: { $ref: 'second' },
+      response: { 200: { $ref: 'second' } }
     }
   })
 
@@ -689,15 +689,15 @@ test('Get schema anyway should not add `properties` if anyOf is present', t => {
           second: { type: 'number' }
         }
       },
-      fastify.getSchema('first')
+      { $ref: 'first' }
     ]
   })
 
   fastify.get('/', {
     handler: () => {},
     schema: {
-      querystring: fastify.getSchema('second'),
-      response: { 200: fastify.getSchema('second') }
+      querystring: { $ref: 'second' },
+      response: { 200: { $ref: 'second' } }
     }
   })
 
diff --git a/test/schema-special-usage.test.js b/test/schema-special-usage.test.js
index d2cb65d56b5..f3e01b003f9 100644
--- a/test/schema-special-usage.test.js
+++ b/test/schema-special-usage.test.js
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ test("serializer read validator's schemas", t => {
   fastify.get('/', {
     schema: {
       response: {
-        '2xx': ajvInstance.getSchema('http://example.com/schemas/ref').schema
+        '2xx': { $ref: 'http://example.com/schemas/ref' }
       }
     },
     handler (req, res) { res.send({ hello: 'world', evict: 'this' }) }
@@ -364,9 +364,9 @@ test('setSchemaController in a plugin', t => {
   fastify.register(schemaPlugin)
   fastify.get('/', {
     schema: {
-      query: ajvInstance.getSchema('urn:schema:ref').schema,
+      query: { $ref: 'urn:schema:ref' },
       response: {
-        '2xx': ajvInstance.getSchema('urn:schema:ref').schema
+        '2xx': { $ref: 'urn:schema:ref' }
       }
     },
     handler (req, res) {
@@ -534,9 +534,9 @@ test('setSchemaController in a plugin with head routes', t => {
   fastify.register(schemaPlugin)
   fastify.get('/', {
     schema: {
-      query: ajvInstance.getSchema('urn:schema:ref').schema,
+      query: { $ref: 'urn:schema:ref' },
       response: {
-        '2xx': ajvInstance.getSchema('urn:schema:ref').schema
+        '2xx': { $ref: 'urn:schema:ref' }
       }
     },
     handler (req, res) {
@@ -614,9 +614,9 @@ test('multiple refs with the same ids', t => {
 
   fastify.head('/', {
     schema: {
-      query: refSchema,
+      query: { $ref: 'urn:schema:ref' },
       response: {
-        '2xx': refSchema
+        '2xx': { $ref: 'urn:schema:ref' }
       }
     },
     handler (req, res) {
@@ -626,9 +626,9 @@ test('multiple refs with the same ids', t => {
 
   fastify.get('/', {
     schema: {
-      query: refSchema,
+      query: { $ref: 'urn:schema:ref' },
       response: {
-        '2xx': refSchema
+        '2xx': { $ref: 'urn:schema:ref' }
       }
     },
     handler (req, res) {
diff --git a/test/schema-validation.test.js b/test/schema-validation.test.js
index 2980e24a1eb..84519680971 100644
--- a/test/schema-validation.test.js
+++ b/test/schema-validation.test.js
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ test('External AJV instance', t => {
     schema: {
       body: schemaCRefToB,
       response: {
-        '2xx': ajv.getSchema('urn:schema:response').schema
+        '2xx': { $ref: 'urn:schema:response' }
       }
     }
   })
@@ -290,9 +290,9 @@ test('Triple $ref with a simple $id', t => {
   fastify.post('/', {
     handler (req, reply) { reply.send({ foo: 105, bar: 'foo' }) },
     schema: {
-      body: ajv.getSchema('urn:schema:request').schema,
+      body: { $ref: 'urn:schema:request' },
       response: {
-        '2xx': ajv.getSchema('urn:schema:response').schema
+        '2xx': { $ref: 'urn:schema:response' }
       }
     }
   })