diff --git a/openapi3/loader.go b/openapi3/loader.go
index 1ab693b0f..cb8ee998b 100644
--- a/openapi3/loader.go
+++ b/openapi3/loader.go
@@ -745,6 +745,10 @@ func (loader *Loader) resolveSchemaRef(doc *T, component *SchemaRef, documentPat
 			foundPath := loader.getResolvedRefPath(ref, &resolved, documentPath, componentPath)
 			documentPath = loader.documentPathForRecursiveRef(documentPath, foundPath)
 		}
+		if loader.visitedSchema == nil {
+			loader.visitedSchema = make(map[*Schema]struct{})
+		}
+		loader.visitedSchema[component.Value] = struct{}{}
 	}
 	value := component.Value
 	if value == nil {
diff --git a/openapi3/loader_test.go b/openapi3/loader_test.go
index 684e1b44d..e792767fd 100644
--- a/openapi3/loader_test.go
+++ b/openapi3/loader_test.go
@@ -263,6 +263,29 @@ func TestLoadWithReferenceInReference(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "string", doc.Paths["/api/test/ref/in/ref"].Post.RequestBody.Value.Content["application/json"].Schema.Value.Properties["definition_reference"].Value.Type)
 }
 
+func TestLoadWithRecursiveReferenceInLocalReferenceInParentSubdir(t *testing.T) {
+	loader := NewLoader()
+	loader.IsExternalRefsAllowed = true
+	doc, err := loader.LoadFromFile("testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/spec/openapi.json")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, doc)
+	err = doc.Validate(loader.Context)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "object", doc.Paths["/api/test/ref/in/ref"].Post.RequestBody.Value.Content["application/json"].Schema.Value.Properties["definition_reference"].Value.Type)
+}
+
+func TestLoadWithRecursiveReferenceInRefrerenceInLocalReference(t *testing.T) {
+	loader := NewLoader()
+	loader.IsExternalRefsAllowed = true
+	doc, err := loader.LoadFromFile("testdata/refInLocalRef/openapi.json")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, doc)
+	err = doc.Validate(loader.Context)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, "integer", doc.Paths["/api/test/ref/in/ref"].Post.RequestBody.Value.Content["application/json"].Schema.Value.Properties["data"].Value.Properties["definition_reference"].Value.Properties["ref_prop_part"].Value.Properties["idPart"].Value.Type)
+	require.Equal(t, "int64", doc.Paths["/api/test/ref/in/ref"].Post.RequestBody.Value.Content["application/json"].Schema.Value.Properties["data"].Value.Properties["definition_reference"].Value.Properties["ref_prop_part"].Value.Properties["idPart"].Value.Format)
+}
+
 func TestLoadWithReferenceInReferenceInProperty(t *testing.T) {
 	loader := NewLoader()
 	loader.IsExternalRefsAllowed = true
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/data.json b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/data.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cfdc18efb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/data.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "type": "object",
+  "properties": {
+    "id": {
+      "type": "integer",
+      "format": "int32"
+    },
+    "ref_prop_part": {
+      "$ref": "./dataPart.json"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/dataPart.json b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/dataPart.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9ecb5850a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/dataPart.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "type": "object",
+  "properties": {
+    "idPart": {
+      "type": "integer",
+      "format": "int64"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/request.json b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/request.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7225ff190
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/request.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "type": "object",
+  "required": [
+    "definition_reference"
+  ],
+  "properties": {
+    "definition_reference": {
+      "$ref": "./data.json"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/response.json b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/response.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b636f528b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/messages/response.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "type": "object",
+  "properties": {
+    "id": {
+      "type": "integer",
+      "format": "int32"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/openapi.json b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/openapi.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f0c9915c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRef/openapi.json
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+{
+  "openapi": "3.0.3",
+  "info": {
+    "title": "Reference in reference example",
+    "version": "1.0.0"
+  },
+  "paths": {
+    "/api/test/ref/in/ref": {
+      "post": {
+        "requestBody": {
+          "content": {
+            "application/json": {
+              "schema": {
+                "type": "object",
+                "properties" : {
+                  "data": {
+                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Request"
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "Successful response",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "messages/response.json"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  },
+  "components": {
+    "schemas": {
+      "Request": {
+        "$ref": "messages/request.json"
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/data.json b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/data.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cfdc18efb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/data.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "type": "object",
+  "properties": {
+    "id": {
+      "type": "integer",
+      "format": "int32"
+    },
+    "ref_prop_part": {
+      "$ref": "./dataPart.json"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/dataPart.json b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/dataPart.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9ecb5850a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/dataPart.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "type": "object",
+  "properties": {
+    "idPart": {
+      "type": "integer",
+      "format": "int64"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/request.json b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/request.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7225ff190
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/request.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "type": "object",
+  "required": [
+    "definition_reference"
+  ],
+  "properties": {
+    "definition_reference": {
+      "$ref": "./data.json"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/response.json b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/response.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b636f528b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/messages/response.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "type": "object",
+  "properties": {
+    "id": {
+      "type": "integer",
+      "format": "int32"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/spec/openapi.json b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/spec/openapi.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0bf9bd36e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/refInLocalRefInParentsSubdir/spec/openapi.json
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+{
+  "openapi": "3.0.3",
+  "info": {
+    "title": "Reference in reference example",
+    "version": "1.0.0"
+  },
+  "paths": {
+    "/api/test/ref/in/ref": {
+      "post": {
+        "requestBody": {
+          "content": {
+            "application/json": {
+              "schema": {
+                "$ref": "../messages/request.json"
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "Successful response",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "type": "object",
+                  "properties": {
+                    "ref_prop": {
+                      "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Data"
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  },
+  "components": {
+    "schemas": {
+      "Data": {
+        "$ref": "../messages/data.json"
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}