diff --git a/docs/options.md b/docs/options.md
index fdce7f571..85632c445 100644
--- a/docs/options.md
+++ b/docs/options.md
@@ -177,6 +177,11 @@ Include the reference to the part of the schema (`schema` and `parentSchema`) an
 
 Support [discriminator keyword](./json-schema.md#discriminator) from [OpenAPI specification](https://github.com/OAI/OpenAPI-Specification/blob/master/versions/3.1.0.md).
 
+
+To bypass the validation exception 'discriminator: mapping is not supported', the following option can be set:
+
+```discriminator: { strict: false }```
+
 ### unicodeRegExp
 
 By default Ajv uses unicode flag "u" with "pattern" and "patternProperties", as per JSON Schema spec. See [RegExp.prototype.unicode](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/RegExp/unicode) .
diff --git a/lib/compile/validate/index.ts b/lib/compile/validate/index.ts
index 15ecabd85..4b544ae79 100644
--- a/lib/compile/validate/index.ts
+++ b/lib/compile/validate/index.ts
@@ -2,37 +2,44 @@ import type {
   AddedKeywordDefinition,
   AnySchema,
   AnySchemaObject,
-  KeywordErrorCxt,
   KeywordCxtParams,
+  KeywordErrorCxt,
 } from "../../types"
 import type {SchemaCxt, SchemaObjCxt} from ".."
 import type {InstanceOptions} from "../../core"
 import {boolOrEmptySchema, topBoolOrEmptySchema} from "./boolSchema"
-import {coerceAndCheckDataType, getSchemaTypes} from "./dataType"
+import {
+  checkDataType,
+  checkDataTypes,
+  coerceAndCheckDataType,
+  DataType,
+  getSchemaTypes,
+  reportTypeError,
+} from "./dataType"
 import {shouldUseGroup, shouldUseRule} from "./applicability"
-import {checkDataType, checkDataTypes, reportTypeError, DataType} from "./dataType"
 import {assignDefaults} from "./defaults"
 import {funcKeywordCode, macroKeywordCode, validateKeywordUsage, validSchemaType} from "./keyword"
-import {getSubschema, extendSubschemaData, SubschemaArgs, extendSubschemaMode} from "./subschema"
-import {_, nil, str, or, not, getProperty, Block, Code, Name, CodeGen} from "../codegen"
+import {extendSubschemaData, extendSubschemaMode, getSubschema, SubschemaArgs} from "./subschema"
+import {_, Block, Code, CodeGen, getProperty, Name, nil, not, or, str} from "../codegen"
 import N from "../names"
 import {resolveUrl} from "../resolve"
 import {
-  schemaRefOrVal,
-  schemaHasRulesButRef,
-  checkUnknownRules,
   checkStrictMode,
-  unescapeJsonPointer,
+  checkUnknownRules,
   mergeEvaluated,
+  schemaHasRulesButRef,
+  schemaRefOrVal,
+  unescapeJsonPointer,
 } from "../util"
 import type {JSONType, Rule, RuleGroup} from "../rules"
 import {
   ErrorPaths,
+  keyword$DataError,
   reportError,
   reportExtraError,
   resetErrorsCount,
-  keyword$DataError,
 } from "../errors"
+import {strictDiscriminatorValidation} from "../../vocabularies/discriminator"
 
 // schema compilation - generates validation function, subschemaCode (below) is used for subschemas
 export function validateFunctionCode(it: SchemaCxt): void {
@@ -302,7 +309,9 @@ function checkKeywordTypes(it: SchemaObjCxt, ts: JSONType[]): void {
     if (typeof rule == "object" && shouldUseRule(it.schema, rule)) {
       const {type} = rule.definition
       if (type.length && !type.some((t) => hasApplicableType(ts, t))) {
-        strictTypesError(it, `missing type "${type.join(",")}" for keyword "${keyword}"`)
+        if (keyword !== "discriminator" || strictDiscriminatorValidation(it)) {
+          strictTypesError(it, `missing type "${type.join(",")}" for keyword "${keyword}"`)
+        }
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/lib/core.ts b/lib/core.ts
index e41ca3e2a..3e80ff73b 100644
--- a/lib/core.ts
+++ b/lib/core.ts
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ export interface CurrentOptions {
   $data?: boolean
   allErrors?: boolean
   verbose?: boolean
-  discriminator?: boolean
+  discriminator?: boolean | {strict: boolean}
   unicodeRegExp?: boolean
   timestamp?: "string" | "date" // JTD only
   parseDate?: boolean // JTD only
diff --git a/lib/vocabularies/discriminator/index.ts b/lib/vocabularies/discriminator/index.ts
index 19ae6049f..26e552da1 100644
--- a/lib/vocabularies/discriminator/index.ts
+++ b/lib/vocabularies/discriminator/index.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-import type {CodeKeywordDefinition, AnySchemaObject, KeywordErrorDefinition} from "../../types"
+import type {AnySchemaObject, CodeKeywordDefinition, KeywordErrorDefinition} from "../../types"
 import type {KeywordCxt} from "../../compile/validate"
 import {_, getProperty, Name} from "../../compile/codegen"
 import {DiscrError, DiscrErrorObj} from "../discriminator/types"
-import {resolveRef, SchemaEnv} from "../../compile"
+import {resolveRef, SchemaEnv, SchemaObjCxt} from "../../compile"
 import MissingRefError from "../../compile/ref_error"
 import {schemaHasRulesButRef} from "../../compile/util"
 
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ export type DiscriminatorError = DiscrErrorObj<DiscrError.Tag> | DiscrErrorObj<D
 const error: KeywordErrorDefinition = {
   message: ({params: {discrError, tagName}}) =>
     discrError === DiscrError.Tag
-      ? `tag "${tagName}" must be string`
-      : `value of tag "${tagName}" must be in oneOf`,
+      ? `property "${tagName}" must be string`
+      : `value of property "${tagName}" must be in oneOf`,
   params: ({params: {discrError, tag, tagName}}) =>
-    _`{error: ${discrError}, tag: ${tagName}, tagValue: ${tag}}`,
+    _`{error: ${discrError}, property: ${tagName}, propertyValue: ${tag}}`,
 }
 
 const def: CodeKeywordDefinition = {
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const def: CodeKeywordDefinition = {
   type: "object",
   schemaType: "object",
   error,
-  code(cxt: KeywordCxt) {
+  code: function (cxt: KeywordCxt) {
     const {gen, data, schema, parentSchema, it} = cxt
     const {oneOf} = parentSchema
     if (!it.opts.discriminator) {
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ const def: CodeKeywordDefinition = {
     }
     const tagName = schema.propertyName
     if (typeof tagName != "string") throw new Error("discriminator: requires propertyName")
-    if (schema.mapping) throw new Error("discriminator: mapping is not supported")
+    if (schema.mapping && strictDiscriminatorValidation(it)) {
+      throw new Error("discriminator: mapping is not supported")
+    }
     if (!oneOf) throw new Error("discriminator: requires oneOf keyword")
     const valid = gen.let("valid", false)
     const tag = gen.const("tag", _`${data}${getProperty(tagName)}`)
@@ -110,4 +112,9 @@ const def: CodeKeywordDefinition = {
   },
 }
 
+export function strictDiscriminatorValidation(it: SchemaObjCxt): boolean {
+  if (it.opts.discriminator instanceof Object) return it.opts.discriminator.strict
+  return true
+}
+
 export default def
diff --git a/spec/discriminator.spec.ts b/spec/discriminator.spec.ts
index 74ba33ef0..cd93e3c21 100644
--- a/spec/discriminator.spec.ts
+++ b/spec/discriminator.spec.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ describe("discriminator keyword", function () {
   })
 
   function getAjvs(AjvClass: typeof AjvCore) {
-    return withStandalone(getAjvInstances(AjvClass, options, {discriminator: true}))
+    return withStandalone(getAjvInstances(AjvClass, options, {discriminator: {strict: false}}))
   }
 
   describe("validation", () => {
@@ -159,6 +159,57 @@ describe("discriminator keyword", function () {
     })
   })
 
+  describe("validation with referenced schemas and mapping", () => {
+    const definitions1 = {
+      schema1: {
+        properties: {
+          foo: {const: "x"},
+          a: {type: "string"},
+        },
+        required: ["foo", "a"],
+      },
+      schema2: {
+        properties: {
+          foo: {enum: ["y", "z"]},
+          b: {type: "string"},
+        },
+        required: ["foo", "b"],
+      },
+    }
+    const mainSchema1 = {
+      type: "object",
+      discriminator: {
+        propertyName: "foo",
+        mapping: {
+          x: "#/definitions/schema1",
+          z: "#/definitions/schema2",
+        },
+      },
+      oneOf: [
+        {
+          $ref: "#/definitions/schema1",
+        },
+        {
+          $ref: "#/definitions/schema2",
+        },
+      ],
+    }
+
+    const schema = [{definitions: definitions1, ...mainSchema1}]
+
+    it("should validate data", () => {
+      assertValid(schema, {foo: "x", a: "a"})
+      assertValid(schema, {foo: "y", b: "b"})
+      assertValid(schema, {foo: "z", b: "b"})
+      assertInvalid(schema, {})
+      assertInvalid(schema, {foo: 1})
+      assertInvalid(schema, {foo: "bar"})
+      assertInvalid(schema, {foo: "x", b: "b"})
+      assertInvalid(schema, {foo: "y", a: "a"})
+      assertInvalid(schema, {foo: "z", a: "a"})
+    })
+  })
+
   describe("schema with external $refs", () => {
     const schemas = {
       main: {