diff --git a/json_matchers.gemspec b/json_matchers.gemspec
index 47662f3..521e6e1 100644
--- a/json_matchers.gemspec
+++ b/json_matchers.gemspec
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.test_files    = spec.files.grep(%r{^(test|spec|features)/})
   spec.require_paths = ["lib"]
 
-  spec.add_dependency("json-schema", "~> 2.7")
+  spec.add_dependency("json_schema")
+  spec.add_dependency("activesupport", '>= 3.0.0')
 
   spec.add_development_dependency "bundler", "~> 1.7"
   spec.add_development_dependency "pry"
diff --git a/lib/json_matchers/matcher.rb b/lib/json_matchers/matcher.rb
index b2792a4..f16350f 100644
--- a/lib/json_matchers/matcher.rb
+++ b/lib/json_matchers/matcher.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-require "json-schema"
-require "json_matchers/validator"
+require "json_schema"
 
 module JsonMatchers
   class Matcher
@@ -9,16 +8,22 @@ def initialize(schema_path, options = {})
     end
 
     def matches?(payload)
-      validator = build_validator(payload)
-
-      self.errors = validator.validate!
-
-      errors.empty?
-    rescue JSON::Schema::ValidationError => error
-      self.errors = [error.message]
-      false
-    rescue JSON::Schema::JsonParseError
-      raise InvalidSchemaError
+      begin
+        add_schemata_to_document_store
+        schema_data = JSON.parse(File.read(@schema_path.to_s))
+        response_body = JSON.parse(@response.body)
+        json_schema = JsonSchema.parse!(schema_data)
+
+        json_schema.expand_references!(store: document_store)
+        json_schema.validate!(response_body)
+      rescue RuntimeError => ex
+        @validation_failure_message = ex.message
+        return false
+      rescue JsonSchema::SchemaError, JSON::ParserError => ex
+        raise InvalidSchemaError
+      end
+
+      true
     end
 
     def validation_failure_message
@@ -28,10 +33,13 @@ def validation_failure_message
     private
 
     attr_reader :schema_path, :options
-    attr_accessor :errors
 
-    def default_options
-      JsonMatchers.configuration.options || {}
+    def add_schemata_to_document_store
+      Dir.glob("#{JsonMatchers.schema_root}/**/*.json").each do |path|
+        schema_data = JSON.parse(File.read(path))
+        extra_schema = JsonSchema.parse!(schema_data)
+        document_store.add_schema(extra_schema)
+      end
     end
 
     def build_validator(payload)
@@ -41,5 +49,9 @@ def build_validator(payload)
         schema_path: schema_path,
       )
     end
+
+    def document_store
+      @document_store ||= JsonSchema::DocumentStore.new
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/json_matchers/match_json_schema_spec.rb b/spec/json_matchers/match_json_schema_spec.rb
index ebac209..18407b3 100644
--- a/spec/json_matchers/match_json_schema_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/json_matchers/match_json_schema_spec.rb
@@ -194,6 +194,67 @@
     expect(json_as_array).not_to match_json_schema(schema)
   end
 
+  it "supports $ref" do
+    create_schema("user", {
+      "id": "file:/user.json#",
+      "type": "object",
+      "required": ["id"],
+      "properties": {
+        "id": { "type": "integer" },
+        "name": { "type": "string" },
+        "address": { "type": "string" },
+      },
+    })
+    create_schema("users/index", {
+      "id": "file:/users/index.json#",
+      "type": "object",
+      "definitions": {
+        "users": {
+          "description": "A collection of users",
+          "example": [{ "id": "1" }],
+          "type": "array",
+          "items": { "$ref": "file:/user.json#" },
+        },
+      },
+      "required": ["users"],
+      "properties": { "users": { "$ref": "#/definitions/users" } },
+    })
+
+    valid_response = response_for({
+      "users": [{ "id": 1, "name": "Me!", "address": "Here!" }],
+    })
+    invalid_response = response_for({
+      "users": [{ "id": "invalid", "name": "You!", "address": "There!" }],
+    })
+
+    expect(valid_response).to match_response_schema("users/index")
+    expect(invalid_response).not_to match_response_schema("users/index")
+  end
+
+  it "supports the 'id' keyword" do
+    create_schema("top-level-schema", {
+      "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#",
+      "type": "object",
+      "properties": {
+        "a": { "$ref": "file:/#{JsonMatchers.schema_root}/nested.json#" },
+      },
+    })
+    create_schema("nested-schema", {
+      "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#",
+      "id": "file:/#{JsonMatchers.schema_root}/nested.json#",
+      "type": "object",
+      "required": ["b"],
+      "properties": { "b": { "type": "string" } },
+    })
+    response_json = { a: { b: "foo" } }
+    invalid_response_json = { a: { b: 4 } }
+
+    expect(response_for(response_json)).
+      to match_response_schema("top-level-schema")
+    expect(response_for(invalid_response_json)).
+      not_to match_response_schema("top-level-schema")
+  end
+
   context "when options are passed directly to the matcher" do
     it "forwards options to the validator" do
       schema = create(:schema, :object)