diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a546f42e..148cb833 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -7,12 +7,14 @@
     "compile": "rm -rf dist/ && tsc",
     "compile:windows": "rmdir dist /s /q & tsc",
     "test": "TS_NODE_FILES=true mocha -r source-map-support/register -r ts-node/register  --files --recursive test/**/*.spec.ts",
+    "test:debug": "TS_NODE_FILES=true mocha -r source-map-support/register -r ts-node/register --inspect-brk --files --recursive test/**/*.spec.ts",
     "test:windows": "set TS_NODE_FILES=true & mocha -r source-map-support/register -r ts-node/register  --files --recursive test/**/*.spec.ts",
     "test:coverage": "TS_NODE_FILES=true nyc mocha -r source-map-support/register -r ts-node/register --recursive test/**/*.spec.ts",
     "test:coverage:windows": "set TS_NODE_FILES=true & nyc mocha -r source-map-support/register -r ts-node/register --recursive test/**/*.spec.ts",
     "coveralls": "cat coverage/lcov.info | coveralls -v",
     "codacy": "cat coverage/lcov.info | codacy-coverage",
     "test:reset": "rm -rf node_modules && npm i && npm run compile && npm t"
+
   },
   "repository": {
     "url": "https://github.com/cdimascio/express-openapi-validator"
diff --git a/src/framework/ajv/index.ts b/src/framework/ajv/index.ts
index 19fd262b..9915437d 100644
--- a/src/framework/ajv/index.ts
+++ b/src/framework/ajv/index.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ function createAjv(
     ajv.removeKeyword('readOnly');
     ajv.addKeyword('readOnly', {
       modifying: true,
-      compile: sch => {
+      compile: (sch) => {
         if (sch) {
           return function validate(data, path, obj, propName) {
             const isValid = !(sch === true && data != null);
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ function createAjv(
     ajv.removeKeyword('writeOnly');
     ajv.addKeyword('writeOnly', {
       modifying: true,
-      compile: sch => {
+      compile: (sch) => {
         if (sch) {
           return function validate(data, path, obj, propName) {
             const isValid = !(sch === true && data != null);
diff --git a/src/middlewares/openapi.response.validator.ts b/src/middlewares/openapi.response.validator.ts
index a67a241a..82b3ee3a 100644
--- a/src/middlewares/openapi.response.validator.ts
+++ b/src/middlewares/openapi.response.validator.ts
@@ -229,7 +229,14 @@ export class ResponseValidator {
     };
 
     const responseSchemas = {};
-    for (const [name, response] of <any[]>Object.entries(responses)) {
+    for (const [name, resp] of <any[]>Object.entries(responses)) {
+      let tmpResponse = resp;
+      if (tmpResponse.$ref) {
+        // resolve response
+        const id = tmpResponse.$ref.replace(/^.+\//i, '');
+        tmpResponse = this.spec.components?.responses?.[id];
+      }
+      const response = tmpResponse;
       const types = validationTypes(response);
 
       for (const mediaTypeToValidate of types) {
diff --git a/test/resources/response.validation.yaml b/test/resources/response.validation.yaml
index b60d477b..1d0d0734 100644
--- a/test/resources/response.validation.yaml
+++ b/test/resources/response.validation.yaml
@@ -14,12 +14,18 @@ info:
 servers:
   - url: /v1
 paths:
+  /ref_response_body:
+    get:
+      operationId: refResponseBody
+      responses:
+        '200':
+          $ref: '#/components/responses/ResponseBody'
   /empty_response:
     description: get empty response
     summary: get empty response
     get:
       description: get empty response
-      operationId: get empty resp
+      operationId: getEmptyResponse
       parameters:
         - name: mode
           in: query
@@ -146,8 +152,8 @@ paths:
     post:
       description: Get todos
       operationId: getTodos
-      security:
-        - bearerAuth: []
+      # security:
+      #   - bearerAuth: []
       responses:
         '200':
           description: no additional props
@@ -157,6 +163,14 @@ paths:
                 $ref: '#/components/schemas/NoAdditionalProps'
 
 components:
+  responses:
+    ResponseBody:
+      description: Sample response
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Human'
+
   schemas:
     Object:
       type: object
diff --git a/test/response.validation.spec.ts b/test/response.validation.spec.ts
index 4e83b2e2..02d7de53 100644
--- a/test/response.validation.spec.ts
+++ b/test/response.validation.spec.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@ describe(packageJson.name, () => {
         validateResponses: true,
       },
       3005,
-      app => {
+      (app) => {
+        app.get(`${app.basePath}/ref_response_body`, (req, res) => {
+          return res.json({ id: 213, name: 'name', kids: [] });
+        });
         app.get(`${app.basePath}/empty_response`, (req, res) => {
           return res.end();
         });
@@ -61,6 +64,7 @@ describe(packageJson.name, () => {
           res.json(req.body);
         });
         app.use((err, req, res, next) => {
+          console.error(err);
           res.status(err.status ?? 500).json({
             message: err.message,
             code: err.status ?? 500,
@@ -75,27 +79,31 @@ describe(packageJson.name, () => {
     app.server.close();
   });
 
+  it('should return 200 on valid responses 200 $ref', async () =>
+    request(app)
+      .get(`${app.basePath}/ref_response_body`)
+      .expect(200)
+      .then((r: any) => {
+        expect(r.body.id).to.be.a('number').that.equals(213);
+      }));
+
   it('should fail if response field has a value of incorrect type', async () =>
     request(app)
       .get(`${app.basePath}/pets?mode=bad_type`)
       .expect(500)
       .then((r: any) => {
         expect(r.body.message).to.contain('should be integer');
-        expect(r.body)
-          .to.have.property('code')
-          .that.equals(500);
+        expect(r.body).to.have.property('code').that.equals(500);
       }));
 
- // TODO add test for allOf - when allOf is used an array value passes when object is expected
+  // TODO add test for allOf - when allOf is used an array value passes when object is expected
   it('should fail if response is array when expecting object', async () =>
     request(app)
       .get(`${app.basePath}/object`)
       .expect(500)
       .then((r: any) => {
         expect(r.body.message).to.contain('should be object');
-        expect(r.body)
-          .to.have.property('code')
-          .that.equals(500);
+        expect(r.body).to.have.property('code').that.equals(500);
       }));
 
   // TODO fix me - fails for response and request validation what allOf is in use
@@ -106,9 +114,7 @@ describe(packageJson.name, () => {
       .expect(400)
       .then((r: any) => {
         expect(r.body.message).to.contain('should be object');
-        expect(r.body)
-          .to.have.property('code')
-          .that.equals(500);
+        expect(r.body).to.have.property('code').that.equals(500);
       }));
 
   it('should fail if response is response is empty object', async () =>
@@ -118,9 +124,7 @@ describe(packageJson.name, () => {
       .then((r: any) => {
         console.log(r.body);
         expect(r.body.message).to.contain('should be array');
-        expect(r.body)
-          .to.have.property('code')
-          .that.equals(500);
+        expect(r.body).to.have.property('code').that.equals(500);
       }));
 
   it('should fail if response is response is empty', async () =>
@@ -129,15 +133,11 @@ describe(packageJson.name, () => {
       .expect(500)
       .then((r: any) => {
         expect(r.body.message).to.contain('body required');
-        expect(r.body)
-          .to.have.property('code')
-          .that.equals(500);
+        expect(r.body).to.have.property('code').that.equals(500);
       }));
 
   it('should return 200 for endpoints that return empty response', async () =>
-    request(app)
-      .get(`${app.basePath}/empty_response`)
-      .expect(200));
+    request(app).get(`${app.basePath}/empty_response`).expect(200));
 
   it('should fail if additional properties are provided when set false', async () =>
     request(app)
@@ -184,9 +184,7 @@ describe(packageJson.name, () => {
       .get(`${app.basePath}/pets?mode=check_null`)
       .expect(200)
       .then((r: any) => {
-        expect(r.body)
-          .is.an('array')
-          .with.length(3);
+        expect(r.body).is.an('array').with.length(3);
         expect(r.body[0].bought_at).equal(null);
         expect(r.body[1].bought_at).equal(today.toISOString());
         expect(r.body[2].bought_at).to.be.undefined;
@@ -197,8 +195,6 @@ describe(packageJson.name, () => {
       .get(`${app.basePath}/users`)
       .expect(200)
       .then((r: any) => {
-        expect(r.body)
-          .is.an('array')
-          .with.length(3);
+        expect(r.body).is.an('array').with.length(3);
       }));
 });