diff --git a/.github/workflows/go.yml b/.github/workflows/go.yml
index 8dbb0620f..9d9ff726f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go.yml
@@ -176,6 +176,13 @@ jobs:
           Tag
           XML
 
+    - if: runner.os == 'Linux'
+      name: Ensure readableType() covers all possible values of resolved var
+      run: |
+        [[ "$(git grep -F 'var resolved ' -- openapi3/loader.go | awk '{print $4}' | sort | tr '\n' ' ')" = "$RESOLVEDS" ]]
+      env:
+        RESOLVEDS: 'Callback CallbackRef ExampleRef HeaderRef LinkRef ParameterRef PathItem RequestBodyRef ResponseRef SchemaRef SecuritySchemeRef '
+
   check-goimports:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
diff --git a/openapi3/issue759_test.go b/openapi3/issue759_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..255d8b7b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/issue759_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package openapi3
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestIssue759(t *testing.T) {
+	spec := []byte(`
+openapi: 3.0.0
+info:
+  title: title
+  description: description
+  version: 0.0.0
+paths:
+  /slash:
+    get:
+      responses:
+        "200":
+          # Ref should point to a response, not a schema
+          $ref: "#/components/schemas/UserStruct"
+components:
+  schemas:
+    UserStruct:
+      type: object
+`[1:])
+
+	loader := NewLoader()
+
+	doc, err := loader.LoadFromData(spec)
+	require.Nil(t, doc)
+	require.EqualError(t, err, `bad data in "#/components/schemas/UserStruct" (expecting ref to response object)`)
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/loader.go b/openapi3/loader.go
index 7f389cdfe..51020111e 100644
--- a/openapi3/loader.go
+++ b/openapi3/loader.go
@@ -351,12 +351,41 @@ func (loader *Loader) resolveComponent(doc *T, ref string, path *url.URL, resolv
 			return nil
 		}
 		if err := codec(cursor, resolved); err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("bad data in %q", ref)
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("bad data in %q (expecting %s)", ref, readableType(resolved))
 		}
 		return componentDoc, componentPath, nil
 
 	default:
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("bad data in %q", ref)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("bad data in %q (expecting %s)", ref, readableType(resolved))
+	}
+}
+
+func readableType(x interface{}) string {
+	switch x.(type) {
+	case *Callback:
+		return "callback object"
+	case *CallbackRef:
+		return "ref to callback object"
+	case *ExampleRef:
+		return "ref to example object"
+	case *HeaderRef:
+		return "ref to header object"
+	case *LinkRef:
+		return "ref to link object"
+	case *ParameterRef:
+		return "ref to parameter object"
+	case *PathItem:
+		return "pathItem object"
+	case *RequestBodyRef:
+		return "ref to requestBody object"
+	case *ResponseRef:
+		return "ref to response object"
+	case *SchemaRef:
+		return "ref to schema object"
+	case *SecuritySchemeRef:
+		return "ref to securityScheme object"
+	default:
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("unreachable %T", x))
 	}
 }