diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/processors/ExternalRefProcessor.java b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/processors/ExternalRefProcessor.java
index 0413f79312..b6b5642edb 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/processors/ExternalRefProcessor.java
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/processors/ExternalRefProcessor.java
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 import io.swagger.v3.parser.ResolverCache;
 import io.swagger.v3.parser.models.RefFormat;
 import io.swagger.v3.parser.models.RefType;
+import io.swagger.v3.parser.util.RefUtils;
+
 import org.apache.commons.io.FilenameUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
@@ -86,6 +88,18 @@ public String processRefToExternalSchema(String $ref, RefFormat refFormat) {
             return renamedRef;
         }
 
+        RefFormat format = computeRefFormat($ref);
+        if (format.equals(RefFormat.RELATIVE)) {
+            String normalizedRef = Paths.get($ref).normalize().toString();
+            System.out.println("Normalized " + $ref + " to " + normalizedRef);
+            renamedRef = cache.getRenamedRef($ref);
+            if (renamedRef != null) {
+                return renamedRef;
+            } else {
+                $ref = normalizedRef;
+            }
+        }
+
         final Schema schema = cache.loadRef($ref, refFormat, Schema.class);
 
         if(schema == null) {
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/test/OpenAPIV3ParserTest.java b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/test/OpenAPIV3ParserTest.java
index 997f1c23bd..2553babbcf 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/test/OpenAPIV3ParserTest.java
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/test/OpenAPIV3ParserTest.java
@@ -1953,6 +1953,21 @@ public void testRelativePath2() {
         Assert.assertEquals(readResult.getOpenAPI().getPaths().get("/pet/findByTags").getGet().getResponses().get("default").getContent().get("application/json").getSchema().get$ref(), "#/components/schemas/ErrorModel");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testExternalRefsNormalization() throws Exception {
+        ParseOptions options = new ParseOptions();
+        options.setResolve(true);
+        SwaggerParseResult result = new OpenAPIV3Parser()
+                .readLocation("src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/openapi3.yaml", null, options);
+
+        OpenAPI openAPI = result.getOpenAPI();
+        Schema originalModel = openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get("Event");
+        Schema duplicateModel = openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get("Event_1");
+        System.out.println("component schemas found: " + openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().keySet());
+        assertNull(duplicateModel);
+        assertNotNull(originalModel);
+    }
+
     private OpenAPI doRelativeFileTest(String location) {
         OpenAPIV3Parser parser = new OpenAPIV3Parser();
         ParseOptions options = new ParseOptions();
@@ -3298,4 +3313,4 @@ public void testIssue2081() {
         assertEquals(openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get("PetCreate").getRequired().size(), 1);
         assertEquals(openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get("PetCreate").getProperties().size(), 2);
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Error.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Error.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f940b13db2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Error.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+description: Error responses are included with 4xx and 5xx HTTP responses from the
+  API service. Either "error" or "errors" will be set.
+properties:
+  error:
+    description: A description of the error that caused the request to fail.
+    type: string
+  errors:
+    description: A list of errors that contributed to the request failing.
+    items:
+      description: An error message that contributed to the request failing.
+      type: string
+    type: array
+type: object
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Event.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Event.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9f4effd2e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Event.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+properties:
+  body:
+    type: string
+  created_at:
+    format: date-time
+    type: string
+  href:
+    type: string
+  id:
+    format: uuid
+    type: string
+  interpolated:
+    type: string
+  relationships:
+    items:
+      $ref: './Href.yaml'
+    type: array
+  state:
+    type: string
+  type:
+    type: string
+  modified_by:
+    type: object
+  ip:
+    type: string
+type: object
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/EventList.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/EventList.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..75b2d4c509
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/EventList.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+properties:
+  events:
+    items:
+      $ref: './Event.yaml'
+    type: array
+  meta:
+    $ref: './Meta.yaml'
+type: object
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Href.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Href.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bbe7e22053
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Href.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+properties:
+  href:
+    type: string
+required:
+- href
+type: object
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Meta.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Meta.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..88a52dc17b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/components/schemas/Meta.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+properties:
+  first:
+    $ref: './Href.yaml'
+  last:
+    $ref: './Href.yaml'
+  next:
+    $ref: './Href.yaml'
+  previous:
+    $ref: './Href.yaml'
+  self:
+    $ref: './Href.yaml'
+  total:
+    type: integer
+  current_page:
+    type: integer
+  last_page:
+    type: integer
+type: object
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/openapi3.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/openapi3.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1397f45487
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/openapi3.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+openapi: 3.0.0
+info:
+  version: 1.0.0
+  title: Example Duplicate Refs API
+  contact:
+    email: support@example.com
+    name: Example API Team
+  description: |
+    Sample API spec to validate handling of different file paths that reference the same file
+  license:
+    name: Equinix Metal
+    url: https://metal.equinix.com/legal/
+  termsOfService: https://metal.equinix.com/legal/
+servers:
+  - url: https://api.example.com/duplicateRefs
+components:
+  schemas:
+    Error:
+      $ref: "./components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+    Event:
+      $ref: "./components/schemas/Event.yaml"
+    EventList:
+      $ref: "./components/schemas/EventList.yaml"
+paths:
+  /connections/{connection_id}/ports/{id}/events:
+    $ref: ./paths/connections/connection_id/ports/id/events.yaml
+  /devices/{id}/events:
+    $ref: ./paths/devices/id/events.yaml
+  /events:
+    $ref: ./paths/events.yaml
+  /events/{id}:
+    $ref: ./paths/events/id.yaml
+  /organizations/{id}/events:
+    $ref: ./paths/organizations/id/events.yaml
+  /projects/{id}/events:
+    $ref: ./paths/projects/id/events.yaml
+  /routes/{id}/events:
+    $ref: ./paths/routes/id/events.yaml
+  /virtual-circuits/{id}/events:
+    $ref: ./paths/virtual-circuits/id/events.yaml
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/connections/connection_id/events.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/connections/connection_id/events.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e684f0cf10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/connections/connection_id/events.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+get:
+  description: Returns a list of the interconnection events
+  operationId: findInterconnectionEvents
+  parameters:
+    - description: Interconnection UUID
+      in: path
+      name: connection_id
+      required: true
+      schema:
+        format: uuid
+        type: string
+  responses:
+    "200":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/EventList.yaml"
+      description: ok
+    "401":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: unauthorized
+    "403":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: forbidden
+    "404":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: not found
+  summary: Retrieve interconnection events
+  tags:
+    - Events
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/connections/connection_id/ports/id/events.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/connections/connection_id/ports/id/events.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b96b25ac29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/connections/connection_id/ports/id/events.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+get:
+  description: Returns a list of the interconnection port events
+  operationId: findInterconnectionPortEvents
+  parameters:
+    - description: Interconnection UUID
+      in: path
+      name: connection_id
+      required: true
+      schema:
+        format: uuid
+        type: string
+    - description: Interconnection Port UUID
+      in: path
+      name: id
+      required: true
+      schema:
+        format: uuid
+        type: string
+  responses:
+    "200":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../../../components/schemas/Event.yaml"
+      description: ok
+    "401":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: unauthorized
+    "403":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: forbidden
+    "404":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: not found
+  summary: Retrieve interconnection port events
+  tags:
+    - Events
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/devices/id/events.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/devices/id/events.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3f56542376
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/devices/id/events.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+get:
+  description: Returns a list of events pertaining to a specific device
+  operationId: findDeviceEvents
+  parameters:
+    - description: Device UUID
+      in: path
+      name: id
+      required: true
+      schema:
+        format: uuid
+        type: string
+  responses:
+    "200":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/EventList.yaml"
+      description: ok
+    "401":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: unauthorized
+    "403":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: forbidden
+    "404":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: not found
+  summary: Retrieve device's events
+  tags:
+    - Events
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/events.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/events.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fd119be3ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/events.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+get:
+  description: Returns a list of the current user’s events
+  operationId: findEvents
+  parameters:
+  responses:
+    "200":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../components/schemas/EventList.yaml"
+      description: ok
+    "401":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: unauthorized
+  summary: Retrieve current user's events
+  tags:
+    - Events
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/events/id.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/events/id.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ab793220d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/events/id.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+get:
+  description: Returns a single event if the user has access
+  operationId: findEventById
+  parameters:
+    - description: Event UUID
+      in: path
+      name: id
+      required: true
+      schema:
+        format: uuid
+        type: string
+  responses:
+    "200":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../components/schemas/Event.yaml"
+      description: ok
+    "401":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: unauthorized
+    "403":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: forbidden
+    "404":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: not found
+  summary: Retrieve an event
+  tags:
+    - Events
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/organizations/id/events.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/organizations/id/events.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b778851f9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/organizations/id/events.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+get:
+  description: Returns a list of events for a single organization
+  operationId: findOrganizationEvents
+  parameters:
+    - description: Organization UUID
+      in: path
+      name: id
+      required: true
+      schema:
+        format: uuid
+        type: string
+  responses:
+    "200":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/EventList.yaml"
+      description: ok
+    "401":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: unauthorized
+    "403":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: forbidden
+    "404":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: not found
+  summary: Retrieve organization's events
+  tags:
+    - Events
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/projects/id/events.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/projects/id/events.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..93828fb412
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/projects/id/events.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+get:
+  description: Returns a list of events for a single project
+  operationId: findProjectEvents
+  parameters:
+    - description: Project UUID
+      in: path
+      name: id
+      required: true
+      schema:
+        format: uuid
+        type: string
+  responses:
+    "200":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/EventList.yaml"
+      description: ok
+    "401":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: unauthorized
+    "403":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: forbidden
+    "404":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: not found
+  summary: Retrieve project's events
+  tags:
+    - Events
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/routes/id/events.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/routes/id/events.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8cb492b933
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/routes/id/events.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+get:
+  description: Returns a list of the VRF route events
+  operationId: findVrfRouteEvents
+  parameters:
+    - description: VRF Route UUID
+      in: path
+      name: id
+      required: true
+      schema:
+        format: uuid
+        type: string
+  responses:
+    "200":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Event.yaml"
+      description: ok
+    "401":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: unauthorized
+    "403":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: forbidden
+    "404":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: not found
+  summary: Retrieve VRF route events
+  tags:
+    - Events
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/virtual-circuits/id/events.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/virtual-circuits/id/events.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c3b46da5c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/oas3.fetched/paths/virtual-circuits/id/events.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+get:
+  description: Returns a list of the virtual circuit events
+  operationId: findVirtualCircuitEvents
+  parameters:
+    - description: Virtual Circuit UUID
+      in: path
+      name: id
+      required: true
+      schema:
+        format: uuid
+        type: string
+  responses:
+    "200":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Event.yaml"
+      description: ok
+    "401":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: unauthorized
+    "403":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: forbidden
+    "404":
+      content:
+        application/json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: "../../../components/schemas/Error.yaml"
+      description: not found
+  summary: Retrieve virtual circuit events
+  tags:
+    - Events