diff --git a/json_matchers.gemspec b/json_matchers.gemspec
index 82388d3..590cf3e 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 e91f0c3..b781e3d 100644
--- a/lib/json_matchers/matcher.rb
+++ b/lib/json_matchers/matcher.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require "json-schema"
+require "json_schema"
 require "json_matchers/validator"
 
 module JsonMatchers
@@ -9,16 +9,22 @@ def initialize(schema_path, options = {})
     end
 
     def matches?(response)
-      validator = build_validator(response)
-
-      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 => error
+        self.errors = [error.message]
+        return false
+      rescue JsonSchema::SchemaError, JSON::ParserError => error
+        raise InvalidSchemaError.new(error)
+      end
+
+      true
     end
 
     def validation_failure_message
@@ -27,19 +33,19 @@ def validation_failure_message
 
     private
 
-    attr_reader :schema_path, :options
     attr_accessor :errors
+    attr_reader :schema_path, :options
 
-    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(response)
-      Validator.new(
-        options: options,
-        response: response,
-        schema_path: schema_path,
-      )
+    def document_store
+      @document_store ||= JsonSchema::DocumentStore.new
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/json_matchers/match_response_schema_spec.rb b/spec/json_matchers/match_response_schema_spec.rb
index e68ea10..6b33e43 100644
--- a/spec/json_matchers/match_response_schema_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/json_matchers/match_response_schema_spec.rb
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@
   end
 
   it "fails when the body is missing a required property" do
-    create_schema("foo_schema",
+    create_schema("foo_schema", {
       "type": "object",
       "required": ["foo"],
-    )
+    })
 
     expect(response_for({})).not_to match_response_schema("foo_schema")
   end
@@ -31,11 +31,13 @@
         ],
         "properties": {
           "id": { "type": "number" },
+          "title": {"type": "string"},
         },
         "additionalProperties": false,
       })
 
-      expect({ "id": 1 }).to match_response_schema("foo_schema")
+      expect(response_for({ "id": 1, "title": "bar" })).
+        to match_response_schema("foo_schema")
     end
 
     it "fails with message when negated" do
@@ -177,23 +179,60 @@
   end
 
   it "supports $ref" do
-    create_schema("single", {
+    create_schema("user", {
+      "id": "file:/#{JsonMatchers.schema_root}/user.json#",
       "type": "object",
-      "required": ["foo"],
+      "required": ["id"],
       "properties": {
-        "foo": { "type": "string" },
+        "id": {
+          "type": "integer"
+        }
       }
     })
-    create_schema("collection", {
-      "type": "array",
-      "items": { "$ref": "single.json" },
+    create_schema("users", {
+      "id": "file:/#{JsonMatchers.schema_root}/users.json#",
+      "type": "object",
+      "definitions": {
+        "users": {
+          "description": "A collection of users",
+          "example": [{ "id": "1" }],
+          "type": "array",
+          "items": { "$ref": "file:/#{JsonMatchers.schema_root}/user.json#" }
+        }
+      },
+      "required": ["users"],
+      "properties": { "users": { "$ref": "#/definitions/users" } }
     })
 
-    valid_response = response_for([{ "foo": "is a string" }])
-    invalid_response = response_for([{ "foo": 0 }])
+    valid_response = response_for({ "users": [{ "id": 1 }] })
+    invalid_response = response_for({ "users": [{ "id": "invalid" }]})
+
+    expect(valid_response).to match_response_schema("users")
+    expect(invalid_response).not_to match_response_schema("users")
+  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(valid_response).to match_response_schema("collection")
-    expect(invalid_response).not_to match_response_schema("collection")
+    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