diff --git a/Sources/OpenAPIKit/Components Object/Components+JSONReference.swift b/Sources/OpenAPIKit/Components Object/Components+JSONReference.swift
index 5a10f642d..e21d933aa 100644
--- a/Sources/OpenAPIKit/Components Object/Components+JSONReference.swift	
+++ b/Sources/OpenAPIKit/Components Object/Components+JSONReference.swift	
@@ -230,6 +230,11 @@ extension OpenAPI.Components {
     /// If you want to look something up without throwing, you might want to use the subscript
     /// operator on the `Components`.
     ///
+    /// If you are recursing through JSONSchema references, you may want to
+    /// call `flattenToJsonSchema()` on the result of `lookupOnce()` because
+    /// `lookupOnce()` will wrap any resulting `JSONSchema` reference in an
+    /// `OpenAPI.Reference` which adds work if all you want to do is recurse.
+    ///
     /// If you also want to fully dereference the value in question instead
     /// of just looking it up see the various `dereference` functions
     /// on this type for more information.
@@ -287,6 +292,11 @@ extension OpenAPI.Components {
     /// If you want to look something up without throwing, you might want to use the subscript
     /// operator on the `Components`.
     ///
+    /// If you are recursing through JSONSchema references, you may want to
+    /// call `flattenToJsonSchema()` on the result of `lookupOnce()` because
+    /// `lookupOnce()` will wrap any resulting `JSONSchema` reference in an
+    /// `OpenAPI.Reference` which adds work if all you want to do is recurse.
+    ///
     /// If you also want to fully dereference the value in question instead
     /// of just looking it up see the various `dereference` functions
     /// on this type for more information.
diff --git a/Sources/OpenAPIKit/JSONReference.swift b/Sources/OpenAPIKit/JSONReference.swift
index e0207c523..d89de9959 100644
--- a/Sources/OpenAPIKit/JSONReference.swift
+++ b/Sources/OpenAPIKit/JSONReference.swift
@@ -387,6 +387,42 @@ extension OpenAPI {
     }
 }
 
+public extension OpenAPI.Reference where ReferenceType == JSONSchema {
+    /// When an OpenAPI.Reference points at a JSONSchema, it can be represented
+    /// as a JSONSchema directly because JSONSchema has an innate ability to
+    /// represent references itself.
+    ///
+    /// Example:
+    ///
+    ///     OpenAPI.Reference<JSONSchema>.component(named: "hello").asJsonSchema()
+    ///     // results in JSONSchema.reference(.component(named: "hello"))
+    func asJsonSchema() -> JSONSchema {
+        .reference(jsonReference)
+          .overriddenNonNil(summary: summary)
+          .overriddenNonNil(description: description)
+    }
+}
+
+public extension Either where A == OpenAPI.Reference<JSONSchema>, B == JSONSchema {
+    /// When an Either represents a reference or a schema, it can be
+    /// "flattened" to a JSONSchema because JSONSchema has an innate ability to
+    /// represent references itself.
+    ///
+    /// Examples:
+    ///
+    ///     Either<OpenAPI.Reference<JSONSchema>, JSONSchema>.a(.component(named: "hello")).flattenToJsonSchema()
+    ///     // results in JSONSchema.reference(.component(named: "hello"))
+    ///
+    ///     Either<OpenAPI.Reference<JSONSchema>, JSONSchema>.b(.string).flattenToJsonSchema()
+    ///     // results in JSONSchema.string
+    func flattenToJsonSchema() -> JSONSchema {
+        switch self {
+        case .a(let reference): reference.asJsonSchema()
+        case .b(let schema): schema
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 public extension JSONReference {
     /// Create an OpenAPI.Reference from the given JSONReference.
     func openAPIReference(withDescription description: String? = nil) -> OpenAPI.Reference<ReferenceType> {
diff --git a/Tests/OpenAPIKitTests/JSONReferenceTests.swift b/Tests/OpenAPIKitTests/JSONReferenceTests.swift
index 7ee1f9885..fc0f5447d 100644
--- a/Tests/OpenAPIKitTests/JSONReferenceTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/OpenAPIKitTests/JSONReferenceTests.swift
@@ -178,7 +178,36 @@ final class JSONReferenceTests: XCTestCase {
 
         // test dynamic member lookup:
         XCTAssertEqual(t1.openAPIReference().internalValue, .component(name: "hello"))
+    }
 
+    func test_openAPIRefOverridable() {
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            OpenAPI.Reference<OpenAPI.PathItem>.component(named: "hello").overriddenNonNil(summary: "hi").overriddenNonNil(description: "hello there"),
+            .component(named: "hello", summary: "hi", description: "hello there")
+        )
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            OpenAPI.Reference<OpenAPI.PathItem>.component(named: "hello", summary: "hi").overriddenNonNil(summary: nil),
+            .component(named: "hello", summary: "hi")
+        )
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            OpenAPI.Reference<OpenAPI.PathItem>.component(named: "hello", description: "hello there").overriddenNonNil(description: nil),
+            .component(named: "hello", description: "hello there")
+        )
+    }
+
+    func test_asJsonSchema() {
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            OpenAPI.Reference<JSONSchema>.component(named: "hello").asJsonSchema(),
+            JSONSchema.reference(.component(named: "hello"))
+        )
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            Either<OpenAPI.Reference<JSONSchema>, JSONSchema>.a(.component(named: "hello")).flattenToJsonSchema(),
+            JSONSchema.reference(.component(named: "hello"))
+        )
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            Either<OpenAPI.Reference<JSONSchema>, JSONSchema>.b(.string).flattenToJsonSchema(),
+            .string
+        )
     }
 }