diff --git a/src/Context.php b/src/Context.php
index 66720b9..1e83c51 100644
--- a/src/Context.php
+++ b/src/Context.php
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ class Context extends MagicMap
     public $version = Schema::VERSION_AUTO;
 
     public $exportedDefinitions = [];
+
+    public $isRef = false;
+
     /**
      * @param boolean $skipValidation
      * @return Context
diff --git a/src/Schema.php b/src/Schema.php
index 3372961..9b982e5 100644
--- a/src/Schema.php
+++ b/src/Schema.php
@@ -706,6 +706,9 @@ private function processObject($data, Context $options, $path, $result = null)
                         try {
                             $refResult = $this->process($data, $options, $path . '->$ref:' . $refString, $result);
                             if ($refResult instanceof ObjectItemContract) {
+                                if ($refResult->getFromRefs()) {
+                                    $refResult = clone $refResult; // @todo check performance, consider option
+                                }
                                 $refResult->setFromRef($refString);
                             }
                             $ref->setImported($refResult);
@@ -1025,24 +1028,39 @@ public function process($data, Context $options, $path = '#', $result = null)
             if ('#' === $path) {
                 $injectDefinitions = new ScopeExit(function () use ($result, $options) {
                     foreach ($options->exportedDefinitions as $ref => $data) {
-                        JsonPointer::add($result, JsonPointer::splitPath($ref), $data,
-                            JsonPointer::SKIP_IF_ISSET + JsonPointer::RECURSIVE_KEY_CREATION);
+                        if ($data !== null) {
+                            JsonPointer::add($result, JsonPointer::splitPath($ref), $data,
+                                /*JsonPointer::SKIP_IF_ISSET + */
+                                JsonPointer::RECURSIVE_KEY_CREATION);
+                        }
                     }
                 });
             }
 
-            if ('#' !== $path && $ref = $data->getFromRef()) {
-                if ($ref[0] === '#') {
-                    if (isset($options->exportedDefinitions[$ref])) {
-                        $result->{self::PROP_REF} = $ref;
-                        return $result;
-                    } elseif (!array_key_exists($ref, $options->exportedDefinitions)) {
+            if ($options->isRef) {
+                $options->isRef = false;
+            } else {
+                if ('#' !== $path && $refs = $data->getFromRefs()) {
+                    $ref = $refs[0];
+                    if (!array_key_exists($ref, $options->exportedDefinitions) && strpos($ref, '://') === false) {
                         $exported = null;
                         $options->exportedDefinitions[$ref] = &$exported;
+                        $options->isRef = true;
                         $exported = $this->process($data, $options, $ref);
-                        $result->{self::PROP_REF} = $ref;
-                        return $result;
+                        unset($exported);
+                    }
+
+                    for ($i = 1; $i < count($refs); $i++) {
+                        $ref = $refs[$i];
+                        if (!array_key_exists($ref, $options->exportedDefinitions) && strpos($ref, '://') === false) {
+                            $exported = new \stdClass();
+                            $exported->{self::PROP_REF} = $refs[$i - 1];
+                            $options->exportedDefinitions[$ref] = $exported;
+                        }
                     }
+
+                    $result->{self::PROP_REF} = $refs[count($refs) - 1];
+                    return $result;
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/src/Structure/ObjectItem.php b/src/Structure/ObjectItem.php
index 65fd8df..8f65a4a 100644
--- a/src/Structure/ObjectItem.php
+++ b/src/Structure/ObjectItem.php
@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@
 
 namespace Swaggest\JsonSchema\Structure;
 
+/**
+ * @method getNestedObject($className);
+ * @method setNestedProperty($propertyName, $value, Egg $nestedEgg);
+ * @method addAdditionalPropertyName($name);
+ * @method setDocumentPath($path);
+ * @method setFromRef($ref);
+ * @method string|null getFromRef();
+ * @method string[]|null getFromRefs();
+ */
 class ObjectItem implements ObjectItemContract
 {
     use ObjectItemTrait;
diff --git a/src/Structure/ObjectItemContract.php b/src/Structure/ObjectItemContract.php
index cd290d2..b8d3da2 100644
--- a/src/Structure/ObjectItemContract.php
+++ b/src/Structure/ObjectItemContract.php
@@ -10,5 +10,15 @@ public function setNestedProperty($propertyName, $value, Egg $nestedEgg);
     public function addAdditionalPropertyName($name);
     public function setDocumentPath($path);
     public function setFromRef($ref);
+
+    /**
+     * @return string
+     * @deprecated
+     */
     public function getFromRef();
+
+    /**
+     * @return string[]|null
+     */
+    public function getFromRefs();
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Structure/ObjectItemTrait.php b/src/Structure/ObjectItemTrait.php
index baeb04e..3949547 100644
--- a/src/Structure/ObjectItemTrait.php
+++ b/src/Structure/ObjectItemTrait.php
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ public function setDocumentPath($path)
     }
 
     /**
+     * @see ObjectItemContract::getFromRef
+     * @deprecated use ObjectItemContract::getFromRefs
+     * @see ObjectItemContract::getFromRefs
+     * @todo remove
      * @return string
      */
     public function getFromRef()
@@ -111,6 +115,20 @@ public function getFromRef()
         return null === $this->__fromRef ? null : $this->__fromRef[0];
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @see ObjectItemContract::getFromRef
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getFromRefs()
+    {
+        return $this->__fromRef;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @see ObjectItemContract::setFromRef
+     * @param string $ref
+     * @return $this
+     */
     public function setFromRef($ref)
     {
         if (null === $this->__fromRef) {
diff --git a/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefAnotherTitle.php b/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefAnotherTitle.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f5b328d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefAnotherTitle.php
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Swaggest\JsonSchema\Tests\Helper;
+
+
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Constraint\Properties;
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Schema;
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Structure\ClassStructure;
+
+class DeepRefAnotherTitle extends ClassStructure
+{
+    /**
+     * @param Properties|static $properties
+     * @param Schema $ownerSchema
+     */
+    public static function setUpProperties($properties, Schema $ownerSchema)
+    {
+        $ownerSchema->setFromRef('http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#/properties/title');
+        $ownerSchema->setFromRef('#/definitions/anotherTitle');
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefProperty.php b/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefProperty.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab80cce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefProperty.php
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Swaggest\JsonSchema\Tests\Helper;
+
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Constraint\Properties;
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Schema;
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Structure\ClassStructure;
+
+class DeepRefProperty extends ClassStructure
+{
+    /**
+     * @param Properties|static $properties
+     * @param Schema $ownerSchema
+     */
+    public static function setUpProperties($properties, Schema $ownerSchema)
+    {
+        $ownerSchema->type = Schema::OBJECT;
+        $ownerSchema->setFromRef('#/definitions/lvlA');
+        $ownerSchema->setFromRef('#/definitions/lvlB');
+        $ownerSchema->setFromRef('#/definitions/lvlC');
+        $ownerSchema->setFromRef('#/definitions/lvlD');
+    }
+
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefRoot.php b/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefRoot.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e07ac7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefRoot.php
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Swaggest\JsonSchema\Tests\Helper;
+
+
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Constraint\Properties;
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Schema;
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Structure\ClassStructure;
+
+class DeepRefRoot extends ClassStructure
+{
+    public $directTitle;
+
+    public $intermediateTitle;
+
+    public $anotherTitle;
+
+    public $prop;
+
+    /**
+     * @param Properties|static $properties
+     * @param Schema $ownerSchema
+     */
+    public static function setUpProperties($properties, Schema $ownerSchema)
+    {
+        $properties->prop = DeepRefProperty::schema();
+
+        $properties->directTitle = new Schema();
+        $properties->directTitle->ref = 'http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#/properties/title';
+
+        $properties->intermediateTitle = DeepRefTitle::schema();
+
+        $properties->anotherTitle = DeepRefAnotherTitle::schema();
+
+        $ownerSchema->type = Schema::STRING;
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefTitle.php b/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefTitle.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07dae30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/Helper/DeepRefTitle.php
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Swaggest\JsonSchema\Tests\Helper;
+
+
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Constraint\Properties;
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Schema;
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Structure\ClassStructure;
+
+class DeepRefTitle extends ClassStructure
+{
+    /**
+     * @param Properties|static $properties
+     * @param Schema $ownerSchema
+     */
+    public static function setUpProperties($properties, Schema $ownerSchema)
+    {
+        $ownerSchema->setFromRef('http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#/properties/title');
+        $ownerSchema->setFromRef('#/definitions/title');
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/src/PHPUnit/ClassStructure/ExportSchemaTest.php b/tests/src/PHPUnit/ClassStructure/ExportSchemaTest.php
index 6e81d81..ded76fb 100644
--- a/tests/src/PHPUnit/ClassStructure/ExportSchemaTest.php
+++ b/tests/src/PHPUnit/ClassStructure/ExportSchemaTest.php
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Schema;
 use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Tests\Helper\DbId;
+use Swaggest\JsonSchema\Tests\Helper\DeepRefRoot;
 
 class ExportSchemaTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
 {
@@ -34,4 +35,99 @@ public function testSchemaExport()
         $this->assertSame($expected, json_encode($schemaData, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT + JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES));
     }
 
+    public function testDeepRef()
+    {
+        $schema = DeepRefRoot::schema();
+        $schemaData = Schema::export($schema);
+
+        $expected = <<<'JSON'
+{
+    "properties": {
+        "prop": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/lvlD"
+        },
+        "directTitle": {
+            "$ref": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#/properties/title"
+        },
+        "intermediateTitle": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/title"
+        },
+        "anotherTitle": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/anotherTitle"
+        }
+    },
+    "type": "string",
+    "definitions": {
+        "lvlA": {
+            "type": "object"
+        },
+        "lvlB": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/lvlA"
+        },
+        "lvlC": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/lvlB"
+        },
+        "lvlD": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/lvlC"
+        },
+        "title": {
+            "$ref": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#/properties/title"
+        },
+        "anotherTitle": {
+            "$ref": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#/properties/title"
+        }
+    }
+}
+JSON;
+
+        $this->assertSame($expected, json_encode($schemaData, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT + JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES));
+
+
+    }
+
+    public function testDeepRefSchema()
+    {
+        $schemaJson = <<<'JSON'
+{
+    "definitions": {
+        "lvl1": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/lvl2"
+        },
+        "lvl2": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/lvl3"
+        },
+        "lvl3": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/lvl4"
+        },
+        "lvl4": {
+            "type": "integer"
+        },
+        "title": {
+            "$ref": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#/properties/title"
+        },
+        "anotherTitle": {
+            "$ref": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#/properties/title"
+        }
+    },
+    "properties": {
+        "prop": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/lvl1"
+        },
+        "intermediateTitle": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/title"
+        },
+        "anotherTitle": {
+            "$ref": "#/definitions/anotherTitle"
+        }
+    },
+    "type": "object"
+}
+JSON;
+        $schemaData = json_decode($schemaJson);
+
+        $schema = Schema::import($schemaData);
+        $exported = Schema::export($schema);
+        $this->assertSame($schemaJson, json_encode($exported, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT + JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES));
+    }
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file