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 7d549985a1..89158f7503 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
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.function.BiFunction;
+import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
@@ -892,6 +894,8 @@ private void processRefExample(Example example, String externalFile) {
         if (format.equals(RefFormat.RELATIVE) && !Objects.equals(subRefExternalPath, externalFile)) {
             $ref = join(externalFile, example.get$ref());
             example.set$ref($ref);
+            resolveWholeDocumentRef($ref, this::processRefToExternalExample, example::set$ref,
+                    RefType.COMPONENTS.getInternalPrefix() + "examples/");
         }else {
             processRefToExternalExample($ref, format);
         }
@@ -955,6 +959,8 @@ private void processRefSchema(Schema subRef, String externalFile) {
         if (format.equals(RefFormat.RELATIVE) && !Objects.equals(subRefExternalPath, externalFile)) {
             $ref = constructRef(subRef, externalFile);
             subRef.set$ref($ref);
+            resolveWholeDocumentRef($ref, this::processRefToExternalSchema, subRef::set$ref,
+                    RefType.SCHEMAS.getInternalPrefix());
         }else {
             processRefToExternalSchema($ref, format);
         }
@@ -980,6 +986,8 @@ private void processRefHeader(Header subRef, String externalFile) {
         if (format.equals(RefFormat.RELATIVE) && !Objects.equals(subRefExternalPath, externalFile)) {
             $ref = join(externalFile, subRef.get$ref());
             subRef.set$ref($ref);
+            resolveWholeDocumentRef($ref, this::processRefToExternalHeader, subRef::set$ref,
+                    RefType.COMPONENTS.getInternalPrefix() + "headers/");
         }else {
             processRefToExternalHeader($ref, format);
         }
@@ -999,12 +1007,32 @@ private void processRefLink(Link subRef, String externalFile) {
         if (format.equals(RefFormat.RELATIVE) && !Objects.equals(subRefExternalPath, externalFile)) {
             $ref = join(externalFile, subRef.get$ref());
             subRef.set$ref($ref);
+            resolveWholeDocumentRef($ref, this::processRefToExternalLink, subRef::set$ref,
+                    RefType.COMPONENTS.getInternalPrefix() + "links/");
         }else {
             processRefToExternalLink($ref, format);
         }
     }
 
 
+    private static boolean isWholeDocumentRef(String ref) {
+        return !ref.contains("#");
+    }
+
+    private void resolveWholeDocumentRef(String ref, BiFunction<String, RefFormat, String> processor,
+                                         Consumer<String> setRef, String internalPrefix) {
+        if (!isWholeDocumentRef(ref)) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        RefFormat format = computeRefFormat(ref);
+        processor.apply(ref, format);
+        String renamedRef = cache.getRenamedRef(ref);
+        if (renamedRef != null) {
+            setRef.accept(internalPrefix + renamedRef);
+        }
+    }
+
     // visible for testing
     public static String join(String source, String fragment) {
         try {
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/test/Issue1889Test.java b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/test/Issue1889Test.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..960cdc58a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/test/Issue1889Test.java
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+package io.swagger.v3.parser.test;
+
+import io.swagger.v3.oas.models.OpenAPI;
+import io.swagger.v3.oas.models.media.ArraySchema;
+import io.swagger.v3.oas.models.media.Schema;
+import io.swagger.v3.oas.models.responses.ApiResponse;
+import io.swagger.v3.parser.OpenAPIV3Parser;
+import io.swagger.v3.parser.core.models.ParseOptions;
+import io.swagger.v3.parser.core.models.SwaggerParseResult;
+import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+
+import static org.testng.Assert.assertFalse;
+import static org.testng.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.testng.Assert.assertNull;
+import static org.testng.Assert.assertTrue;
+
+public class Issue1889Test {
+
+    private static final String SCHEMA_PREFIX = "#/components/schemas/";
+    private static final String HEADER_PREFIX = "#/components/headers/";
+
+    @Test
+    public void resolvesNestedRelativeArrayItemReference() {
+        OpenAPI openAPI = parse("issue-1889/root.yaml");
+
+        Schema items = getProductItems(openAPI);
+        String resolvedName = assertInternalReference(items);
+
+        assertNotNull(openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get(resolvedName));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void resolvesNestedRelativeArrayItemReferenceWithoutOverwritingExistingSchema() {
+        OpenAPI openAPI = parse("issue-1889/root-with-product.yaml");
+
+        Schema rootProduct = openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get("Product");
+        assertNotNull(rootProduct);
+        assertNotNull(rootProduct.getProperties().get("rootOnly"));
+
+        Schema items = getProductItems(openAPI);
+        String resolvedName = assertInternalReference(items);
+        Schema resolvedProduct = openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get(resolvedName);
+
+        assertNotNull(resolvedProduct);
+        assertNotNull(resolvedProduct.getProperties().get("id"));
+        assertNull(resolvedProduct.getProperties().get("rootOnly"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void resolvesNestedRelativeArrayItemReferenceWithFragment() {
+        OpenAPI openAPI = parse("issue-1889/root-fragment-ref.yaml");
+
+        Schema response = openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get("GetProductResponse");
+        assertNotNull(response);
+        Schema products = (Schema) response.getProperties().get("products");
+        assertTrue(products instanceof ArraySchema);
+        Schema items = ((ArraySchema) products).getItems();
+
+        assertNotNull(items);
+        assertNotNull(items.get$ref());
+        assertTrue(items.get$ref().startsWith(SCHEMA_PREFIX),
+                "items.$ref should be internal ref, was: " + items.get$ref());
+        assertFalse(items.get$ref().contains("schemas.yaml"),
+                "items.$ref should not contain file path, was: " + items.get$ref());
+
+        String resolvedName = items.get$ref().substring(SCHEMA_PREFIX.length());
+        assertNotNull(openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get(resolvedName));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void resolvesThreeLevelChainOfNestedRelativeFileReferences() {
+        OpenAPI openAPI = parse("issue-1889/root-chain.yaml");
+
+        Schema response = openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get("GetProductResponse");
+        assertNotNull(response);
+        Schema products = (Schema) response.getProperties().get("products");
+        assertTrue(products instanceof ArraySchema);
+        Schema productItems = ((ArraySchema) products).getItems();
+
+        assertNotNull(productItems);
+        assertNotNull(productItems.get$ref());
+        assertTrue(productItems.get$ref().startsWith(SCHEMA_PREFIX),
+                "productItems.$ref should be internal ref, was: " + productItems.get$ref());
+
+        String productName = productItems.get$ref().substring(SCHEMA_PREFIX.length());
+        Schema productSchema = openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get(productName);
+        assertNotNull(productSchema, "ProductChain schema should be in components");
+
+        Schema nestedItems = (Schema) productSchema.getProperties().get("items");
+        assertNotNull(nestedItems);
+        assertTrue(nestedItems instanceof ArraySchema);
+        Schema itemRef = ((ArraySchema) nestedItems).getItems();
+
+        assertNotNull(itemRef);
+        assertNotNull(itemRef.get$ref());
+        assertTrue(itemRef.get$ref().startsWith(SCHEMA_PREFIX),
+                "itemRef.$ref should be internal ref, was: " + itemRef.get$ref());
+        assertFalse(itemRef.get$ref().contains("Item.yaml"),
+                "itemRef.$ref should not contain file path, was: " + itemRef.get$ref());
+
+        String itemName = itemRef.get$ref().substring(SCHEMA_PREFIX.length());
+        assertNotNull(openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get(itemName), "Item schema should be in components");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void resolvesNestedRelativeHeaderReferenceFromExternalResponse() {
+        OpenAPI openAPI = parse("issue-1889/root-header.yaml");
+        ApiResponse response = getProductsResponse(openAPI);
+        assertNotNull(response.getHeaders(), "response should have headers");
+
+        io.swagger.v3.oas.models.headers.Header rateLimitHeader = response.getHeaders().get("X-Rate-Limit");
+        assertNotNull(rateLimitHeader);
+        assertNotNull(rateLimitHeader.get$ref());
+        assertTrue(rateLimitHeader.get$ref().startsWith(HEADER_PREFIX),
+                "X-Rate-Limit $ref should be internal header ref, was: " + rateLimitHeader.get$ref());
+        assertFalse(rateLimitHeader.get$ref().contains("RateLimitHeader.yaml"),
+                "X-Rate-Limit $ref should not contain file path, was: " + rateLimitHeader.get$ref());
+
+        String headerName = rateLimitHeader.get$ref().substring(HEADER_PREFIX.length());
+        assertNotNull(openAPI.getComponents().getHeaders().get(headerName),
+                "RateLimitHeader should be in components/headers");
+    }
+
+    private OpenAPI parse(String location) {
+        ParseOptions options = new ParseOptions();
+        options.setResolve(true);
+
+        SwaggerParseResult result = new OpenAPIV3Parser().readLocation(location, null, options);
+        assertNotNull(result);
+        assertNotNull(result.getOpenAPI());
+        return result.getOpenAPI();
+    }
+
+    private Schema getProductItems(OpenAPI openAPI) {
+        Schema response = openAPI.getComponents().getSchemas().get("GetProductResponse");
+        assertNotNull(response);
+        Schema products = (Schema) response.getProperties().get("products");
+        assertTrue(products instanceof ArraySchema);
+        return ((ArraySchema) products).getItems();
+    }
+
+    private ApiResponse getProductsResponse(OpenAPI openAPI) {
+        ApiResponse pathResponse = openAPI.getPaths().get("/products").getGet().getResponses().get("200");
+        assertNotNull(pathResponse);
+        assertNotNull(pathResponse.get$ref());
+        String responsePrefix = "#/components/responses/";
+        assertTrue(pathResponse.get$ref().startsWith(responsePrefix),
+                "path response $ref should be internal, was: " + pathResponse.get$ref());
+
+        String responseName = pathResponse.get$ref().substring(responsePrefix.length());
+        ApiResponse response = openAPI.getComponents().getResponses().get(responseName);
+        assertNotNull(response, "response should be in components/responses");
+        return response;
+    }
+
+    private String assertInternalReference(Schema items) {
+        assertNotNull(items);
+        assertNotNull(items.get$ref());
+        assertTrue(items.get$ref().startsWith(SCHEMA_PREFIX));
+        assertFalse(items.get$ref().contains("Product.yaml"));
+        return items.get$ref().substring(SCHEMA_PREFIX.length());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/headers/RateLimitHeader.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/headers/RateLimitHeader.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b80f2d3d83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/headers/RateLimitHeader.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+description: Rate limit header
+schema:
+  type: integer
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/GetProductResponse.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/GetProductResponse.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..747c396902
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/GetProductResponse.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+type: object
+properties:
+  products:
+    type: array
+    items:
+      $ref: Product.yaml
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/GetProductResponseChain.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/GetProductResponseChain.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..66bd9fc6e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/GetProductResponseChain.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+type: object
+properties:
+  products:
+    type: array
+    items:
+      $ref: ProductChain.yaml
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/GetProductResponseFragmentRef.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/GetProductResponseFragmentRef.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7540827060
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/GetProductResponseFragmentRef.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+type: object
+properties:
+  products:
+    type: array
+    items:
+      $ref: './schemas.yaml#/Product'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/Item.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/Item.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9ec46dc836
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/Item.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+type: object
+properties:
+  id:
+    type: string
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/Product.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/Product.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..11e2b4b86a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/Product.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+type: object
+properties:
+  id:
+    type: string
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/ProductChain.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/ProductChain.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..63521d08ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/ProductChain.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+type: object
+properties:
+  items:
+    type: array
+    items:
+      $ref: Item.yaml
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/schemas.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/schemas.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e3df3c6a89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/models/schemas.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Product:
+  type: object
+  properties:
+    id:
+      type: string
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/responses/ProductsResponse.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/responses/ProductsResponse.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..31e4bf2ce6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/common/responses/ProductsResponse.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+description: Products response
+headers:
+  X-Rate-Limit:
+    $ref: '../headers/RateLimitHeader.yaml'
+content:
+  application/json:
+    schema:
+      type: object
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-chain.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-chain.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aa58716d5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-chain.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+openapi: 3.0.0
+info:
+  title: test
+  version: 1.0.0
+
+components:
+  schemas:
+    GetProductResponse:
+      $ref: './common/models/GetProductResponseChain.yaml'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-fragment-ref.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-fragment-ref.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d59d64f9f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-fragment-ref.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+openapi: 3.0.0
+info:
+  title: test
+  version: 1.0.0
+
+components:
+  schemas:
+    GetProductResponse:
+      $ref: './common/models/GetProductResponseFragmentRef.yaml'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-header.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-header.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3ca08e5fab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-header.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+openapi: 3.0.0
+info:
+  title: test
+  version: 1.0.0
+
+paths:
+  /products:
+    get:
+      responses:
+        '200':
+          $ref: './common/responses/ProductsResponse.yaml'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-with-product.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-with-product.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..95d7dc369d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root-with-product.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+openapi: 3.0.0
+info:
+  title: test
+  version: 1.0.0
+
+components:
+  schemas:
+    Product:
+      type: object
+      properties:
+        rootOnly:
+          type: string
+    GetProductResponse:
+      $ref: './common/models/GetProductResponse.yaml'
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..576fb7dcaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue-1889/root.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+openapi: 3.0.0
+info:
+  title: test
+  version: 1.0.0
+
+components:
+  schemas:
+    GetProductResponse:
+      $ref: './common/models/GetProductResponse.yaml'