diff --git a/docs/api.md b/docs/api.md
index 0c60ea7..4bca237 100644
--- a/docs/api.md
+++ b/docs/api.md
@@ -102,6 +102,11 @@ Constructs a new JSONEditor.
 
   See [http://json-schema.org/](http://json-schema.org/) for more information.
 
+- `{Object} schemaRefs`
+
+  Schemas that are referenced using the `$ref` property from the JSON schema that are set in the `schema` option,
+  the object structure in the form of `{reference_key: schemaObject}`
+
 - `{boolean} search`
 
   Enables a search box in the upper right corner of the JSONEditor. True by default. Only applicable when `mode` is 'tree', 'view', or 'form'.
@@ -234,6 +239,20 @@ See [http://json-schema.org/](http://json-schema.org/) for more information on t
 
   A JSON schema.
 
+#### `JSONEditor.setSchemaRef(schema, ref)`
+
+Set a schema that are referenced from the schema that are set on the `schema` option. See also option `schemaRefs`.
+
+*Parameters:*
+
+- `{Object} schema`
+
+  A JSON schema.
+
+- `{String} ref`
+
+  The reference key.
+
 #### `JSONEditor.setText(jsonString)`
 
 Set text data in the editor.
diff --git a/examples/07_json_schema_validation.html b/examples/07_json_schema_validation.html
index 8338b67..e54e3b4 100644
--- a/examples/07_json_schema_validation.html
+++ b/examples/07_json_schema_validation.html
@@ -47,20 +47,41 @@
         "description": "Age in years",
         "type": "integer",
         "minimum": 0
+      },
+      "job": {
+        "$ref": "job"
       }
     },
     "required": ["firstName", "lastName"]
   };
 
+  var job = {
+    "title": "Job description",
+    "type": "object",
+    "properties": {
+      "company": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "role": {
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
   var json = {
     firstName: 'John',
     lastName: 'Doe',
     gender: null,
-    age: 28
+    age: 28,
+    job: {
+      company: 'freelance',
+      role: 'developer'
+    }
   };
 
   var options = {
-    schema: schema
+    schema: schema,
+    schemaRefs: {"job": job}
   };
 
   // create the editor
diff --git a/src/js/JSONEditor.js b/src/js/JSONEditor.js
index 1cc6788..5b48336 100644
--- a/src/js/JSONEditor.js
+++ b/src/js/JSONEditor.js
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ function JSONEditor (container, options, json) {
     // validate options
     if (options) {
       var VALID_OPTIONS = [
-        'ajv', 'schema','templates',
+        'ajv', 'schema', 'schemaRefs','templates',
         'ace', 'theme','autocomplete',
         'onChange', 'onEditable', 'onError', 'onModeChange',
         'escapeUnicode', 'history', 'search', 'mode', 'modes', 'name', 'indentation', 'sortObjectKeys'
@@ -269,6 +269,40 @@ JSONEditor.prototype._onError = function(err) {
   }
 };
 
+/**
+ * Returns ajv instance, initiates if not exists
+ * @returns {Object} ajv
+ */
+JSONEditor.prototype._getAjvInstance = function () {
+  if (!this.ajv) {
+    try {
+      // grab ajv from options if provided, else create a new instance
+      this.ajv = this.options.ajv || Ajv({ allErrors: true, verbose: true });
+
+    }
+    catch (err) {
+      console.warn('Failed to create an instance of Ajv, JSON Schema validation is not available. Please use a JSONEditor bundle including Ajv, or pass an instance of Ajv as via the configuration option `ajv`.');
+    }
+  } 
+  return this.ajv;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Set reference schema object for schema which is depended with other schemas using <pre><code>$ref</code></pre>
+ * @param {Object} schema Schema object
+ * @param {String} ref    reference key
+ */
+JSONEditor.prototype.setSchemaRef = function (schema, ref) {
+  if (schema && ref) {
+    var ajv = this._getAjvInstance();
+
+    if (ajv) {
+      ajv.removeSchema(ref);
+      ajv.addSchema(schema, ref);
+    }
+  }
+};
+
 /**
  * Set a JSON schema for validation of the JSON object.
  * To remove the schema, call JSONEditor.setSchema(null)
@@ -277,15 +311,7 @@ JSONEditor.prototype._onError = function(err) {
 JSONEditor.prototype.setSchema = function (schema) {
   // compile a JSON schema validator if a JSON schema is provided
   if (schema) {
-    var ajv;
-    try {
-      // grab ajv from options if provided, else create a new instance
-      ajv = this.options.ajv || Ajv({ allErrors: true, verbose: true });
-
-    }
-    catch (err) {
-      console.warn('Failed to create an instance of Ajv, JSON Schema validation is not available. Please use a JSONEditor bundle including Ajv, or pass an instance of Ajv as via the configuration option `ajv`.');
-    }
+    var ajv = this._getAjvInstance();
 
     if (ajv) {
         this.validateSchema = ajv.compile(schema);
diff --git a/src/js/textmode.js b/src/js/textmode.js
index 7076fde..3c3fd0d 100644
--- a/src/js/textmode.js
+++ b/src/js/textmode.js
@@ -220,6 +220,12 @@ textmode.create = function (container, options) {
     }
   }
 
+  if (this.options.schemaRefs) {
+    for (var ref in this.options.schemaRefs) {
+      this.setSchemaRef(this.options.schemaRefs[ref], ref);
+    }
+  }
+
   this.setSchema(this.options.schema);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/js/treemode.js b/src/js/treemode.js
index d3737b4..7aca5b3 100644
--- a/src/js/treemode.js
+++ b/src/js/treemode.js
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ treemode._setOptions = function (options) {
     mode: 'tree',
     name: undefined,   // field name of root node
     schema: null,
+    schemaRefs: null,
     autocomplete: null
   };
 
@@ -124,6 +125,13 @@ treemode._setOptions = function (options) {
     }
   }
 
+  // set schema refs before schema compile, is available
+  if (this.options.schemaRefs) {
+    for (var ref in this.options.schemaRefs) {
+      this.setSchemaRef(this.options.schemaRefs[ref], ref);
+    }
+  }
+  
   // compile a JSON schema validator if a JSON schema is provided
   this.setSchema(this.options.schema);
 
diff --git a/test/test_schema.html b/test/test_schema.html
index 4b60562..56d284f 100644
--- a/test/test_schema.html
+++ b/test/test_schema.html
@@ -57,22 +57,27 @@
         "minimum": 0
       },
       "hobbies": {
-        "type": "array",
-        "items": {
-          "type": "string"
-        }
+        "$ref": "hobbies.json"
       }
     },
     "required": ["firstName", "lastName"]
   };
 
+  var hobbiesSchema = {
+    "type": "array",
+    "items": {
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  };
+
   var options = {
     mode: 'tree',
     modes: ['code', 'form', 'text', 'tree', 'view'], // allowed modes
     onError: function (err) {
       console.error(err);
     },
-    schema: schema
+    schema: schema,
+    schemaRefs: {"hobbies.json": hobbiesSchema}
   };
 
   var json = {