diff --git a/jsonschema.py b/jsonschema.py
index a85229b34..acef3af53 100644
--- a/jsonschema.py
+++ b/jsonschema.py
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._types = dict(self.DEFAULT_TYPES)
         self._types.update(types)
         self._types["any"] = tuple(self._types.values())
+        self._root_schema = None
 
     def is_type(self, instance, type):
         """
@@ -310,19 +311,28 @@ def iter_errors(self, instance, schema, meta_validate=True):
                 # I think we're safer raising these always, not yielding them
                 raise s
 
-        for k, v in iteritems(schema):
-            validator = getattr(self, "validate_%s" % (k.lstrip("$"),), None)
-
-            if validator is None:
-                errors = self.unknown_property(k, instance, schema)
-            else:
-                errors = validator(v, instance, schema)
-
-            for error in errors or ():
-                # if the validator hasn't already been set (due to recursion)
-                # make sure to set it
-                error.validator = error.validator or k
-                yield error
+        # Hack to be able to access root schema from $ref validator
+        is_root_schema = False
+        if self._root_schema is None:
+            self._root_schema = schema
+            is_root_schema = True
+        try:
+            for k, v in iteritems(schema):
+                validator = getattr(self, "validate_%s" % (k.lstrip("$"),), None)
+
+                if validator is None:
+                    errors = self.unknown_property(k, instance, schema)
+                else:
+                    errors = validator(v, instance, schema)
+
+                for error in errors or ():
+                    # if the validator hasn't already been set (due to recursion)
+                    # make sure to set it
+                    error.validator = error.validator or k
+                    yield error
+        finally:
+            if is_root_schema:
+                self._root_schema = None
 
     def validate(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """
@@ -347,7 +357,7 @@ def validate_type(self, types, instance, schema):
             # check if the instance is valid under it
             if ((
                 self.is_type(type, "object") and
-                self.is_valid(instance, type)
+                self.is_valid(instance, type, meta_validate=False)
 
             # Or we have a type as a string, just check if the instance is that
             # type. Also, HACK: we can reach the `or` here if skip_types is
@@ -409,6 +419,8 @@ def validate_additionalProperties(self, aP, instance, schema):
             yield ValidationError(error % _extras_msg(extras))
 
     def validate_dependencies(self, dependencies, instance, schema):
+        if not self.is_type(instance, "object"):
+            return
         for property, dependency in iteritems(dependencies):
             if property not in instance:
                 continue
@@ -536,7 +548,9 @@ def validate_divisibleBy(self, dB, instance, schema):
 
     def validate_disallow(self, disallow, instance, schema):
         for disallowed in _list(disallow):
-            if self.is_valid(instance, {"type" : [disallowed]}):
+            if self.is_valid(
+                instance, {"type" : [disallowed]}, meta_validate=False
+            ):
                 yield ValidationError(
                     "%r is disallowed for %r" % (disallowed, instance)
                 )
@@ -560,7 +574,7 @@ def validate_ref(self, ref, instance, schema):
             parts = map(unquote, parts)
             parts = [part.replace('~1', '/').replace('~0', '~')
                      for part in parts]
-            pointer = schema # TODO: Ahh, how do we get the root schema here?
+            pointer = self._root_schema
             try:
                 for part in parts:
                     pointer = pointer[part]
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index 56b1481d5..a16319b0d 100644
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -669,6 +669,23 @@ def test_iter_errors_multiple_failures_one_validator(self):
         errors = list(Validator().iter_errors(instance, schema))
         self.assertEqual(len(errors), 4)
 
+    root_pointer_ref = parametrized(
+        ("match", "valid", {"foo": False}),
+        ("recursive_match", "valid", {"foo": {"foo": False}}),
+        ("mismatch", "invalid", {"bar": False}),
+        ("recursive_mismatch", "invalid", {"foo": {"bar": False}})
+    )(validation_test(
+        properties={"foo": {"$ref": "#"}}, additionalProperties=False)
+    )
+
+    relative_pointer_ref = parametrized(
+        ("match", "valid", {"bar": 3}),
+        ("mismatch", "invalid", {"bar": True})
+    )(validation_test(
+        properties={"foo": {"type": "integer"},
+                    "bar": {"$ref": "#/properties/foo"}}
+    ))
+
 
 class TestValidationErrorDetails(unittest.TestCase):
     # TODO: These really need unit tests for each individual validator, rather