diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-asyncapi-json-2-0/src/adapter.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-asyncapi-json-2-0/src/adapter.ts
index 0634840c30..574d03686c 100644
--- a/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-asyncapi-json-2-0/src/adapter.ts
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-asyncapi-json-2-0/src/adapter.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export const parse = async (
 
   if (isNotUndefined(firstResultElement)) {
     const asyncApiElement = AsyncApi2_0Element.refract(firstResultElement, refractorOpts);
+    asyncApiElement.classes.push('result');
     parseResultElement = transclude(firstResultElement, asyncApiElement, parseResultElement);
   }
 
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-asyncapi-yaml-2-0/src/adapter.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-asyncapi-yaml-2-0/src/adapter.ts
index 419429cf28..1c3111c8af 100644
--- a/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-asyncapi-yaml-2-0/src/adapter.ts
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-asyncapi-yaml-2-0/src/adapter.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export const parse = async (
 
   if (isNotUndefined(firstResultElement)) {
     const asyncApiElement = AsyncApi2_0Element.refract(firstResultElement, refractorOpts);
+    asyncApiElement.classes.push('result');
     parseResultElement = transclude(firstResultElement, asyncApiElement, parseResultElement);
   }
 
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-openapi-json-3-1/src/adapter.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-openapi-json-3-1/src/adapter.ts
index a4cd14cf78..3d9b6d0d81 100644
--- a/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-openapi-json-3-1/src/adapter.ts
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-openapi-json-3-1/src/adapter.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export const parse = async (
 
   if (isNotUndefined(firstResultElement)) {
     const openApiElement = OpenApi3_1Element.refract(firstResultElement, refractorOpts);
+    openApiElement.classes.push('result');
     parseResultElement = transclude(firstResultElement, openApiElement, parseResultElement);
   }
 
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-openapi-yaml-3-1/src/adapter.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-openapi-yaml-3-1/src/adapter.ts
index 72912b0097..b037e5fe68 100644
--- a/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-openapi-yaml-3-1/src/adapter.ts
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-parser-adapter-openapi-yaml-3-1/src/adapter.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export const parse = async (
 
   if (isNotUndefined(firstResultElement)) {
     const openApiElement = OpenApi3_1Element.refract(firstResultElement, refractorOpts);
+    openApiElement.classes.push('result');
     parseResultElement = transclude(firstResultElement, openApiElement, parseResultElement);
   }
 
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/ReferenceSet.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/ReferenceSet.ts
index 686f851ac4..0997d73ccf 100644
--- a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/ReferenceSet.ts
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/ReferenceSet.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,14 @@ const ReferenceSet: stampit.Stamp<IReferenceSet> = stampit({
     *values() {
       yield* this.refs;
     },
+
+    clean() {
+      this.refs.forEach((ref: IReference) => {
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-param-reassign
+        ref.refSet = null;
+      });
+      this.refs = [];
+    },
   },
 });
 
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 9b47cbc006..0000000000
--- a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,130 +0,0 @@
-import { Element, transclude, visit } from 'apidom';
-import stampit from 'stampit';
-import { ReferenceElement, keyMap, getNodeType } from 'apidom-ns-openapi-3-1';
-import { hasIn, pathSatisfies } from 'ramda';
-import { isNotUndefined } from 'ramda-adjunct';
-
-import { ReferenceOptions as IReferenceOptions } from './types';
-import parse from './parse';
-import * as url from './util/url';
-import { evaluate, uriToPointer } from './selectors/json-pointer';
-
-// 1. - gather all Reference Objects
-// 2. - for each Reference Object
-//    2.1. - look at the $ref property
-//    2.2. - translate the $ref JSON Pointer into absolute URI JSON Pointer
-//    2.3. - resolve the absolute URI JSON Pointer against data
-//    2.4. - if resolved data is again a Reference (Like) Object repeat from 2.1
-
-// @ts-ignore
-const visitAsync = visit[Symbol.for('nodejs.util.promisify.custom')];
-
-const DereferenceVisitor = stampit({
-  props: {
-    baseURI: '',
-    element: null,
-    indirections: [],
-  },
-  init({ baseURI, element, indirections = [] }) {
-    this.baseURI = baseURI;
-    this.element = element;
-    this.indirections = indirections;
-  },
-  methods: {
-    async ReferenceElement(referenceElement: ReferenceElement) {
-      const uri = referenceElement.$ref.toValue();
-
-      // if only hash is provided, reference is considered to be internal
-      if (url.getHash(uri) === uri) {
-        return this.ReferenceElementInternal(referenceElement);
-      }
-      // everything else is treated as an external reference
-      return this.ReferenceElementExternal(referenceElement);
-    },
-
-    async ReferenceElementInternal(referenceElement: ReferenceElement) {
-      this.indirections.push(referenceElement);
-
-      const jsonPointer = uriToPointer(referenceElement.$ref.toValue());
-      let fragment = evaluate(jsonPointer, this.element);
-
-      // detect direct or circular reference
-      if (this.indirections.includes(fragment)) {
-        throw new Error('Recursive JSON Pointer detected');
-      }
-
-      // dive deep into the fragment
-      const visitor = DereferenceVisitor({
-        baseURI: this.baseURI,
-        element: this.element,
-        indirections: [...this.indirections],
-      });
-      await visitAsync(fragment, visitor, { keyMap, nodeTypeGetter: getNodeType });
-
-      /**
-       * Re-evaluate the JSON Pointer against the element as the fragment could
-       * have been another reference and the previous deep dive into fragment
-       * dereferenced it.
-       */
-      fragment = evaluate(jsonPointer, this.element);
-
-      // override description and summary (outer has higher priority then inner)
-      const hasDescription = pathSatisfies(isNotUndefined, ['description'], referenceElement);
-      const hasSummary = pathSatisfies(isNotUndefined, ['summary'], referenceElement);
-      if (hasDescription || hasSummary) {
-        fragment = fragment.clone();
-
-        if (hasDescription && hasIn('description', fragment)) {
-          // @ts-ignore
-          fragment.description = referenceElement.description;
-        }
-        if (hasSummary && hasIn('summary', fragment)) {
-          // @ts-ignore
-          fragment.summary = referenceElement.summary;
-        }
-      }
-
-      // transclude the element for a fragment
-      this.element = transclude(referenceElement, fragment, this.element);
-
-      this.indirections.pop();
-    },
-
-    async ReferenceElementExternal(referenceElement: ReferenceElement) {
-      this.indirections.push(referenceElement);
-
-      const uri = referenceElement.$ref.toValue();
-      const uriWithoutHash = url.stripHash(uri);
-      const sanitizedURI = url.isFileSystemPath(uriWithoutHash)
-        ? url.fromFileSystemPath(uriWithoutHash)
-        : uriWithoutHash;
-      const baseURI = url.resolve(this.baseURI, sanitizedURI);
-      const parseResult = await parse(baseURI, this.options);
-      const { first: element } = parseResult;
-      const jsonPointer = uriToPointer(uri);
-      // @ts-ignore
-      const fragment = evaluate(jsonPointer, element);
-
-      // dive deep into the fragment
-      const visitor = DereferenceVisitor({
-        baseURI,
-        element,
-        indirections: [...this.indirections],
-      });
-      await visitAsync(fragment, visitor, { keyMap, nodeTypeGetter: getNodeType });
-
-      this.indirections.pop();
-    },
-  },
-});
-
-// eslint-disable-next-line import/prefer-default-export
-export const dereferenceApiDOM = async <T extends Element>(
-  element: T,
-  options: IReferenceOptions,
-): Promise<T> => {
-  const visitor = DereferenceVisitor({ baseURI: options.resolve.baseURI, element });
-  await visitAsync(element, visitor, { state: { options }, keyMap, nodeTypeGetter: getNodeType });
-
-  return element;
-};
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/index.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c5ef11bbc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import { isEmpty } from 'ramda';
+import { Element, ParseResultElement } from 'apidom';
+
+import File from '../util/File';
+import * as plugins from '../util/plugins';
+import { UnmatchedResolveStrategyError } from '../util/errors';
+import DereferenceError from '../util/errors/DereferenceError';
+import { ReferenceOptions as IReferenceOptions } from '../types';
+import parse from '../parse';
+import { merge as mergeOptions } from '../options/util';
+
+/**
+ * Dereferences ApiDOM with all it's external references.
+ */
+export const dereferenceApiDOM = async <T extends Element>(
+  element: T,
+  options: IReferenceOptions,
+): Promise<T> => {
+  const file = File({
+    uri: options.resolve.baseURI,
+    parseResult: element,
+    mediaType: options.parse.mediaType,
+  });
+
+  const dereferenceStrategies = plugins.filter(
+    'canDereference',
+    file,
+    options.dereference.strategies,
+  );
+
+  // we couldn't find any dereference for this File
+  if (isEmpty(dereferenceStrategies)) {
+    throw new UnmatchedResolveStrategyError(file.uri);
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const { result } = await plugins.run('dereference', [file, options], dereferenceStrategies);
+    return result;
+  } catch (error) {
+    throw new DereferenceError(`Error while dereferencing file "${file.uri}"`, error);
+  }
+};
+
+/**
+ * Dereferences a file with all it's external references.
+ */
+const dereference = async (
+  uri: string,
+  options: IReferenceOptions,
+): Promise<ParseResultElement> => {
+  const parseResult = await parse(uri, options);
+  const mergedOptions = mergeOptions(options, { resolve: { baseURI: uri } });
+
+  return dereferenceApiDOM(parseResult, mergedOptions);
+};
+
+export default dereference;
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/strategies/DereferenceStrategy.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/strategies/DereferenceStrategy.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0d5c37c20a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/strategies/DereferenceStrategy.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import stampit from 'stampit';
+
+import { DereferenceStrategy as IDereferenceStrategy } from '../../types';
+import { NotImplementedError } from '../../util/errors';
+
+const DereferenceStrategy: stampit.Stamp<IDereferenceStrategy> = stampit({
+  methods: {
+    canDereference() {
+      return false;
+    },
+
+    async dereference(): Promise<never> {
+      throw new NotImplementedError();
+    },
+  },
+});
+
+export default DereferenceStrategy;
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/index.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..92b0ac419e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import stampit from 'stampit';
+import { createNamespace, visit, Element } from 'apidom';
+import openApi3_1Namespace, {
+  getNodeType,
+  isOpenApi3_1Element,
+  keyMap,
+} from 'apidom-ns-openapi-3-1';
+
+import DereferenceStrategy from '../DereferenceStrategy';
+import {
+  DereferenceStrategy as IDereferenceStrategy,
+  File as IFile,
+  ReferenceOptions as IReferenceOptions,
+} from '../../../types';
+import Reference from '../../../Reference';
+import ReferenceSet from '../../../ReferenceSet';
+import OpenApi3_1DereferenceVisitor from './visitor';
+
+// @ts-ignore
+const visitAsync = visit[Symbol.for('nodejs.util.promisify.custom')];
+
+const OpenApi3_1DereferenceStrategy: stampit.Stamp<IDereferenceStrategy> = stampit(
+  DereferenceStrategy,
+  {
+    methods: {
+      canDereference(file: IFile): boolean {
+        // assert by media type
+        if (file.mediaType !== 'text/plain') {
+          return [
+            'application/vnd.oai.openapi;version=3.1.0',
+            'application/vnd.oai.openapi+json;version=3.1.0',
+            'application/vnd.oai.openapi+yaml;version=3.1.0',
+          ].includes(file.mediaType);
+        }
+
+        // assert by inspecting ApiDOM
+        return isOpenApi3_1Element(file.parseResult?.api);
+      },
+
+      async dereference(file: IFile, options: IReferenceOptions): Promise<Element> {
+        const namespace = createNamespace(openApi3_1Namespace);
+        const reference = Reference({ uri: file.uri, value: file.parseResult });
+        const visitor = OpenApi3_1DereferenceVisitor({ reference, namespace, options });
+        const refSet = ReferenceSet();
+        refSet.add(reference);
+
+        const dereferencedElement = await visitAsync(refSet.rootRef.value, visitor, {
+          keyMap,
+          nodeTypeGetter: getNodeType,
+        });
+
+        // release all memory
+        refSet.clean();
+
+        return dereferencedElement;
+      },
+    },
+  },
+);
+
+export default OpenApi3_1DereferenceStrategy;
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/visitor.ts
similarity index 66%
rename from apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference.ts
rename to apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/visitor.ts
index a38ea5c76c..a2602b8809 100644
--- a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference.ts
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/visitor.ts
@@ -1,36 +1,35 @@
-import util from 'util';
-import path from 'path';
 import stampit from 'stampit';
 import { hasIn, pathSatisfies, propEq } from 'ramda';
 import { isNotUndefined } from 'ramda-adjunct';
-import { toValue, visit, createNamespace, isPrimitiveElement } from 'apidom';
-import openApi3_1Namespace, {
-  keyMap,
+import { isPrimitiveElement, visit } from 'apidom';
+import {
   getNodeType,
-  ReferenceElement,
   isReferenceLikeElement,
+  keyMap,
+  ReferenceElement,
 } from 'apidom-ns-openapi-3-1';
 
-import { parse } from '../src';
-import ReferenceSet from '../src/ReferenceSet';
-import Reference from '../src/Reference';
-import * as url from '../src/util/url';
-import { evaluate, uriToPointer } from '../src/selectors/json-pointer';
-import { Reference as IReference } from '../src/types';
+import { Reference as IReference } from '../../../types';
+import * as url from '../../../util/url';
+import parse from '../../../parse';
+import Reference from '../../../Reference';
+import { evaluate, uriToPointer } from '../../../selectors/json-pointer';
 
 // @ts-ignore
 const visitAsync = visit[Symbol.for('nodejs.util.promisify.custom')];
 
-const DereferenceVisitor = stampit({
+const OpenApi3_1DereferenceVisitor = stampit({
   props: {
     indirections: [],
     namespace: null,
     reference: null,
+    options: null,
   },
-  init({ reference, namespace, indirections = [] }) {
+  init({ reference, namespace, indirections = [], options }) {
     this.indirections = indirections;
     this.namespace = namespace;
     this.reference = reference;
+    this.options = options;
   },
   methods: {
     async toReference(uri: string): Promise<IReference> {
@@ -47,9 +46,9 @@ const DereferenceVisitor = stampit({
       }
 
       // register new Reference with ReferenceSet
-      const parseResult = await parse(baseURI);
+      const parseResult = await parse(baseURI, this.options);
 
-      return Reference({ uri: baseURI, value: parseResult.first, refSet });
+      return Reference({ uri: baseURI, value: parseResult, refSet });
     },
 
     async ReferenceElement(referenceElement: ReferenceElement) {
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ const DereferenceVisitor = stampit({
       const jsonPointer = uriToPointer(referenceElement.$ref.toValue());
 
       // possibly non-semantic fragment
-      let fragment = evaluate(jsonPointer, reference.value);
+      let fragment = evaluate(jsonPointer, reference.value.result);
 
       // applying semantics to a fragment
       if (referenceElement.meta.hasKey('referenced-element') && isPrimitiveElement(fragment)) {
@@ -81,10 +80,11 @@ const DereferenceVisitor = stampit({
       }
 
       // dive deep into the fragment
-      const visitor = DereferenceVisitor({
+      const visitor = OpenApi3_1DereferenceVisitor({
         reference,
         namespace: this.namespace,
         indirections: [...this.indirections],
+        options: this.options,
       });
       fragment = await visitAsync(fragment, visitor, { keyMap, nodeTypeGetter: getNodeType });
 
@@ -112,24 +112,4 @@ const DereferenceVisitor = stampit({
   },
 });
 
-describe('dereference', function () {
-  specify('should dereference', async function () {
-    const fixturePath = path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'dereference', 'reference-objects.json');
-    const { api } = await parse(fixturePath, {
-      parse: { mediaType: 'application/vnd.oai.openapi+json;version=3.1.0' },
-    });
-    const namespace = createNamespace(openApi3_1Namespace);
-    const reference = Reference({ uri: fixturePath, value: api });
-    const visitor = DereferenceVisitor({ reference, namespace });
-    const refSet = ReferenceSet();
-    refSet.add(reference);
-
-    const dereferenced = await visitAsync(refSet.rootRef.value, visitor, {
-      keyMap,
-      nodeTypeGetter: getNodeType,
-    });
-
-    // @ts-ignore
-    console.log(util.inspect(toValue(dereferenced), true, null, true));
-  });
-});
+export default OpenApi3_1DereferenceVisitor;
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/index.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/index.ts
index b1ad8d3048..f0f5807b91 100644
--- a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/index.ts
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/index.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import defaultOptions from './options';
 import { merge as mergeOptions } from './options/util';
 import parseFn, { readFile as readFileFn } from './parse';
 import resolveFn, { resolveApiDOM as resolveApiDOMFn } from './resolve';
-import { dereferenceApiDOM as dereferenceApiDOMFn } from './dereference';
+import dereferenceFn, { dereferenceApiDOM as dereferenceApiDOMFn } from './dereference';
 
 export const readFile = async (uri: string, options = {}): Promise<Buffer> => {
   const mergedOptions = mergeOptions(defaultOptions, options);
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ export const resolveApiDOM = async <T extends Element>(
   return resolveApiDOMFn(element, mergedOptions);
 };
 
+export const dereference = async (uri: string, options = {}): Promise<ParseResultElement> => {
+  const mergedOptions = mergeOptions(defaultOptions, options);
+  return dereferenceFn(uri, mergedOptions);
+};
+
 export const dereferenceApiDOM = async <T extends Element>(
   element: T,
   options = {},
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/options/index.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/options/index.ts
index a09d3a66ba..bc1a7c6820 100644
--- a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/options/index.ts
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/options/index.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import AsyncApiYaml2_0Parser from '../parsers/apidom-reference-parser-asyncapi-y
 import JsonParser from '../parsers/apidom-reference-parser-json';
 import YamlParser from '../parsers/apidom-reference-parser-yaml';
 
+import OpenApi3_1DereferenceStrategy from '../dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1';
+
 import { ReferenceOptions as IReferenceOptions } from '../types';
 
 const defaultOptions: IReferenceOptions = {
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ const defaultOptions: IReferenceOptions = {
      * Strategy is determined by media type.
      *
      * You can add additional resolver strategies of your own, replace an existing one with
-     * your own implementation, or remove any resolver by removing it from the list.
+     * your own implementation, or remove any resolve strategy by removing it from the list.
      */
     strategies: [OpenApi3_1ResolveStrategy()],
     /**
@@ -80,6 +82,21 @@ const defaultOptions: IReferenceOptions = {
      */
     maxDepth: +Infinity,
   },
+  dereference: {
+    /**
+     * If set to a specific dereference strategy, loop for suitable resolve strategy will be skipped
+     * and this strategy will be used directly.
+     */
+    strategy: null,
+    /**
+     * Determines strategies how ApiDOM is dereferenced.
+     * Strategy is determined by media type or by inspecting ApiDOM to be dereferenced.
+     *
+     * You can add additional dereference strategies of your own, replace an existing one with
+     * your own implementation, or remove any dereference strategy by removing it from the list.
+     */
+    strategies: [OpenApi3_1DereferenceStrategy()],
+  },
 };
 
 export default defaultOptions;
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/types.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/types.ts
index 5ce3db2576..05e9798f35 100644
--- a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/types.ts
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/types.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ParseResultElement } from 'apidom';
+import { ParseResultElement, Element } from 'apidom';
 
 export interface File {
   uri: string;
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ export interface ResolveStrategy {
   resolve(file: File, options: ReferenceOptions): Promise<ReferenceSet>;
 }
 
+export interface DereferenceStrategy {
+  canDereference(file: File): boolean;
+  dereference(file: File, options: ReferenceOptions): Promise<Element>;
+}
+
 export interface ComposableResolveStrategy extends ResolveStrategy {
   readonly strategies: Array<ResolveStrategy>;
 }
@@ -61,6 +66,7 @@ export interface ReferenceSet {
   has(uri: string): boolean;
   find(callback: (reference: Reference) => boolean): undefined | Reference;
   values(): IterableIterator<Reference>;
+  clean(): void;
 }
 
 export interface ReferenceParserOptions {
@@ -77,7 +83,13 @@ export interface ReferenceResolveOptions {
   readonly maxDepth: number;
 }
 
+export interface ReferenceDereferenceOptions {
+  readonly strategy: null | DereferenceStrategy;
+  readonly strategies: Array<DereferenceStrategy>;
+}
+
 export interface ReferenceOptions {
   readonly parse: ReferenceParserOptions;
   readonly resolve: ReferenceResolveOptions;
+  readonly dereference: ReferenceDereferenceOptions;
 }
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/util/errors/DereferenceError.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/util/errors/DereferenceError.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..356e96556c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/src/util/errors/DereferenceError.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+class DereferenceError extends Error {
+  public cause: undefined | Error;
+
+  constructor(message: string, cause?: Error) {
+    super(message);
+    this.cause = cause;
+  }
+}
+
+export default DereferenceError;
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference/index.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c7216d7f64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import { assert } from 'chai';
+import path from 'path';
+import { toValue } from 'apidom';
+
+import { dereference, dereferenceApiDOM, parse } from '../../src';
+import { loadJsonFile } from '../helpers';
+
+describe('dereference', function () {
+  it('should dereference a file', async function () {
+    const rootFilePath = path.join(
+      __dirname,
+      'strategies',
+      'openapi-3-1',
+      'fixtures',
+      'basic',
+      'root.json',
+    );
+    const expected = loadJsonFile(
+      path.join(__dirname, 'strategies', 'openapi-3-1', 'fixtures', 'basic', 'dereferenced.json'),
+    );
+
+    const actual = await dereference(rootFilePath, {
+      parse: { mediaType: 'application/vnd.oai.openapi+json;version=3.1.0' },
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(toValue(actual), expected);
+  });
+
+  it('should dereference an ApiDOM fragment', async function () {
+    const rootFilePath = path.join(
+      __dirname,
+      'strategies',
+      'openapi-3-1',
+      'fixtures',
+      'basic',
+      'root.json',
+    );
+    const expected = loadJsonFile(
+      path.join(__dirname, 'strategies', 'openapi-3-1', 'fixtures', 'basic', 'dereferenced.json'),
+    );
+    const fragment = await parse(rootFilePath, {
+      parse: { mediaType: 'application/vnd.oai.openapi+json;version=3.1.0' },
+    });
+    const actual = await dereferenceApiDOM(fragment, { resolve: { baseURI: rootFilePath } });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(toValue(actual), expected);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/fixtures/basic/dereferenced.json b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/fixtures/basic/dereferenced.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4baa2dc952
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/fixtures/basic/dereferenced.json
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+[
+  {
+    "openapi": "3.1.0",
+    "components": {
+      "parameters": {
+        "userId": {
+          "name": "userId",
+          "in": "query",
+          "description": "override",
+          "required": true
+        },
+        "indirection1": {
+          "name": "userId",
+          "in": "query",
+          "description": "ID of the user",
+          "required": true
+        },
+        "indirection2": {
+          "name": "userId",
+          "in": "query",
+          "description": "ID of the user",
+          "required": true
+        },
+        "userIdRef": {
+          "name": "userId",
+          "in": "query",
+          "description": "ID of the user",
+          "required": true
+        },
+        "externalRef": {
+          "name": "externalParameter",
+          "in": "query",
+          "description": "another ref",
+          "required": true
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+]
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/fixtures/dereference/external-reference-objects.json b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/fixtures/basic/ex.json
similarity index 100%
rename from apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/fixtures/dereference/external-reference-objects.json
rename to apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/fixtures/basic/ex.json
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/fixtures/dereference/reference-objects.json b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/fixtures/basic/root.json
similarity index 90%
rename from apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/fixtures/dereference/reference-objects.json
rename to apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/fixtures/basic/root.json
index c18a2c03f5..74feea8442 100644
--- a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/fixtures/dereference/reference-objects.json
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/dereference/strategies/openapi-3-1/fixtures/basic/root.json
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
         "required": true
       },
       "externalRef": {
-        "$ref": "./external-reference-objects.json#/externalParameter",
+        "$ref": "./ex.json#/externalParameter",
         "description": "another ref"
       }
     }
diff --git a/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/helpers.ts b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/helpers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ac0d72a70c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apidom/packages/apidom-reference/test/helpers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import fs from 'fs';
+
+export const loadFile = (uri: string) => fs.readFileSync(uri).toString();
+
+export const loadJsonFile = (uri: string) => JSON.parse(loadFile(uri));