diff --git a/src/specmap/helpers.js b/src/specmap/helpers.js
index 57c0b6bcf..4a7b121e2 100644
--- a/src/specmap/helpers.js
+++ b/src/specmap/helpers.js
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-export const freelyNamedKeyParents = [
+const freelyNamedKeyParents = [
+  'properties',
+]
+const freelyNamedPaths = [
   // Swagger 2.0
   'definitions',
   'parameters',
@@ -11,3 +14,12 @@ export const freelyNamedKeyParents = [
   'components/parameters',
   'components/securitySchemes',
 ]
+
+export function isFreelyNamed(parent) {
+  const parentKey = parent[parent.length - 1]
+  const parentStr = parent.join('/')
+  return (
+    (freelyNamedKeyParents.indexOf(parentKey) > -1) ||
+    (freelyNamedPaths.indexOf(parentStr) > -1)
+  )
+}
diff --git a/src/specmap/lib/all-of.js b/src/specmap/lib/all-of.js
index 76d10576c..6953d960c 100644
--- a/src/specmap/lib/all-of.js
+++ b/src/specmap/lib/all-of.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import {freelyNamedKeyParents} from '../helpers'
+import {isFreelyNamed} from '../helpers'
 
 export default {
   key: 'allOf',
@@ -11,9 +11,7 @@ export default {
     }
 
     const parent = fullPath.slice(0, -1)
-    const parentStr = parent.join('/')
-
-    if (freelyNamedKeyParents.indexOf(parentStr) > -1) {
+    if (isFreelyNamed(parent)) {
       return
     }
 
diff --git a/src/specmap/lib/refs.js b/src/specmap/lib/refs.js
index 9ad5ceeb1..f8a22b811 100644
--- a/src/specmap/lib/refs.js
+++ b/src/specmap/lib/refs.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import {fetch} from 'cross-fetch'
 import url from 'url'
 import lib from '../lib'
 import createError from '../lib/create-error'
-import {freelyNamedKeyParents} from '../helpers'
+import {isFreelyNamed} from '../helpers'
 
 const ABSOLUTE_URL_REGEXP = new RegExp('^([a-z]+://|//)', 'i')
 
@@ -42,13 +42,11 @@ const plugin = {
   key: '$ref',
   plugin: (ref, key, fullPath, specmap) => {
     const parent = fullPath.slice(0, -1)
-    const parentStr = parent.join('/')
-    const baseDoc = specmap.getContext(fullPath).baseDoc
-
-    if (freelyNamedKeyParents.indexOf(parentStr) > -1) {
+    if (isFreelyNamed(parent)) {
       return
     }
 
+    const baseDoc = specmap.getContext(fullPath).baseDoc
     if (typeof ref !== 'string') {
       return new JSONRefError('$ref: must be a string (JSON-Ref)', {
         $ref: ref,
diff --git a/test/specmap/all-of.js b/test/specmap/all-of.js
index 60de3e514..4deeeeab7 100644
--- a/test/specmap/all-of.js
+++ b/test/specmap/all-of.js
@@ -212,6 +212,11 @@ describe('allOf', function () {
           a: 123
         }
       },
+      properties: {
+        allOf: {
+          a: 123
+        }
+      },
     }
 
     return mapSpec({
diff --git a/test/specmap/refs.js b/test/specmap/refs.js
index 98b21ec92..b7cc8fece 100644
--- a/test/specmap/refs.js
+++ b/test/specmap/refs.js
@@ -378,6 +378,9 @@ describe('refs', function () {
           },
           securityDefinitions: {
             $ref: '#/a'
+          },
+          properties: {
+            $ref: '#/a'
           }
         },
         plugins: [refs],
@@ -395,6 +398,9 @@ describe('refs', function () {
           },
           securityDefinitions: {
             $ref: '#/a'
+          },
+          properties: {
+            $ref: '#/a'
           }
         })
       })