diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4fe863a3a..2f37210e8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
     "xmock": "^0.3.0"
   },
   "dependencies": {
+    "@kyleshockey/object-assign-deep": "^0.4.0",
     "babel-runtime": "^6.23.0",
     "btoa": "1.1.2",
     "cookie": "^0.3.1",
@@ -77,8 +78,8 @@
     "isomorphic-form-data": "0.0.1",
     "js-yaml": "^3.8.1",
     "lodash": "^4.16.2",
-    "@kyleshockey/object-assign-deep": "^0.4.0",
     "qs": "^6.3.0",
+    "querystring-browser": "^1.0.4",
     "url": "^0.11.0",
     "utf8-bytes": "0.0.1",
     "utfstring": "^2.0.0"
diff --git a/src/specmap/lib/refs.js b/src/specmap/lib/refs.js
index 44ecc4512..b32d25af4 100644
--- a/src/specmap/lib/refs.js
+++ b/src/specmap/lib/refs.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import {fetch} from 'cross-fetch'
+import qs from 'querystring-browser'
 import url from 'url'
 import lib from '../lib'
 import createError from '../lib/create-error'
@@ -303,7 +304,7 @@ function unescapeJsonPointerToken(token) {
   if (typeof token !== 'string') {
     return token
   }
-  return token.replace(/~1/g, '/').replace(/~0/g, '~')
+  return qs.unescape(token.replace(/~1/g, '/').replace(/~0/g, '~'))
 }
 
 /**
@@ -311,7 +312,7 @@ function unescapeJsonPointerToken(token) {
  * @api public
  */
 function escapeJsonPointerToken(token) {
-  return token.replace(/~/g, '~0').replace(/\//g, '~1')
+  return qs.escape(token.replace(/~/g, '~0').replace(/\//g, '~1'))
 }
 
 function arrayToJsonPointer(arr) {
diff --git a/test/resolver.js b/test/resolver.js
index 99052a46c..e551a0c0c 100644
--- a/test/resolver.js
+++ b/test/resolver.js
@@ -48,6 +48,69 @@ describe('resolver', () => {
     }
   })
 
+  it('should be able to resolve $refs with percent-encoded values', () => {
+    // Given
+    const spec = {
+      one: {
+        uno: 1,
+        $ref: '#/value%20two'
+      },
+      'value two': {
+        duos: 2
+      }
+    }
+
+    // When
+    return Swagger.resolve({spec, allowMetaPatches: false})
+      .then(handleResponse)
+
+    // Then
+    function handleResponse(obj) {
+      expect(obj.errors).toEqual([])
+      expect(obj.spec).toEqual({
+        one: {
+          duos: 2
+        },
+        'value two': {
+          duos: 2
+        }
+      })
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('should tolerate $refs with raw values that should be percent-encoded', () => {
+    // NOTE: this is for compatibility and can be removed in the next major
+    // REVIEW for v4
+
+    // Given
+    const spec = {
+      one: {
+        uno: 1,
+        $ref: '#/value two'
+      },
+      'value two': {
+        duos: 2
+      }
+    }
+
+    // When
+    return Swagger.resolve({spec, allowMetaPatches: false})
+      .then(handleResponse)
+
+    // Then
+    function handleResponse(obj) {
+      expect(obj.errors).toEqual([])
+      expect(obj.spec).toEqual({
+        one: {
+          duos: 2
+        },
+        'value two': {
+          duos: 2
+        }
+      })
+    }
+  })
+
   it('should be able to resolve circular $refs when a baseDoc is provided', () => {
     // Given
     const spec = {