diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/processors/ExternalRefProcessor.java b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/processors/ExternalRefProcessor.java
index f0e426cfbd..f5eb30800b 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/processors/ExternalRefProcessor.java
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/processors/ExternalRefProcessor.java
@@ -109,12 +109,14 @@ public String processRefToExternalSchema(String $ref, RefFormat refFormat) {
             if (schema.get$ref() != null) {
                 RefFormat ref = computeRefFormat(schema.get$ref());
                 if (isAnExternalRefFormat(ref)) {
-                    String schemaFullRef = schema.get$ref();
-                    String parent = file.substring(0, file.lastIndexOf(File.separatorChar));
-                    if (!parent.isEmpty()) {
-                        schemaFullRef = Paths.get(parent, schemaFullRef).normalize().toString();
+                    if (!ref.equals(RefFormat.URL)) {
+                        String schemaFullRef = schema.get$ref();
+                        String parent = file.substring(0, file.lastIndexOf(File.separatorChar));
+                        if (!parent.isEmpty()) {
+                            schemaFullRef = Paths.get(parent, schemaFullRef).normalize().toString();
+                        }
+                        schema.set$ref(processRefToExternalSchema(schemaFullRef, ref));
                     }
-                    schema.set$ref(processRefToExternalSchema(schemaFullRef, ref));
                 } else {
                     processRefToExternalSchema(file + schema.get$ref(), RefFormat.RELATIVE);
                 }
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/test/OpenAPIV3ParserTest.java b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/test/OpenAPIV3ParserTest.java
index 4f595bcec2..5bbb5e2132 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/test/OpenAPIV3ParserTest.java
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/test/OpenAPIV3ParserTest.java
@@ -83,6 +83,30 @@ public class OpenAPIV3ParserTest {
     protected int serverPort = getDynamicPort();
     protected WireMockServer wireMockServer;
 
+    @Test
+    public void testIssue251() throws IOException {
+        String pathFile = FileUtils.readFileToString(new File("src/test/resources/domain.yaml"), "UTF-8");
+        WireMock.stubFor(get(urlPathMatching("/domain"))
+                .willReturn(aResponse()
+                        .withStatus(HttpURLConnection.HTTP_OK)
+                        .withHeader("Content-type", "application/json")
+                        .withBody(pathFile
+                                .getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8))));
+
+        pathFile = FileUtils.readFileToString(new File("src/test/resources/issue251.yaml"), "UTF-8");
+        pathFile = pathFile.replace("${dynamicPort}", String.valueOf(this.serverPort));
+
+        OpenAPIV3Parser parser = new OpenAPIV3Parser();
+        ParseOptions options = new ParseOptions();
+        options.setResolve(true);
+
+        final SwaggerParseResult parseResult = parser.readContents(pathFile, null, options);
+
+        assertEquals(parseResult.getMessages().size(), 0);
+        assertTrue(parseResult.getOpenAPI().getComponents().getSchemas().size() == 2);
+        assertTrue(parseResult.getOpenAPI().getPaths().get("/parse").getGet().getParameters().get(0).getSchema().get$ref().equals("#/components/schemas/Parse"));
+    }
+    
     @Test
     public void testCantReadDeepProperties() {
         OpenAPIV3Parser parser = new OpenAPIV3Parser();
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/domain.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/domain.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1f45202d42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/domain.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+openapi: 3.0.0
+info:
+  title: Parser Test
+  version: '1.0'
+components:
+  schemas:
+    Parse:
+      $ref: '#/components/schemas/ParseEnum'
+    ParseEnum:
+      title: Parse It
+      description: Can it parse it?
+      type: string
+      enum:
+        - Yes
+        - No
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue251.yaml b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue251.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bac6d177c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/test/resources/issue251.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+openapi: 3.0.3
+info:
+  version: "1.0.0"
+  title: parse-api
+  description: Test swagger-parser
+paths:
+  /parse:
+    get:
+      description: Parser test
+      operationId: getParse
+      parameters:
+        - in: query
+          name: parse
+          required: true
+          schema:
+            $ref: 'http://localhost:${dynamicPort}/domain#/components/schemas/Parse'
+      responses:
+        '200':
+          description: OK
\ No newline at end of file