diff --git a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/util/OpenAPIDeserializer.java b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/util/OpenAPIDeserializer.java
index da7003b417..07ad4fd57b 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/util/OpenAPIDeserializer.java
+++ b/modules/swagger-parser-v3/src/main/java/io/swagger/v3/parser/util/OpenAPIDeserializer.java
@@ -2827,7 +2827,7 @@ at the moment path passed as string (basePath) from upper components can be both
 					schema.setType(type);
 				}
 			}
-			if ("array".equals(schema.getType()) && !(schema instanceof ArraySchema && ((ArraySchema) schema).getItems() != null)) {
+			if ("array".equals(schema.getType()) && schema.getItems() == null) {
 				result.missing(location, "items");
 			}
 		}