diff --git a/src/openApi/v2/parser/getRef.ts b/src/openApi/v2/parser/getRef.ts
index cb9fe24f..c2390a50 100644
--- a/src/openApi/v2/parser/getRef.ts
+++ b/src/openApi/v2/parser/getRef.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import type { OpenApi } from '../interfaces/OpenApi';
 import type { OpenApiReference } from '../interfaces/OpenApiReference';
 
+const ESCAPED_REF_SLASH = /~1/g;
+const ESCAPED_REF_TILDE = /~0/g;
+
 export function getRef<T>(openApi: OpenApi, item: T & OpenApiReference): T {
     if (item.$ref) {
         // Fetch the paths to the definitions, this converts:
@@ -13,9 +16,10 @@ export function getRef<T>(openApi: OpenApi, item: T & OpenApiReference): T {
         // Try to find the reference by walking down the path,
         // if we cannot find it, then we throw an error.
         let result: any = openApi;
-        paths.forEach((path: string): void => {
-            if (result.hasOwnProperty(path)) {
-                result = result[path];
+        paths.forEach(path => {
+            const decodedPath = decodeURIComponent(path.replace(ESCAPED_REF_SLASH, '/').replace(ESCAPED_REF_TILDE, '~'));
+            if (result.hasOwnProperty(decodedPath)) {
+                result = result[decodedPath];
             } else {
                 throw new Error(`Could not find reference: "${item.$ref}"`);
             }
diff --git a/src/openApi/v3/parser/getRef.ts b/src/openApi/v3/parser/getRef.ts
index 3fde117f..9888e185 100644
--- a/src/openApi/v3/parser/getRef.ts
+++ b/src/openApi/v3/parser/getRef.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import type { OpenApi } from '../interfaces/OpenApi';
 import type { OpenApiReference } from '../interfaces/OpenApiReference';
 
-const escapedSlash = /~1/g;
-const escapedTilde = /~0/g;
+const ESCAPED_REF_SLASH = /~1/g;
+const ESCAPED_REF_TILDE = /~0/g;
 
 export function getRef<T>(openApi: OpenApi, item: T & OpenApiReference): T {
     if (item.$ref) {
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ export function getRef<T>(openApi: OpenApi, item: T & OpenApiReference): T {
         // Try to find the reference by walking down the path,
         // if we cannot find it, then we throw an error.
         let result: any = openApi;
-        paths.forEach((path: string): void => {
-            path = decodeURIComponent(path.replace(escapedSlash, '/').replace(escapedTilde, '~'));
-            if (result.hasOwnProperty(path)) {
-                result = result[path];
+        paths.forEach(path => {
+            const decodedPath = decodeURIComponent(path.replace(ESCAPED_REF_SLASH, '/').replace(ESCAPED_REF_TILDE, '~'));
+            if (result.hasOwnProperty(decodedPath)) {
+                result = result[decodedPath];
             } else {
                 throw new Error(`Could not find reference: "${item.$ref}"`);
             }