diff --git a/datamodel/low/extraction_functions.go b/datamodel/low/extraction_functions.go
index 76f4cc6..3fe31ff 100644
--- a/datamodel/low/extraction_functions.go
+++ b/datamodel/low/extraction_functions.go
@@ -90,16 +90,15 @@ func LocateRefNode(root *yaml.Node, idx *index.SpecIndex) (*yaml.Node, error) {
 		}
 
 		// cant be found? last resort is to try a path lookup
-		cleaned := strings.ReplaceAll(rv, "#/paths/", "")
-		cleaned = strings.ReplaceAll(cleaned, "/", ".")
-		cleaned = strings.ReplaceAll(cleaned, "~1", "/")
-		yamlPath := fmt.Sprintf("$.paths.%s", cleaned)
-		path, err := yamlpath.NewPath(yamlPath)
-		if err == nil {
-			nodes, fErr := path.Find(idx.GetRootNode())
-			if fErr == nil {
-				if len(nodes) > 0 {
-					return nodes[0], nil
+		_, friendly := utils.ConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch(rv)
+		if friendly != "" {
+			path, err := yamlpath.NewPath(friendly)
+			if err == nil {
+				nodes, fErr := path.Find(idx.GetRootNode())
+				if fErr == nil {
+					if len(nodes) > 0 {
+						return nodes[0], nil
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/datamodel/low/v3/callback_test.go b/datamodel/low/v3/callback_test.go
index e07ef2d..96aac8d 100644
--- a/datamodel/low/v3/callback_test.go
+++ b/datamodel/low/v3/callback_test.go
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ func TestCallback_Build_Error(t *testing.T) {
 	idx := index.NewSpecIndex(&idxNode)
 
 	yml := `'{$request.query.queryUrl}':
-  post:
-    $ref: #/does/not/exist/and/invalid`
+  $ref: '#/does/not/exist/and/invalid'`
 
 	var rootNode yaml.Node
 	mErr = yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(yml), &rootNode)
diff --git a/index/spec_index.go b/index/spec_index.go
index e85cfdd..bc8d001 100644
--- a/index/spec_index.go
+++ b/index/spec_index.go
@@ -1832,16 +1832,17 @@ func (index *SpecIndex) FindComponentInRoot(componentId string) *Reference {
 	if index.root != nil {
 		name, friendlySearch := utils.ConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch(componentId)
 		friendlySearch = strings.ReplaceAll(friendlySearch, "~1", "/")
-		path, _ := yamlpath.NewPath(friendlySearch)
+		path, err := yamlpath.NewPath(friendlySearch)
+		if path == nil || err != nil {
+			return nil // no component found
+		}
 		res, _ := path.Find(index.root)
-
 		if len(res) == 1 {
 			ref := &Reference{
 				Definition: componentId,
 				Name:       name,
 				Node:       res[0],
 			}
-
 			return ref
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/index/spec_index_test.go b/index/spec_index_test.go
index 1d93af0..c9431de 100644
--- a/index/spec_index_test.go
+++ b/index/spec_index_test.go
@@ -454,7 +454,54 @@ func TestSpecIndex_ExtractComponentsFromRefs(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Len(t, index.GetReferenceIndexErrors(), 1)
 }
 
-func TestSpecIndex_FindComponent(t *testing.T) {
+func TestSpecIndex_FindComponent_WithACrazyAssPath(t *testing.T) {
+	yml := `paths:
+  /crazy/ass/references:
+    get:
+      parameters:
+        - name: a param
+          schema:
+            type: string
+      description: Show information about one architecture.
+      responses:
+        "200":
+          content:
+            application/xml; charset=utf-8:
+              schema:
+                example:
+                  name: x86_64
+          description: OK. The request has succeeded.
+        "404":
+         content:
+            application/xml; charset=utf-8:
+              example:
+                code: unknown_architecture
+                summary: "Architecture does not exist: x999"
+              schema:
+                 $ref: "#/paths/~1crazy~1ass~1references/get/parameters/0"
+        "400":
+          content:
+            application/xml; charset=utf-8:
+              example:
+                code: unknown_architecture
+                summary: "Architecture does not exist: x999"
+              schema:
+                $ref: "#/paths/~1crazy~1ass~1references/get/responses/404/content/application~1xml;%20charset=utf-8/schema"
+          description: Not Found.`
+
+	var rootNode yaml.Node
+	yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(yml), &rootNode)
+
+	index := NewSpecIndex(&rootNode)
+	assert.Equal(t, "#/paths/~1crazy~1ass~1references/get/parameters/0",
+		index.FindComponent("#/paths/~1crazy~1ass~1references/get/responses/404/content/application~1xml;%20charset=utf-8/schema", nil).Node.Content[1].Value)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "a param",
+		index.FindComponent("#/paths/~1crazy~1ass~1references/get/parameters/0", nil).Node.Content[1].Value)
+
+}
+
+func TestSpecIndex_FindComponenth(t *testing.T) {
 	yml := `components:
   schemas:
     pizza:
diff --git a/utils/utils.go b/utils/utils.go
index ae593d2..a9da13d 100644
--- a/utils/utils.go
+++ b/utils/utils.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/vmware-labs/yaml-jsonpath/pkg/yamlpath"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+	"net/url"
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -480,12 +481,48 @@ func IsHttpVerb(verb string) bool {
 func ConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch(id string) (string, string) {
 	segs := strings.Split(id, "/")
 	name := strings.ReplaceAll(segs[len(segs)-1], "~1", "/")
+	var cleaned []string
 
-	replaced := strings.ReplaceAll(fmt.Sprintf("%s['%s']",
-		strings.Join(segs[:len(segs)-1], "."), name), "#", "$")
+	// check for strange spaces, chars and if found, wrap them up, clean them and create a new cleaned path.
+	for i := range segs {
+		reg, _ := regexp.MatchString("[%=;~]", segs[i])
+		if reg {
+			segs[i], _ = url.QueryUnescape(strings.ReplaceAll(segs[i], "~1", "/"))
+			segs[i] = fmt.Sprintf("['%s']", segs[i])
+			h := i
+			if h-1 == len(cleaned) {
+				h--
+			}
+			cleaned[h-1] = fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", segs[i-1], segs[i])
+		} else {
+			cleaned = append(cleaned, segs[i])
+		}
+	}
 
-	if replaced[0] != '$' {
-		replaced = fmt.Sprintf("$%s", replaced)
+	nameIntVal, err := strconv.ParseInt(name, 10, 32)
+	var replaced string
+	if err != nil {
+		if len(cleaned) > 2 {
+			replaced = strings.ReplaceAll(fmt.Sprintf("%s['%s']",
+				strings.Join(cleaned[:len(cleaned)-1], "."), name), "#", "$")
+		} else {
+			replaced = strings.ReplaceAll(fmt.Sprintf("%s",
+				strings.Join(cleaned, ".")), "#", "$")
+		}
+	} else {
+		if nameIntVal <= 99 { // codes start at 100
+			replaced = strings.ReplaceAll(fmt.Sprintf("%s[%d]",
+				strings.Join(cleaned[:len(cleaned)-1], "."), nameIntVal), "#", "$")
+		} else {
+			replaced = strings.ReplaceAll(fmt.Sprintf("%s.%d",
+				strings.Join(cleaned[:len(cleaned)-1], "."), nameIntVal), "#", "$")
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(replaced) > 0 {
+		if replaced[0] != '$' {
+			replaced = fmt.Sprintf("$%s", replaced)
+		}
 	}
 	return name, replaced
 }
diff --git a/utils/utils_test.go b/utils/utils_test.go
index 5024a6e..cffa266 100644
--- a/utils/utils_test.go
+++ b/utils/utils_test.go
@@ -611,6 +611,35 @@ func TestConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch_WithRootSymbol(t *testing.T) {
 	segment, path := ConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch("/chicken/chips/pizza/cake")
 	assert.Equal(t, "$.chicken.chips.pizza['cake']", path)
 	assert.Equal(t, "cake", segment)
+
+	segment, path = ConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch("#/paths/~1crazy~1ass~1references/get/responses/404/content/application~1xml;%20charset=utf-8/schema")
+	assert.Equal(t, "$.paths['/crazy/ass/references'].get.responses.404.content['application/xml; charset=utf-8']['schema']", path)
+	assert.Equal(t, "schema", segment)
+
+}
+
+func TestConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch_Crazy(t *testing.T) {
+	segment, path := ConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch("#/paths/~1crazy~1ass~1references/get/responses/404/content/application~1xml;%20charset=utf-8/schema")
+	assert.Equal(t, "$.paths['/crazy/ass/references'].get.responses.404.content['application/xml; charset=utf-8']['schema']", path)
+	assert.Equal(t, "schema", segment)
+}
+
+func TestConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch_CrazyShort(t *testing.T) {
+	segment, path := ConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch("#/paths/~1crazy~1ass~1references")
+	assert.Equal(t, "$.paths['/crazy/ass/references']", path)
+	assert.Equal(t, "/crazy/ass/references", segment)
+}
+
+func TestConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch_Array(t *testing.T) {
+	segment, path := ConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch("#/paths/~1crazy~1ass~1references/get/parameters/0")
+	assert.Equal(t, "$.paths['/crazy/ass/references'].get.parameters[0]", path)
+	assert.Equal(t, "0", segment)
+}
+
+func TestConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch_HTTPCode(t *testing.T) {
+	segment, path := ConvertComponentIdIntoFriendlyPathSearch("#/paths/~1crazy~1ass~1references/get/responses/404")
+	assert.Equal(t, "$.paths['/crazy/ass/references'].get.responses.404", path)
+	assert.Equal(t, "404", segment)
 }
 
 func TestConvertComponentIdIntoPath(t *testing.T) {
@@ -628,7 +657,6 @@ func TestDetectCase(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, KebabCase, DetectCase("chicken-be-be-beef-or-pork"))
 	assert.Equal(t, RegularCase, DetectCase("kebab-TimeIn_london-TOWN"))
 	assert.Equal(t, UnknownCase, DetectCase(""))
-
 }
 
 func TestIsNodeRefValue(t *testing.T) {