diff --git a/index/spec_index.go b/index/spec_index.go
index c6f697f..24826fa 100644
--- a/index/spec_index.go
+++ b/index/spec_index.go
@@ -1050,6 +1050,14 @@ func (index *SpecIndex) GetOperationsParameterCount() int {
 				pathPropertyNode = index.pathsNode.Content[x+1]
 			}
 
+			// is the path a ref?
+			if isRef, _, ref := utils.IsNodeRefValue(pathPropertyNode); isRef {
+				pNode := seekRefEnd(index, ref)
+				if pNode != nil {
+					pathPropertyNode = pNode.Node
+				}
+			}
+
 			// extract methods for later use.
 			for y, prop := range pathPropertyNode.Content {
 				if y%2 == 0 {
diff --git a/index/spec_index_test.go b/index/spec_index_test.go
index 1764fc7..2ceae38 100644
--- a/index/spec_index_test.go
+++ b/index/spec_index_test.go
@@ -1614,3 +1614,39 @@ paths:
 	assert.Equal(t, "$.paths['/test'].get.parameters.schema.properties.message", schemas[2].Path)
 
 }
+
+func TestSpecIndex_TestPathsAsRef(t *testing.T) {
+	yml := `paths:
+  /test:
+    $ref: '#/paths/~1test-2'
+  /test-2:
+    parameters:
+      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/test-2'
+    get:
+      parameters:
+        - $ref: '#/components/parameters/test-3'
+components:
+  parameters:
+    test-2:
+      name: test-2
+      in: query
+      description: bing bong
+      schema:
+        type: string
+    test-3:
+      name: test-3
+      in: query
+      description: ding a ling
+      schema:
+        type: string`
+
+	var rootNode yaml.Node
+	_ = yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(yml), &rootNode)
+
+	index := NewSpecIndexWithConfig(&rootNode, CreateOpenAPIIndexConfig())
+	params := index.GetOperationParameterReferences()
+	assert.Equal(t, "$.components.parameters.test-2", params["/test"]["top"]["#/components/parameters/test-2"][0].Path)
+	assert.Equal(t, "$.components.parameters.test-3", params["/test-2"]["get"]["#/components/parameters/test-3"][0].Path)
+	assert.Equal(t, "bing bong", params["/test"]["top"]["#/components/parameters/test-2"][0].Node.Content[5].Value)
+	assert.Equal(t, "ding a ling", params["/test"]["get"]["#/components/parameters/test-3"][0].Node.Content[5].Value)
+}