diff --git a/changelogs/internal/newsfragments/1749.clarification b/changelogs/internal/newsfragments/1749.clarification
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..54c042854
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/internal/newsfragments/1749.clarification
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Templates: add support for reference objects in parameters.
diff --git a/layouts/partials/json-schema/resolve-refs.html b/layouts/partials/json-schema/resolve-refs.html
index 1d99201db..425e5577d 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/json-schema/resolve-refs.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/json-schema/resolve-refs.html
@@ -7,6 +7,14 @@
   rather than a normal `dict` because with `dict` you can't replace key values:
   https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/how-can-i-add-set-and-delete-keys-in-a-dictionary/29661
 
+  XXX: This partial should be phased out, and replaced with
+  `openapi/resolve-ref-object`.  OpenAPI 3 doesn't really allow arbitrary JSON
+  references. As [swagger.io] says: "A common misconception is that `$ref` is
+  allowed anywhere in an OpenAPI specification file. Actually `$ref` is only
+  allowed in places where the OpenAPI 3.0 Specification explicitly states that
+  the value may be a reference."
+
+  [swagger.io]: https://swagger.io/docs/specification/using-ref/#allowed-places
 */}}
 
 {{ $schema := .schema }}
diff --git a/layouts/partials/openapi/render-parameters.html b/layouts/partials/openapi/render-parameters.html
index 925b01979..c15479061 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/openapi/render-parameters.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/openapi/render-parameters.html
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
   Render the parameters of a given type, given:
 
   * `parameters`: OpenAPI data specifying the parameters
-  * `type`: the type of parameters to render: "header, ""path", "query"
+  * `type`: the type of parameters to render: "header", "path", "query"
   * `caption`: caption to use for the table
+  * `path`: the path where this definition was found, to enable us to resolve "$ref"
 
   This template renders a single table containing parameters of the given type.
 
@@ -13,14 +14,18 @@
 {{ $parameters := .parameters }}
 {{ $type := .type }}
 {{ $caption := .caption }}
-
-{{ $parameters_of_type := where $parameters "in" $type }}
-
-{{ with $parameters_of_type }}
-
-    {{/* build a dict mapping from name->parameter, which render-object-table expects */}}
-    {{ $param_dict := dict }}
-    {{ range $parameter := . }}
+{{ $path := .path }}
+
+{{/* build a dict mapping from name->parameter, which render-object-table expects */}}
+{{ $param_dict := dict }}
+
+{{ range $parameter := $parameters }}
+    {{/*
+        Per https://github.com/OAI/OpenAPI-Specification/blob/main/versions/3.1.0.md#operation-object:
+        the parameters can be reference objects; resolve them now.
+    */}}
+    {{ $parameter = partial "openapi/resolve-ref-object" (dict "schema" $parameter "path" $path) }}
+    {{ if (eq $parameter.in $type) }}
         {{/*
             merge the schema at the same level as the rest of the other fields because that is
             what `render-object-table` expects. Put the schema first so examples in it are
@@ -29,8 +34,7 @@
         {{ $param := merge $parameter.schema $parameter }}
         {{ $param_dict = merge $param_dict (dict $parameter.name $param )}}
     {{ end }}
-
-    {{/* and render the parameters */}}
-    {{ partial "openapi/render-object-table" (dict "title" $caption "properties" $param_dict) }}
-
 {{ end }}
+
+{{/* and render the parameters */}}
+{{ partial "openapi/render-object-table" (dict "title" $caption "properties" $param_dict) }}
diff --git a/layouts/partials/openapi/render-request.html b/layouts/partials/openapi/render-request.html
index 3d4b0381b..96e19f693 100644
--- a/layouts/partials/openapi/render-request.html
+++ b/layouts/partials/openapi/render-request.html
@@ -26,10 +26,24 @@ <h2>Request</h2>
     {{ if $parameters }}
 <h3>Request parameters</h3>
 
-        {{ partial "openapi/render-parameters" (dict "parameters" $parameters "type" "header" "caption" "header parameters") }}
-        {{ partial "openapi/render-parameters" (dict "parameters" $parameters "type" "path" "caption" "path parameters") }}
-        {{ partial "openapi/render-parameters" (dict "parameters" $parameters "type" "query" "caption" "query parameters") }}
-
+        {{ partial "openapi/render-parameters" (dict
+            "parameters" $parameters
+            "type" "header"
+            "caption" "header parameters"
+            "path" $path
+        ) }}
+        {{ partial "openapi/render-parameters" (dict
+            "parameters" $parameters
+            "type" "path"
+            "caption" "path parameters"
+            "path" $path
+        ) }}
+        {{ partial "openapi/render-parameters" (dict
+            "parameters" $parameters
+            "type" "query"
+            "caption" "query parameters"
+            "path" $path
+        ) }}
     {{ end }}
 
     {{ if $request_body }}
@@ -53,7 +67,7 @@ <h3>Request body</h3>
             {{/*
                 Show the content types and description.
             */}}
-            {{ $mimes := slice }}  
+            {{ $mimes := slice }}
             {{ range $mime, $body := $request_body.content }}
                 {{ $mimes = $mimes | append $mime }}
             {{ end }}
diff --git a/layouts/partials/openapi/resolve-ref-object.html b/layouts/partials/openapi/resolve-ref-object.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd3e71d4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/layouts/partials/openapi/resolve-ref-object.html
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+{{/*
+
+Handles OpenAPI "Reference Objects".
+
+Reference objects are JSON objects with a single property, `$ref` (and
+optionally a `summary` and `description`). This partial resolves the reference
+and returns the expanded object.
+
+The input parameter is a dict with the following keys:
+
+* `schema`: A schema object to check for $ref properties.
+
+* `path`: The path of the schema file containing the (potential) ref; used for resolving
+  relative references.
+
+Ref: https://github.com/OAI/OpenAPI-Specification/blob/main/versions/3.1.0.md#reference-object.
+
+*/}}
+
+{{ $schema := .schema }}
+{{ $path := .path }}
+
+{{ $ret := $schema }}
+
+{{ $ref_value := index $schema "$ref"}}
+{{ if $ref_value }}
+    {{/* Resolve the ref URI relative to the path of the schema file */}}
+    {{ $base_uri := urls.Parse $path }}
+    {{ $ref_uri := urls.Parse $ref_value }}
+    {{ $full_uri := $base_uri.ResolveReference $ref_uri }}
+
+    {{/* strip the extension, and the leading `/`, from the path */}}
+    {{ $full_path := strings.TrimPrefix "/" (replaceRE "\\.[^\\.]*$" "" $full_uri.Path) }}
+
+    {{ $pieces := split $full_path "/" }}
+    {{ $ret = index site.Data $pieces }}
+
+    {{ if $ref_uri.Fragment }}
+        {{/*
+        Per https://github.com/OAI/OpenAPI-Specification/blob/main/versions/3.1.0.md#relative-references-in-uris:
+
+        > If a URI contains a fragment identifier, then the fragment should
+        > be resolved per the fragment resolution mechanism of the
+        > referenced document. If the representation of the referenced
+        > document is JSON or YAML, then the fragment identifier SHOULD be
+        > interpreted as a JSON-Pointer as per RFC6901.
+
+        RFC6901, in a nutshell, says the pointer is a series of keys
+        separated by `/`. We strip off the leading `/` and use the
+        subsequent keys as indexes.
+        */}}
+
+        {{ $keys := split (strings.TrimPrefix "/" $ref_uri.Fragment ) "/" }}
+        {{ $ret = index $ret $keys }}
+    {{ end }}
+
+    {{/*
+    OpenAPI spec says that "summary" and "description" from the reference object override
+    the values from the referenced component.
+    */}}
+    {{ if isset $schema "summary" }}
+        {{ $ret = merge $ret (dict "summary" $schema.summary) }}
+    {{ end }}
+    {{ if isset $schema "description" }}
+        {{ $ret = merge $ret (dict "description" $schema.summary) }}
+    {{ end }}
+{{ end }}
+
+{{ return $ret }}