diff --git a/json-schema.gemspec b/json-schema.gemspec
index 97f22389..c63e1d84 100644
--- a/json-schema.gemspec
+++ b/json-schema.gemspec
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.license = "MIT"
   s.required_rubygems_version = ">= 1.8"
 
-  s.add_runtime_dependency "addressable"
   s.add_development_dependency "webmock"
   s.add_runtime_dependency "addressable", '~> 2.3'
 end
diff --git a/lib/json-schema/attributes/ref.rb b/lib/json-schema/attributes/ref.rb
index c72276e6..c64dc0bc 100644
--- a/lib/json-schema/attributes/ref.rb
+++ b/lib/json-schema/attributes/ref.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ module JSON
   class Schema
     class RefAttribute < Attribute
       def self.validate(current_schema, data, fragments, processor, validator, options = {})
-        uri,schema = get_referenced_uri_and_schema(current_schema.schema, current_schema, validator)
+        uri, schema = get_referenced_uri_and_schema(current_schema.schema, current_schema, validator)
 
         if schema
           schema.validate(data, fragments, processor, options)
@@ -18,14 +18,14 @@ def self.validate(current_schema, data, fragments, processor, validator, options
         end
       end
 
-      def self.get_referenced_uri_and_schema(s, current_schema, validator)
-        uri,schema = nil,nil
+      def self.get_referenced_uri_and_schema(contents, current_schema, validator)
+        uri, schema = nil,nil
 
-        temp_uri = Addressable::URI.parse(s['$ref'])
+        temp_uri = Addressable::URI.parse(contents['$ref'])
         if temp_uri.relative?
           temp_uri = current_schema.uri.clone
           # Check for absolute path
-          path = s['$ref'].split("#")[0]
+          path = contents['$ref'].split("#")[0]
           if path.nil? || path == ''
             temp_uri.path = current_schema.uri.path
           elsif path[0,1] == "/"
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def self.get_referenced_uri_and_schema(s, current_schema, validator)
           else
             temp_uri = current_schema.uri.join(path)
           end
-          temp_uri.fragment = s['$ref'].split("#")[1]
+          temp_uri.fragment = contents['$ref'].split("#")[1]
         end
         temp_uri.fragment = "" if temp_uri.fragment.nil?
 
diff --git a/lib/json-schema/schema.rb b/lib/json-schema/schema.rb
index be3a43b4..2337b933 100644
--- a/lib/json-schema/schema.rb
+++ b/lib/json-schema/schema.rb
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ def base_uri
       parts.join('/') + '/'
     end
 
+    # @return [JSON::Schema] a new schema matching an array whose items all match this schema.
+    def to_array_schema
+      array_schema = { 'type' => 'array', 'items' => schema }
+      array_schema['$schema'] = schema['$schema'] unless schema['$schema'].nil?
+      JSON::Schema.new(array_schema, uri, validator)
+    end
+
     def to_s
       @schema.to_json
     end
diff --git a/lib/json-schema/schema/loader.rb b/lib/json-schema/schema/loader.rb
index 4c6c4275..485961ac 100644
--- a/lib/json-schema/schema/loader.rb
+++ b/lib/json-schema/schema/loader.rb
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def read_uri(uri)
 
       def read_file(pathname)
         if accept_file?(pathname)
-          pathname.read
+          File.read(Addressable::URI.unescape(pathname.to_s))
         else
           raise JSON::Schema::LoadRefused.new(pathname.to_s, :file)
         end
diff --git a/lib/json-schema/validator.rb b/lib/json-schema/validator.rb
index ff17c27e..b5c386b3 100644
--- a/lib/json-schema/validator.rb
+++ b/lib/json-schema/validator.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 require 'thread'
 require 'yaml'
 
+require 'json-schema/schema/loader'
 require 'json-schema/errors/schema_error'
 require 'json-schema/errors/json_parse_error'
 
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ def initialize(schema_data, data, opts={})
 
       validator = JSON::Validator.validator_for_name(@options[:version])
       @options[:version] = validator
+      @options[:schema_loader] ||= JSON::Validator.schema_loader
 
       @validation_options = @options[:record_errors] ? {:record_errors => true} : {}
       @validation_options[:insert_defaults] = true if @options[:insert_defaults]
@@ -99,10 +101,12 @@ def schema_from_fragment(base_schema, fragment)
           raise JSON::Schema::SchemaError.new("Invalid schema encountered when resolving :fragment option")
         end
       end
-      if @options[:list] #check if the schema is validating a list
-        base_schema.schema = schema_to_list(base_schema.schema)
+
+      if @options[:list]
+        base_schema.to_array_schema
+      else
+        base_schema
       end
-      base_schema
     end
 
     # Run a simple true/false validation of data against a schema
@@ -127,8 +131,7 @@ def load_ref_schema(parent_schema, ref)
 
       return true if self.class.schema_loaded?(schema_uri)
 
-      schema_data = self.class.parse(custom_open(schema_uri))
-      schema = JSON::Schema.new(schema_data, schema_uri, @options[:version])
+      schema = @options[:schema_loader].load(schema_uri)
       self.class.add_schema(schema)
       build_schemas(schema)
     end
@@ -218,7 +221,7 @@ def build_schemas(parent_schema)
     def handle_schema(parent_schema, obj)
       if obj.is_a?(Hash)
         schema_uri = parent_schema.uri.clone
-        schema = JSON::Schema.new(obj,schema_uri,parent_schema.validator)
+        schema = JSON::Schema.new(obj, schema_uri, parent_schema.validator)
         if obj['id']
           Validator.add_schema(schema)
         end
@@ -289,6 +292,14 @@ def fully_validate_uri(schema, data, opts={})
         fully_validate(schema, data, opts.merge(:uri => true))
       end
 
+      def schema_loader
+        @@schema_loader ||= JSON::Schema::Loader.new
+      end
+
+      def schema_loader=(loader)
+        @@schema_loader = loader
+      end
+
       def clear_cache
         @@schemas = {} if @@cache_schemas == false
       end
@@ -491,55 +502,45 @@ def fake_uuid schema
       @@fake_uuid_generator.call(schema)
     end
 
-    def schema_to_list(schema)
-      new_schema = {"type" => "array", "items" => schema}
-      if !schema["$schema"].nil?
-        new_schema["$schema"] = schema["$schema"]
-      end
-
-      new_schema
-    end
-
     def initialize_schema(schema)
       if schema.is_a?(String)
         begin
           # Build a fake URI for this
           schema_uri = Addressable::URI.parse(fake_uuid(schema))
-          schema = JSON::Validator.parse(schema)
+          schema = JSON::Schema.new(JSON::Validator.parse(schema), schema_uri, @options[:version])
           if @options[:list] && @options[:fragment].nil?
-            schema = schema_to_list(schema)
+            schema = schema.to_array_schema
           end
-          schema = JSON::Schema.new(schema,schema_uri,@options[:version])
           Validator.add_schema(schema)
         rescue
           # Build a uri for it
           schema_uri = normalized_uri(schema)
           if !self.class.schema_loaded?(schema_uri)
-            schema = JSON::Validator.parse(custom_open(schema_uri))
+            schema = @options[:schema_loader].load(schema_uri)
             schema = JSON::Schema.stringify(schema)
+
             if @options[:list] && @options[:fragment].nil?
-              schema = schema_to_list(schema)
+              schema = schema.to_array_schema
             end
-            schema = JSON::Schema.new(schema,schema_uri,@options[:version])
+
             Validator.add_schema(schema)
           else
             schema = self.class.schema_for_uri(schema_uri)
             if @options[:list] && @options[:fragment].nil?
-              schema = schema_to_list(schema.schema)
-              schema_uri = Addressable::URI.parse(fake_uuid(serialize(schema)))
-              schema = JSON::Schema.new(schema, schema_uri, @options[:version])
+              schema = schema.to_array_schema
+              schema.uri = Addressable::URI.parse(fake_uuid(serialize(schema.schema)))
               Validator.add_schema(schema)
             end
             schema
           end
         end
       elsif schema.is_a?(Hash)
-        if @options[:list] && @options[:fragment].nil?
-          schema = schema_to_list(schema)
-        end
         schema_uri = Addressable::URI.parse(fake_uuid(serialize(schema)))
         schema = JSON::Schema.stringify(schema)
-        schema = JSON::Schema.new(schema,schema_uri,@options[:version])
+        schema = JSON::Schema.new(schema, schema_uri, @options[:version])
+        if @options[:list] && @options[:fragment].nil?
+          schema = schema.to_array_schema
+        end
         Validator.add_schema(schema)
       else
         raise "Invalid schema - must be either a string or a hash"
@@ -548,7 +549,6 @@ def initialize_schema(schema)
       schema
     end
 
-
     def initialize_data(data)
       if @options[:json]
         data = JSON::Validator.parse(data)
diff --git a/test/test_validator.rb b/test/test_validator.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a460e716
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_validator.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+require File.expand_path('../test_helper', __FILE__)
+
+class TestValidator < Minitest::Test
+
+  class MockLoader
+    def load(location)
+      schema = {
+        '$schema' => 'http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#',
+        'type' => 'string',
+        'minLength' => 2
+      }
+
+      JSON::Schema.new(schema, Addressable::URI.parse(location.to_s))
+    end
+  end
+
+  def teardown
+    # Hacky. Not sure of a better tactic for resetting just yet.
+    JSON::Validator.send(:class_variable_set, :@@schema_loader, nil)
+  end
+
+  def test_default_schema_loader
+    loader = JSON::Validator.schema_loader
+    assert loader.accept_uri?(Addressable::URI.parse('http://example.com'))
+    assert loader.accept_file?(Pathname.new('/etc/passwd'))
+  end
+
+  def test_set_default_schema_loader
+    JSON::Validator.schema_loader = MockLoader.new
+
+    schema = { '$ref' => 'http://any.url/at/all' }
+    assert_valid schema, 'abc'
+    refute_valid schema, 'a'
+  end
+
+  def test_validate_with_loader
+    loader = MockLoader.new
+    schema = { '$ref' => 'http://any.url/at/all' }
+    assert_valid schema, 'abc', :schema_loader => loader
+    refute_valid schema, 'a', :schema_loader => loader
+  end
+
+  def test_validate_list_with_loader
+    loader = MockLoader.new
+    schema = { '$ref' => 'http://what.ever/schema' }
+    assert_valid schema, ['abc', 'def'], :schema_loader => loader, :list => true
+    refute_valid schema, ['abc', 'a'], :schema_loader => loader, :list => true
+  end
+
+end