diff --git a/functions/ensureExamples.js b/functions/ensureExamples.js
index 4f0025c..0173697 100644
--- a/functions/ensureExamples.js
+++ b/functions/ensureExamples.js
@@ -28,26 +28,16 @@ module.exports = function (targetVal) {
     return;
   }
 
-  if (targetVal.schema) {
-    if (targetVal.examples || targetVal.example || targetVal.schema.example) {
-      return;
-    }
-
-    if (targetVal.schema.properties) {
-      const props = targetVal.schema.properties;
-      let missing = false;
+  if (!targetVal.schema) {
+    return;
+  }
 
-      for (const key in props) {
-        if (props[key] && !props[key].example) {
-          missing = true;
-          break;
-        }
-      }
+  if (targetVal.examples || targetVal.example || targetVal.schema.example) {
+    return;
+  }
 
-      if (!missing) {
-        return;
-      }
-    }
+  if (hasExample(targetVal.schema)) {
+    return;
   }
 
   return [
@@ -56,3 +46,25 @@ module.exports = function (targetVal) {
     },
   ];
 };
+
+function hasExample(target) {
+  if (target == null || target.examples || target.example) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  if (target.type === 'array') {
+    return hasExample(target.items);
+  }
+
+  if (!target.type || target.type === 'object') {
+    for (const key in target.properties) {
+      if (!hasExample(target.properties[key])) {
+        return false;
+      }
+    }
+
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
diff --git a/test/examples-for-every-schema.spec.js b/test/examples-for-every-schema.spec.js
index b80f052..13497b5 100644
--- a/test/examples-for-every-schema.spec.js
+++ b/test/examples-for-every-schema.spec.js
@@ -82,6 +82,54 @@ describe(ruleName, () => {
         },
         severity: 1,
       },
+      {
+        code: ruleName,
+        message: 'For every schema provided in the OAS document, at least one example must be present; example or examples is missing in the object',
+        path: [
+          'paths',
+          '/test',
+          'get',
+          'responses',
+          '400',
+          'content',
+          'application/json',
+        ],
+        range: {
+          end: {
+            character: 61,
+            line: 79,
+          },
+          start: {
+            character: 33,
+            line: 77,
+          },
+        },
+        severity: 1,
+      },
+      {
+        code: ruleName,
+        message: 'For every schema provided in the OAS document, at least one example must be present; example or examples is missing in the object',
+        path: [
+          'paths',
+          '/test',
+          'get',
+          'responses',
+          '401',
+          'content',
+          'application/json',
+        ],
+        range: {
+          end: {
+            character: 63,
+            line: 91,
+          },
+          start: {
+            character: 33,
+            line: 87,
+          },
+        },
+        severity: 1,
+      },
       {
         code: ruleName,
         message: 'For every schema provided in the OAS document, at least one example must be present; example or examples is missing in the object',
@@ -97,11 +145,11 @@ describe(ruleName, () => {
         range: {
           end: {
             character: 38,
-            line: 137,
+            line: 160,
           },
           start: {
             character: 33,
-            line: 124,
+            line: 147,
           },
         },
         severity: 1,
diff --git a/test/resources/examples-for-every-schema/negative.json b/test/resources/examples-for-every-schema/negative.json
index e73e6f7..255a6a3 100644
--- a/test/resources/examples-for-every-schema/negative.json
+++ b/test/resources/examples-for-every-schema/negative.json
@@ -72,6 +72,29 @@
               }
             }
           },
+          "400": {
+            "description": "unexpected error",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/AnotherError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "unexpected error",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "items": {
+                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/AnotherError"
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
           "500": {
             "description": "unexpected error",
             "content": {
@@ -202,6 +225,42 @@
           "code": 2,
           "message": "m"
         }
+      },
+      "AnotherError": {
+        "required": [
+          "code",
+          "message"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "code": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "example": 3
+          },
+          "message": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "example": "mm"
+          },
+          "errors": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "example": {
+              "a": 1
+            }
+          },
+          "details": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+              "a": {
+                "type": "integer",
+                "format": "int32",
+                "example": 3
+              },
+              "b": {
+                "type": "string"
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
       }
     },
     "securitySchemes": {
diff --git a/test/resources/examples-for-every-schema/positive.json b/test/resources/examples-for-every-schema/positive.json
index b168e74..b0bd423 100644
--- a/test/resources/examples-for-every-schema/positive.json
+++ b/test/resources/examples-for-every-schema/positive.json
@@ -79,6 +79,29 @@
               }
             }
           },
+          "400": {
+            "description": "unexpected error",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/AnotherError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "unexpected error",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "items": {
+                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/AnotherError"
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
           "500": {
             "description": "unexpected error",
             "content": {
@@ -248,6 +271,43 @@
           "code": 2,
           "message": "m"
         }
+      },
+      "AnotherError": {
+        "required": [
+          "code",
+          "message"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "code": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "example": 3
+          },
+          "message": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "example": "mm"
+          },
+          "errors": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "example": {
+              "a": 1
+            }
+          },
+          "details": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+              "a": {
+                "type": "integer",
+                "format": "int32",
+                "example": 3
+              },
+              "b": {
+                "type": "string",
+                "example": "s"
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
       }
     },
     "securitySchemes": {