diff --git a/.github/workflows/go.yml b/.github/workflows/go.yml
index 6233f67e8..04c631983 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go.yml
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ jobs:
       run: git --no-pager diff && [[ $(git --no-pager diff --name-only | wc -l) = 0 ]]
 
     - run: go test ./...
+    - run: go test -v -run TestRaceyPatternSchema -race ./...
+      env:
+        CGO_ENABLED: '1'
     - run: |
         cd openapi3/testdata
         go get -u -v github.com/getkin/kin-openapi
diff --git a/openapi3/race_test.go b/openapi3/race_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4ac31c38e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/race_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package openapi3_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/getkin/kin-openapi/openapi3"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestRaceyPatternSchema(t *testing.T) {
+	schema := openapi3.Schema{
+		Pattern: "^test|for|race|condition$",
+		Type:    "string",
+	}
+
+	err := schema.Validate(context.Background())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	visit := func() {
+		err := schema.VisitJSONString("test")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+
+	go visit()
+	visit()
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/schema.go b/openapi3/schema.go
index 8c59f3c04..832ce3b3f 100644
--- a/openapi3/schema.go
+++ b/openapi3/schema.go
@@ -677,6 +677,11 @@ func (schema *Schema) validate(ctx context.Context, stack []*Schema) (err error)
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		if schema.Pattern != "" {
+			if err = schema.compilePattern(); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
 	case "array":
 		if schema.Items == nil {
 			return errors.New("when schema type is 'array', schema 'items' must be non-null")
@@ -1139,15 +1144,9 @@ func (schema *Schema) visitJSONString(settings *schemaValidationSettings, value
 	}
 
 	// "pattern"
-	if pattern := schema.Pattern; pattern != "" && schema.compiledPattern == nil {
+	if schema.Pattern != "" && schema.compiledPattern == nil {
 		var err error
-		if schema.compiledPattern, err = regexp.Compile(pattern); err != nil {
-			err = &SchemaError{
-				Value:       value,
-				Schema:      schema,
-				SchemaField: "pattern",
-				Reason:      fmt.Sprintf("cannot compile pattern %q: %v", pattern, err),
-			}
+		if err = schema.compilePattern(); err != nil {
 			if !settings.multiError {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -1461,6 +1460,17 @@ func (schema *Schema) expectedType(settings *schemaValidationSettings, typ strin
 	}
 }
 
+func (schema *Schema) compilePattern() (err error) {
+	if schema.compiledPattern, err = regexp.Compile(schema.Pattern); err != nil {
+		return &SchemaError{
+			Schema:      schema,
+			SchemaField: "pattern",
+			Reason:      fmt.Sprintf("cannot compile pattern %q: %v", schema.Pattern, err),
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 type SchemaError struct {
 	Value       interface{}
 	reversePath []string
diff --git a/openapi3/schema_test.go b/openapi3/schema_test.go
index f621ca7c9..f724f08e2 100644
--- a/openapi3/schema_test.go
+++ b/openapi3/schema_test.go
@@ -1219,3 +1219,13 @@ components:
 	require.NotEqual(t, errSchema, err)
 	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), `Error at "/ownerName": Doesn't match schema "not"`)
 }
+
+func TestValidationFailsOnInvalidPattern(t *testing.T) {
+	schema := Schema{
+		Pattern: "[",
+		Type:    "string",
+	}
+
+	var err = schema.Validate(context.Background())
+	require.Error(t, err)
+}