diff --git a/src/components/fields/MultiSchemaField.js b/src/components/fields/MultiSchemaField.js
index 6ecaa82761..44401dc06a 100644
--- a/src/components/fields/MultiSchemaField.js
+++ b/src/components/fields/MultiSchemaField.js
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 import React, { Component } from "react";
 import PropTypes from "prop-types";
 import * as types from "../../types";
-import { getUiOptions, getWidget, guessType } from "../../utils";
+import {
+  getUiOptions,
+  getWidget,
+  guessType,
+  retrieveSchema,
+} from "../../utils";
 import { isValid } from "../../validate";
 
 class AnyOfField extends Component {
@@ -29,8 +34,16 @@ class AnyOfField extends Component {
   }
 
   getMatchingOption(formData, options) {
+    const { definitions } = this.props.registry;
     for (let i = 0; i < options.length; i++) {
-      const option = options[i];
+      // Assign the definitions to the option, otherwise the match can fail if
+      // the new option uses a $ref
+      const option = Object.assign(
+        {
+          definitions,
+        },
+        options[i]
+      );
 
       // If the schema describes an object then we need to add slightly more
       // strict matching to the schema, because unless the schema uses the
@@ -81,15 +94,20 @@ class AnyOfField extends Component {
       }
     }
 
-    // If the form data matches none of the options, use the first option
-    return 0;
+    // If the form data matches none of the options, use the currently selected
+    // option, assuming it's available; otherwise use the first option
+    return this && this.state ? this.state.selectedOption : 0;
   }
 
   onOptionChange = option => {
     const selectedOption = parseInt(option, 10);
-    const { formData, onChange, options } = this.props;
-
-    const newOption = options[selectedOption];
+    const { formData, onChange, options, registry } = this.props;
+    const { definitions } = registry;
+    const newOption = retrieveSchema(
+      options[selectedOption],
+      definitions,
+      formData
+    );
 
     // If the new option is of type object and the current data is an object,
     // discard properties added using the old option.
diff --git a/test/oneOf_test.js b/test/oneOf_test.js
index 98ba91ed6d..3fa952faf2 100644
--- a/test/oneOf_test.js
+++ b/test/oneOf_test.js
@@ -464,4 +464,66 @@ describe("oneOf", () => {
       expect(node.querySelectorAll("input#root_bar")).to.have.length.of(1);
     });
   });
+
+  describe("definitions", () => {
+    it("should handle the $ref keyword correctly", () => {
+      const schema = {
+        definitions: {
+          fieldEither: {
+            type: "object",
+            oneOf: [
+              {
+                type: "object",
+                properties: {
+                  value: {
+                    type: "string",
+                  },
+                },
+              },
+              {
+                type: "object",
+                properties: {
+                  value: {
+                    type: "array",
+                    items: {
+                      $ref: "#/definitions/fieldEither",
+                    },
+                  },
+                },
+              },
+            ],
+          },
+        },
+        type: "object",
+        properties: {
+          value: {
+            type: "array",
+            items: {
+              $ref: "#/definitions/fieldEither",
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      };
+
+      const { node } = createFormComponent({
+        schema,
+      });
+
+      expect(node.querySelector(".array-item-add button")).not.eql(null);
+
+      Simulate.click(node.querySelector(".array-item-add button"));
+
+      const $select = node.querySelector("select");
+      expect($select).not.eql(null);
+      Simulate.change($select, {
+        target: { value: $select.options[1].value },
+      });
+
+      // This works because the nested "add" button will now be the first to
+      // appear in the dom
+      Simulate.click(node.querySelector(".array-item-add button"));
+
+      expect($select.value).to.eql($select.options[1].value);
+    });
+  });
 });