diff --git a/jest.config.cjs b/jest.config.cjs
index 94203d9..6e04c9c 100644
--- a/jest.config.cjs
+++ b/jest.config.cjs
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ module.exports = {
   coverageThreshold: {
     global: {
       branches: 90,
-      functions: 89,
-      lines: 89,
-      statements: 89
+      functions: 100,
+      lines: 96,
+      statements: 96
     }
   }
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/jsonschema.ts b/src/jsonschema.ts
index 91778d4..c6390c4 100644
--- a/src/jsonschema.ts
+++ b/src/jsonschema.ts
@@ -2,16 +2,20 @@
 import { OpenAPIV3_1 } from "openapi-types";
 import { debug } from "./debug.js";
 
-function walk(schema: OpenAPIV3_1.SchemaObject, defs: any, history: any): void {
+function walk(schema: OpenAPIV3_1.SchemaObject, defs: any, history: any): boolean {
     
     if (schema.type === 'object') {
         if (schema.properties) {
             for (const key in schema.properties) {
                 const property = schema.properties[key];
-                walk(property, defs, history);
+                if (walk(property, defs, history)) {
+                    delete((schema.properties as any)[key]);
+                }
             }   
         }
-    } else if ((schema as any)["$ref"]) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if ((schema as any)["$ref"]) {
         const canonicalRef = (schema as any)['$ref'];
 
         const paths = canonicalRef.split('/');
@@ -20,17 +24,17 @@ function walk(schema: OpenAPIV3_1.SchemaObject, defs: any, history: any): void {
         if (history.includes(ref)) {
             debug("Circular reference detected for " + ref + " in history: " + history);
             delete((schema as any)["$ref"]);
-        } else {
-            const def = defs[ref];
-            for (const k in def) {
-                (schema as any)[k] = def[k];
-            }
-
-            delete((schema as any)["$ref"]);
-
-            walk(schema, defs, [...history, ref]);
-        }       
+            return true;
+        }
+        const def = defs[ref];
+        for (const k in def) {
+            (schema as any)[k] = def[k];
+        }
+        delete((schema as any)["$ref"]);
+        walk(schema, defs, [...history, ref]);
+        return false
     }
+    return false
 }
 
 export function expandJSONSchemaDefinition(schema: any, defs: any): any {
diff --git a/tests/jsonschema.test.ts b/tests/jsonschema.test.ts
index ab3563a..724287d 100644
--- a/tests/jsonschema.test.ts
+++ b/tests/jsonschema.test.ts
@@ -77,3 +77,85 @@ test('expandJSONSchemaDefinition $ref using definitions for properties', () => {
     expect(expandJSONSchemaDefinition(schema, defs)).toEqual(schemaRef);
 });
 
+test('expandJSONSchemaDefinition removes $ref definition from attribute', () => {
+    const schema = {
+        type: 'object',
+        properties: {
+            borrower: {
+                type: 'object',
+                properties: {
+                    name: { type: 'string' },
+                    spouse: { $ref: "#/components/schemas/toto" }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    };
+    const expected = {
+        type: 'object',
+        properties: {
+            borrower: {
+                type: 'object',
+                properties: {
+                    name: { type: 'string' },
+                    spouse: { }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    };
+    const result = expandJSONSchemaDefinition(schema, {});
+    expect(result).toEqual(expected);
+
+    // Explicitly verify that borrower.spouse is an empty object
+    const spouse = result.properties.borrower.properties.spouse;
+    expect(spouse).toEqual({});
+    expect(Object.keys(spouse).length).toBe(0);
+});
+
+test('expandJSONSchemaDefinition removes attributes with circular $ref definition', () => {
+    const defs = {
+        borrower: {
+            type: 'object',
+            properties: {
+                name: { type: 'string' },
+                spouse: { $ref: "#/components/schemas/borrower" }
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    const schema = {
+        type: 'object',
+        properties: {
+            input: {
+                type: "object",
+                properties: {
+                    borrower: {
+                        "$ref": "#/components/schemas/borrower"
+                    }
+                }
+            },
+        }
+    };
+
+    const expected = {
+        type: 'object',
+        properties: {
+            input: {
+                type: "object",
+                properties: {
+                    borrower: {
+                        type: 'object',
+                        properties: {
+                            name: { type: 'string' },
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    };
+    const result = expandJSONSchemaDefinition(schema, defs);
+    expect(result).toEqual(expected);
+
+    // Explicitly verify that borrower.spouse is undefined
+    const spouse = result.properties.input.properties.borrower.properties.spouse;
+    expect(spouse).toBeUndefined();
+});