diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/api/models/ComponentsImpl.java b/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/api/models/ComponentsImpl.java
index cceb4e47c..aad573f24 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/api/models/ComponentsImpl.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/api/models/ComponentsImpl.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.openapi.models.Components;
+import org.eclipse.microprofile.openapi.models.PathItem;
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.openapi.models.callbacks.Callback;
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.openapi.models.examples.Example;
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.openapi.models.headers.Header;
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ public class ComponentsImpl extends ExtensibleImpl<Components> implements Compon
     private Map<String, SecurityScheme> securitySchemes;
     private Map<String, Link> links;
     private Map<String, Callback> callbacks;
+    private Map<String, PathItem> pathItems;
 
     /**
      * @see org.eclipse.microprofile.openapi.models.Components#getSchemas()
@@ -338,4 +340,25 @@ public void removeCallback(String key) {
         ModelUtil.remove(this.callbacks, key);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public Map<String, PathItem> getPathItems() {
+        return ModelUtil.unmodifiableMap(this.pathItems);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void setPathItems(Map<String, PathItem> pathItems) {
+        this.pathItems = ModelUtil.replace(pathItems, LinkedHashMap<String, PathItem>::new);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Components addPathItem(String name, PathItem pathItem) {
+        this.pathItems = ModelUtil.add(name, pathItem, this.pathItems, LinkedHashMap<String, PathItem>::new);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void removePathItem(String name) {
+        ModelUtil.remove(this.pathItems, name);
+    }
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/api/models/PathItemImpl.java b/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/api/models/PathItemImpl.java
index 851318635..b28d51876 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/api/models/PathItemImpl.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/api/models/PathItemImpl.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.openapi.models.parameters.Parameter;
 import org.eclipse.microprofile.openapi.models.servers.Server;
 
+import io.smallrye.openapi.runtime.io.ReferenceType;
 import io.smallrye.openapi.runtime.util.ModelUtil;
 
 /**
@@ -44,6 +45,9 @@ public String getRef() {
      */
     @Override
     public void setRef(String ref) {
+        if (ref != null && !ref.contains("/")) {
+            ref = ReferenceType.PATH_ITEMS.referenceOf(ref);
+        }
         this.ref = ref;
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/ComponentsIO.java b/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/ComponentsIO.java
index 4fce121e3..9a5071117 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/ComponentsIO.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/ComponentsIO.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ public class ComponentsIO<V, A extends V, O extends V, AB, OB> extends ModelIO<C
     private static final String PROP_PARAMETERS = "parameters";
     private static final String PROP_RESPONSES = "responses";
     private static final String PROP_SCHEMAS = "schemas";
+    private static final String PROP_PATH_ITEMS = "pathItems";
 
     public ComponentsIO(IOContext<V, A, O, AB, OB> context) {
         super(context, Names.COMPONENTS, Names.create(Components.class));
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ public Components readObject(O node) {
         components.setResponses(apiResponseIO().readMap(jsonIO().getValue(node, PROP_RESPONSES)));
         components.setSchemas(schemaIO().readMap(jsonIO().getValue(node, PROP_SCHEMAS)));
         components.setSecuritySchemes(securitySchemeIO().readMap(jsonIO().getValue(node, PROP_SECURITY_SCHEMES)));
+        components.setPathItems(pathItemIO().readMap(jsonIO().getValue(node, PROP_PATH_ITEMS)));
         components.setExtensions(extensionIO().readMap(node));
         return components;
     }
@@ -79,6 +81,7 @@ public Optional<O> write(Components model) {
             setIfPresent(node, PROP_SECURITY_SCHEMES, securitySchemeIO().write(model.getSecuritySchemes()));
             setIfPresent(node, PROP_LINKS, linkIO().write(model.getLinks()));
             setIfPresent(node, PROP_CALLBACKS, callbackIO().write(model.getCallbacks()));
+            setIfPresent(node, PROP_PATH_ITEMS, pathItemIO().write(model.getPathItems()));
             setAllIfPresent(node, extensionIO().write(model));
             return node;
         }).map(jsonIO()::buildObject);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/ReferenceType.java b/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/ReferenceType.java
index 444b85ef7..f982ce0fa 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/ReferenceType.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/smallrye/openapi/runtime/io/ReferenceType.java
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ public enum ReferenceType {
     RESPONSE("responses"),
     PARAMETER("parameters"),
     EXAMPLE("examples"),
-    REQUEST_BODY("requestBodies");
+    REQUEST_BODY("requestBodies"),
+    PATH_ITEMS("pathItems");
 
     private static final Pattern COMPONENT_KEY_PATTERN = Pattern.compile("^[a-zA-Z0-9\\.\\-_]+$");
     public static final String PROP_ANNOTATION = "ref";