diff --git a/schema/bom-1.5.schema.json b/schema/bom-1.5.schema.json
index 34e56317..0d0804a4 100644
--- a/schema/bom-1.5.schema.json
+++ b/schema/bom-1.5.schema.json
@@ -3645,7 +3645,10 @@
         "ref": {
           "title": "BOM Reference",
           "description": "References an object by its bom-ref attribute",
-          "$ref": "#/definitions/refType"
+          "anyOf": [
+            {"$ref": "#/definitions/refLinkType"},
+            {"$ref": "#/definitions/bomLinkElementType"}
+          ]
         },
         "externalReference": {
           "title": "External reference",
diff --git a/schema/bom-1.5.xsd b/schema/bom-1.5.xsd
index ac1e1377..bb8ea874 100644
--- a/schema/bom-1.5.xsd
+++ b/schema/bom-1.5.xsd
@@ -4356,12 +4356,15 @@ limitations under the License.
     <xs:complexType name="resourceReferenceType">
         <xs:sequence>
             <xs:choice>
-                <xs:element name="ref" type="bom:refType" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
+                <xs:element name="ref" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
                     <xs:annotation>
                         <xs:documentation>
                             References an object by its bom-ref attribute
                         </xs:documentation>
                     </xs:annotation>
+                    <xs:simpleType>
+                        <xs:union memberTypes="bom:refLinkType bom:bomLinkElementType"/>
+                    </xs:simpleType>
                 </xs:element>
                 <xs:element name="externalReference" type="bom:externalReference" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
                     <xs:annotation>