diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 862c7c83..5db876de 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -564,9 +564,14 @@ function buildArray (context, location) {
 
   if (Array.isArray(itemsSchema)) {
     for (let i = 0; i < itemsSchema.length; i++) {
-      const item = itemsSchema[i]
+      let item = itemsSchema[i]
+      let itemLocation = itemsLocation.getPropertyLocation(i)
+      if (item.$ref) {
+        itemLocation = resolveRef(context, itemLocation)
+        item = itemLocation.schema
+      }
       functionCode += `value = obj[${i}]`
-      const tmpRes = buildValue(context, itemsLocation.getPropertyLocation(i), 'value')
+      const tmpRes = buildValue(context, itemLocation, 'value')
       functionCode += `
         if (${i} < arrayLength) {
           if (${buildArrayTypeCondition(item.type, `[${i}]`)}) {
diff --git a/test/array.test.js b/test/array.test.js
index fbffe02f..0c2fe6d2 100644
--- a/test/array.test.js
+++ b/test/array.test.js
@@ -61,6 +61,34 @@ buildTest({
   dates: [new Date(1), new Date(2)]
 })
 
+buildTest({
+  title: 'dates tuple $ref',
+  definitions: {
+    dateTime: {
+      type: 'string',
+      format: 'date-time'
+    }
+  },
+  type: 'object',
+  properties: {
+    dates: {
+      type: 'array',
+      minItems: 2,
+      maxItems: 2,
+      items: [
+        {
+          $ref: '#/definitions/dateTime'
+        },
+        {
+          $ref: '#/definitions/dateTime'
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}, {
+  dates: [new Date(1), new Date(2)]
+})
+
 buildTest({
   title: 'string array',
   type: 'object',