diff --git a/src/RawSpecDataInterface.php b/src/RawSpecDataInterface.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3fecc1f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/RawSpecDataInterface.php
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @copyright Copyright (c) 2018 Carsten Brandt <mail@cebe.cc> and contributors
+ * @license https://github.com/cebe/php-openapi/blob/master/LICENSE
+ */
+
+namespace cebe\openapi;
+
+/**
+ * Make raw spec data available to the implementing classes
+ */
+interface RawSpecDataInterface
+{
+    public function getRawSpecData(): array;
+}
diff --git a/src/SpecBaseObject.php b/src/SpecBaseObject.php
index 1de429bd..ef93401e 100644
--- a/src/SpecBaseObject.php
+++ b/src/SpecBaseObject.php
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@
  * Implements property management and validation basics.
  *
  */
-abstract class SpecBaseObject implements SpecObjectInterface, DocumentContextInterface
+abstract class SpecBaseObject implements SpecObjectInterface, DocumentContextInterface, RawSpecDataInterface
 {
+    private $_rawSpec;
     private $_properties = [];
     private $_errors = [];
 
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ abstract protected function performValidation();
      */
     public function __construct(array $data)
     {
+        $this->_rawSpec = $data;
         foreach ($this->attributes() as $property => $type) {
             if (!isset($data[$property])) {
                 continue;
@@ -525,4 +527,9 @@ public function getExtensions(): array
         }
         return $extensions;
     }
+
+    public function getRawSpecData(): array
+    {
+        return $this->_rawSpec;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/spec/Reference.php b/src/spec/Reference.php
index cda612a9..f9b84d67 100644
--- a/src/spec/Reference.php
+++ b/src/spec/Reference.php
@@ -8,16 +8,15 @@
 namespace cebe\openapi\spec;
 
 use cebe\openapi\DocumentContextInterface;
-use cebe\openapi\exceptions\IOException;
 use cebe\openapi\exceptions\TypeErrorException;
 use cebe\openapi\exceptions\UnresolvableReferenceException;
 use cebe\openapi\json\InvalidJsonPointerSyntaxException;
 use cebe\openapi\json\JsonPointer;
 use cebe\openapi\json\JsonReference;
 use cebe\openapi\json\NonexistentJsonPointerReferenceException;
+use cebe\openapi\RawSpecDataInterface;
 use cebe\openapi\ReferenceContext;
 use cebe\openapi\SpecObjectInterface;
-use Symfony\Component\Yaml\Yaml;
 
 /**
  * Reference Object
@@ -27,8 +26,14 @@
  * @link https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6901
  *
  */
-class Reference implements SpecObjectInterface, DocumentContextInterface
+class Reference implements SpecObjectInterface, DocumentContextInterface, RawSpecDataInterface
 {
+    /**
+     * Holds raw spec data
+     * @var array
+     */
+    private $_rawSpec;
+
     /**
      * @var string
      */
@@ -61,11 +66,12 @@ class Reference implements SpecObjectInterface, DocumentContextInterface
     /**
      * Create an object from spec data.
      * @param array $data spec data read from YAML or JSON
-     * @param string $to class name of the type referenced by this Reference
+     * @param string|null $to class name of the type referenced by this Reference
      * @throws TypeErrorException in case invalid data is supplied.
      */
     public function __construct(array $data, string $to = null)
     {
+        $this->_rawSpec = $data;
         if (!isset($data['$ref'])) {
             throw new TypeErrorException(
                 "Unable to instantiate Reference Object with data '" . print_r($data, true) . "'."
@@ -402,4 +408,9 @@ public function getDocumentPosition(): ?JsonPointer
     {
         return $this->_jsonPointer;
     }
+
+    public function getRawSpecData(): array
+    {
+        return $this->_rawSpec;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/ReaderTest.php b/tests/ReaderTest.php
index 589b7cbb..eee95951 100644
--- a/tests/ReaderTest.php
+++ b/tests/ReaderTest.php
@@ -128,6 +128,114 @@ public function testSymfonyYamlBugHunt()
         $this->assertEquals($expectedArray, $inlineYamlExample);
     }
 
+    public function testGetRawSpecData()
+    {
+        $spec = <<<YML
+openapi: "3.0.0"
+info:
+  version: 1.0.0
+  title: Check storage of raw spec data
+
+paths:
+  /:
+    get:
+      summary: List
+      operationId: list
+      responses:
+        '200':
+          description: The information
+
+components:
+  schemas:
+    User:
+      type: object
+      properties:
+        id:
+          type: integer
+        name:
+          type: string
+    
+    Post:
+      type: object
+      properties:
+        id:
+          type: integer
+        title:
+          type: string
+        user:
+          \$ref: "#/components/schemas/User"
+
+YML;
+
+        $openapi = \cebe\openapi\Reader::readFromYaml($spec);
+        $this->assertSame($openapi->getRawSpecData(), [
+            'openapi' => '3.0.0',
+            'info' => [
+                'version' => '1.0.0',
+                'title' => 'Check storage of raw spec data',
+            ],
+            'paths' => [
+                '/' => [
+                    'get' => [
+                        'summary' => 'List',
+                        'operationId' => 'list',
+                        'responses' => [
+                            '200' => [
+                                'description' => 'The information',
+                            ]
+                        ]
+                    ]
+                ]
+            ],
+            'components' => [
+                'schemas' => [
+                    'User' => [
+                        'type' => 'object',
+                        'properties' => [
+                            'id' => [
+                                'type' => 'integer',
+                            ],
+                            'name' => [
+                                'type' => 'string',
+                            ]
+                        ]
+                    ],
+                    'Post' => [
+                        'type' => 'object',
+                        'properties' => [
+                            'id' => [
+                                'type' => 'integer',
+                            ],
+                            'title' => [
+                                'type' => 'string',
+                            ],
+                            'user' => [
+                                '$ref' => '#/components/schemas/User',
+                            ]
+                        ]
+                    ]
+                ]
+            ]
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertSame($openapi->components->schemas['User']->getRawSpecData(), [
+            'type' => 'object',
+            'properties' => [
+                'id' => [
+                    'type' => 'integer',
+                ],
+                'name' => [
+                    'type' => 'string',
+                ]
+            ]
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertSame($openapi->components->schemas['Post']->properties['user']->getRawSpecData(), [
+            '$ref' => '#/components/schemas/User',
+        ]);
+
+    }
+
 
     // TODO test invalid JSON
     // TODO test invalid YAML