diff --git a/requirements/core/REQ016.adoc b/requirements/core/REQ016.adoc
index dc706b8..eb3eaeb 100644
--- a/requirements/core/REQ016.adoc
+++ b/requirements/core/REQ016.adoc
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@
 identifier:: http://www.opengis.net/spec/uml2json/1.0/req/core/property-inline
 statement:: The value type of a UML property shall be encoded as a JSON Schema constraint, as follows:
 part:: If the value type of a UML property is an external type, and the JSON Schema definition of that external type is a simple JSON value type, i.e., "string", "number", "integer", or "boolean", then a "type" key shall be added to the JSON Schema definition of the property, with the simple JSON value type as value;
-part:: Otherwise, a "$ref" key shall be added to the JSON Schema that constrains the property. The "$ref" value shall be a reference to the JSON Schema definition of the value type, within a particular definitions schema. The reference shall use the "$id" of that schema (see <<jsonschema_req_core_definitionsschema>>) as a basis, and adds a fragment identifier to identify the definition of the type.
+part:: Otherwise, a "$ref" key shall be added to the JSON Schema that constrains the property. The "$ref" value shall be a reference to the JSON Schema definition of the value type, within a particular definitions schema. The reference can be absolute or relative, and typically contains a fragment identifier to identify the definition of the value type.
 
 ====
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sections/clause_7_normative_text.adoc b/sections/clause_7_normative_text.adoc
index 4d5726d..8e10c81 100644
--- a/sections/clause_7_normative_text.adoc
+++ b/sections/clause_7_normative_text.adoc
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ include::../requirements/core/REQ002.adoc[]
 .References between JSON Schemas using $ref with JSON pointers as values
 image::figures/references_between_definitions_schemas.png[align="center"]
 
-A reference to a schema definition within the same JSON Schema file should be encoded as a relative URL that consists of a fragment identifier, either using a JSON Pointer (e.g., #/$defs/XYZ) or an anchor (e.g., #XYZ).
+It is up to the encoder to use an absolute or relative URI for a reference to a schema definition within an external JSON Schema file. A reference to a schema definition within the same JSON Schema file should be encoded as a relative URL that consists of a fragment identifier, either using a JSON Pointer (e.g., #/$defs/XYZ) or an anchor (e.g., #XYZ).
 
 [[jsonschema_req_core_definitionsschema_media_types]]
 A link to a particular definition within a definitions schema requires the use of a JSON Pointer or an anchor in the fragment identifier of the link URL. <<ref_jsonpointer,JSON Pointer>>, chapter 6, explicitly states that the media type in which a JSON value is provided needs to support this kind of fragment identifier, and that this is not the case for the media type application/json. If a JSON Schema was published with this media type, then it is possible that the application ignores a fragment identifier (because the media type does not support fragment identifiers). If a JSON Schema is published with media type application/schema+json, using anchors and JSON Pointers as fragment identifiers is supported.