diff --git a/expr/http_body_types.go b/expr/http_body_types.go
index ec37ed7ee8..4651b42cdd 100644
--- a/expr/http_body_types.go
+++ b/expr/http_body_types.go
@@ -189,6 +189,13 @@ func httpRequestBody(a *HTTPEndpointExpr) *AttributeExpr {
 	}
 	appendSuffix(ut.Attribute().Type, suffix)
 
+	// Remember openapi typename for example to generate friendly OpenAPI specs.
+	if t, ok := payload.Type.(UserType); ok {
+		if m, ok := t.Attribute().Meta["openapi:typename"]; ok {
+			ut.AttributeExpr.AddMeta("openapi:typename", m...)
+		}
+	}
+
 	return &AttributeExpr{
 		Type:         ut,
 		Validation:   att.Validation,
@@ -318,10 +325,13 @@ func buildHTTPResponseBody(name string, attr *AttributeExpr, resp *HTTPResponseE
 		UID:           concat(svc.Name(), "#", name),
 	}
 
-	// Remember original type name for example to generate friendly OpenAPI
-	// specs.
+	// Remember original type name and openapi typename for example
+	// to generate friendly OpenAPI specs.
 	if t, ok := attr.Type.(UserType); ok {
 		userType.AttributeExpr.AddMeta("name:original", t.Name())
+		if m, ok := t.Attribute().Meta["openapi:typename"]; ok {
+			userType.AttributeExpr.AddMeta("openapi:typename", m...)
+		}
 	}
 
 	appendSuffix(userType.Attribute().Type, suffix)
diff --git a/http/codegen/openapi/json_schema.go b/http/codegen/openapi/json_schema.go
index 112db5ffe8..82d1b3c5ef 100644
--- a/http/codegen/openapi/json_schema.go
+++ b/http/codegen/openapi/json_schema.go
@@ -235,8 +235,18 @@ func ResultTypeRefWithPrefix(api *expr.APIExpr, mt *expr.ResultTypeExpr, view st
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to project media type %#v: %s", mt.Identifier, err)) // bug
 	}
+	var metaName string
+	if n, ok := mt.Meta["openapi:typename"]; ok {
+		metaName = codegen.Goify(n[0], true)
+	}
+	if metaName != "" {
+		projected.TypeName = metaName
+	}
 	if _, ok := Definitions[projected.TypeName]; !ok {
 		projected.TypeName = codegen.Goify(prefix, true) + codegen.Goify(projected.TypeName, true)
+		if metaName != "" {
+			projected.TypeName = metaName
+		}
 		GenerateResultTypeDefinition(api, projected, "default")
 	}
 	return fmt.Sprintf("#/definitions/%s", projected.TypeName)
@@ -254,6 +264,9 @@ func TypeRefWithPrefix(api *expr.APIExpr, ut *expr.UserTypeExpr, prefix string)
 	if prefix != "" {
 		typeName = codegen.Goify(prefix, true) + codegen.Goify(ut.TypeName, true)
 	}
+	if n, ok := ut.Meta["openapi:typename"]; ok {
+		typeName = codegen.Goify(n[0], true)
+	}
 	if _, ok := Definitions[typeName]; !ok {
 		GenerateTypeDefinitionWithName(api, ut, typeName)
 	}