diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index e57eb497..00222dba 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import isGlob from 'is-glob'
 import {join, resolve, dirname} from 'path'
 import {compile, DEFAULT_OPTIONS, Options} from './index'
 import {pathTransform, error, parseFileAsJSONSchema, justName} from './utils'
+import {ParserOptions as $RefOptions} from '@apidevtools/json-schema-ref-parser'
+import {merge} from 'lodash'
 
 main(
   minimist(process.argv.slice(2), {
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ main(
       'unreachableDefinitions',
     ],
     default: DEFAULT_OPTIONS,
-    string: ['bannerComment', 'cwd'],
+    string: ['bannerComment', 'cwd', 'refOptions'],
   }),
 )
 
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ async function main(argv: minimist.ParsedArgs) {
     process.exit(0)
   }
 
+  parseRefOptions(argv)
   const argIn: string = argv._[0] || argv.input
   const argOut: string | undefined = argv._[1] || argv.output // the output can be omitted so this can be undefined
 
@@ -159,6 +162,20 @@ async function readStream(stream: NodeJS.ReadStream): Promise<string> {
   return Buffer.concat(chunks).toString('utf8')
 }
 
+function parseRefOptions(argv: minimist.ParsedArgs) {
+  try {
+    // Parse --refOptions CLI argument and merge with default value
+    // argv default value already contains predefined $refOptions key
+    if (argv.refOptions) {
+      const parsedRefOptions: Partial<$RefOptions> = JSON.parse(argv.refOptions)
+      merge(argv, {$refOptions: parsedRefOptions})
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    error("Couldn't parse argument --refOptions, make sure it's a valid JSON string.")
+    throw e
+  }
+}
+
 function printHelp() {
   const pkg = require('../../package.json')
 
diff --git a/test/resources/refOptions/common.yml b/test/resources/refOptions/common.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..88391950
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/resources/refOptions/common.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+$schema: https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12
+$id: test/resources/refOptions/common.yml
+type: object
+properties:
+  id:
+    type: integer
+    description: The unique identifier of the object
+  name:
+    type: string
+    description: The name of the object
+required:
+  - id
diff --git a/test/resources/refOptions/specific/caseA.yml b/test/resources/refOptions/specific/caseA.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fe0732e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/resources/refOptions/specific/caseA.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+$schema: https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12
+$id: test/resources/refOptions/specific/caseA.yml
+type: object
+allOf:
+  - $ref: test/resources/refOptions/common.yml
+  - properties:
+      module:
+        type: string
+        const: caseA
+      is_old:
+        type: boolean
+        description: The age of the object
+    required:
+      - module
diff --git a/test/resources/refOptions/specific/caseB.yml b/test/resources/refOptions/specific/caseB.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dc8bf99b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/resources/refOptions/specific/caseB.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+$schema: https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12
+$id: test/resources/refOptions/specific/caseB.yml
+type: object
+allOf:
+  - $ref: test/resources/refOptions/common.yml
+  - properties:
+      module:
+        type: string
+        const: caseB
+      age:
+        type:
+        description: The age of the object
+    required:
+      - module
diff --git a/test/resources/refOptions/specific/specific.yml b/test/resources/refOptions/specific/specific.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..264b7bd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/resources/refOptions/specific/specific.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+$schema: https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12
+$id: test/resources/refOptions/specific/specific.yml
+type: object
+anyOf:
+  - $ref: test/resources/refOptions/specific/caseA.yml
+  - $ref: test/resources/refOptions/specific/caseB.yml
diff --git a/test/testCLI.ts b/test/testCLI.ts
index 327c1004..b3b4268b 100644
--- a/test/testCLI.ts
+++ b/test/testCLI.ts
@@ -137,6 +137,30 @@ export function run() {
     })
     rimraf.sync('./test/resources/MultiSchema2/out')
   })
+
+  test('--refOptions - JSON string error', t => {
+    t.throws(() => execSync('node dist/src/cli.js --refOptions "{invalid}" --input ./test/resources/refOptions'))
+  })
+
+  test('--refOptions - referenced base URI, default externalReferenceResolution', t => {
+    t.throws(() => execSync('node dist/src/cli.js --input ./test/resources/refOptions'))
+  })
+
+  test('--refOptions - referenced base URI, unknown externalReferenceResolution', t => {
+    t.throws(() =>
+      execSync(
+        'node dist/src/cli.js --refOptions "{\\"dereference\\": {\\"externalReferenceResolution\\": \\"...\\"}}" --input ./test/resources/refOptions',
+      ),
+    )
+  })
+
+  test('--refOptions - referenced base URI, root externalReferenceResolution', t => {
+    t.notThrows(() =>
+      execSync(
+        'node dist/src/cli.js --refOptions "{\\"dereference\\": {\\"externalReferenceResolution\\": \\"root\\"}}" --input ./test/resources/refOptions',
+      ),
+    )
+  })
 }
 
 function getPaths(path: string, paths: string[] = []) {