diff --git a/lib/compile/index.js b/lib/compile/index.js
index 00a6bbd..98faedb 100644
--- a/lib/compile/index.js
+++ b/lib/compile/index.js
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ function compile(schema, root, localRefs, baseId) {
 
     refCode = addLocalRef(ref);
     var v = resolve.call(self, localCompile, root, ref);
-    if (!v) {
+    if (v === undefined) {
       var localSchema = localRefs && localRefs[ref];
       if (localSchema) {
         v = resolve.inlineRef(localSchema, opts.inlineRefs)
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ function compile(schema, root, localRefs, baseId) {
       }
     }
 
-    if (v) {
+    if (v !== undefined) {
       replaceLocalRef(ref, v);
       return resolvedRef(v, refCode);
     }
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ function compile(schema, root, localRefs, baseId) {
   }
 
   function resolvedRef(refVal, code) {
-    return typeof refVal == 'object'
+    return typeof refVal == 'object' || typeof refVal == 'boolean'
             ? { code: code, schema: refVal, inline: true }
             : { code: code, $async: refVal && refVal.$async };
   }
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ function defaultCode(i) {
 
 
 function refValCode(i, refVal) {
-  return refVal[i] ? 'var refVal' + i + ' = refVal[' + i + '];' : '';
+  return refVal[i] === undefined ? '' : 'var refVal' + i + ' = refVal[' + i + '];';
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lib/compile/resolve.js b/lib/compile/resolve.js
index db2b91f..211493c 100644
--- a/lib/compile/resolve.js
+++ b/lib/compile/resolve.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ function resolve(compile, root, ref) {
 
   if (schema instanceof SchemaObject) {
     v = schema.validate || compile.call(this, schema.schema, root, undefined, baseId);
-  } else if (schema) {
+  } else if (schema !== undefined) {
     v = inlineRef(schema, this._opts.inlineRefs)
         ? schema
         : compile.call(this, schema, root, undefined, baseId);
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ function getJsonPointer(parsedRef, baseId, schema, root) {
     if (part) {
       part = util.unescapeFragment(part);
       schema = schema[part];
-      if (!schema) break;
+      if (schema === undefined) break;
       if (schema.id && !PREVENT_SCOPE_CHANGE[part]) baseId = resolveUrl(baseId, schema.id);
       if (schema.$ref) {
         var $ref = resolveUrl(baseId, schema.$ref);
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ function getJsonPointer(parsedRef, baseId, schema, root) {
       }
     }
   }
-  if (schema && schema != root.schema)
+  if (schema !== undefined && schema !== root.schema)
     return { schema: schema, root: root, baseId: baseId };
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/compile/util.js b/lib/compile/util.js
index 744705d..5dbef47 100644
--- a/lib/compile/util.js
+++ b/lib/compile/util.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ module.exports = {
   varOccurences: varOccurences,
   varReplace: varReplace,
   cleanUpCode: cleanUpCode,
-  cleanUpVarErrors: cleanUpVarErrors,
+  finalCleanUpCode: finalCleanUpCode,
   schemaHasRules: schemaHasRules,
   schemaHasRulesExcept: schemaHasRulesExcept,
   stableStringify: require('json-stable-stringify'),
@@ -150,16 +150,22 @@ var ERRORS_REGEXP = /[^v\.]errors/g
   , RETURN_VALID = 'return errors === 0;'
   , RETURN_TRUE = 'validate.errors = null; return true;'
   , RETURN_ASYNC = /if \(errors === 0\) return true;\s*else throw new ValidationError\(vErrors\);/
-  , RETURN_TRUE_ASYNC = 'return true;';
+  , RETURN_TRUE_ASYNC = 'return true;'
+  , ROOTDATA_REGEXP = /[^A-Za-z_$]rootData[^A-Za-z0-9_$]/g
+  , REMOVE_ROOTDATA = /if \(rootData === undefined\) rootData = data;/;
 
-function cleanUpVarErrors(out, async) {
+function finalCleanUpCode(out, async) {
   var matches = out.match(ERRORS_REGEXP);
   if (!matches || matches.length !== 2) return out;
-  return async
-          ? out.replace(REMOVE_ERRORS_ASYNC, '')
-               .replace(RETURN_ASYNC, RETURN_TRUE_ASYNC)
-          : out.replace(REMOVE_ERRORS, '')
-               .replace(RETURN_VALID, RETURN_TRUE);
+  out = async
+        ? out.replace(REMOVE_ERRORS_ASYNC, '')
+             .replace(RETURN_ASYNC, RETURN_TRUE_ASYNC)
+        : out.replace(REMOVE_ERRORS, '')
+             .replace(RETURN_VALID, RETURN_TRUE);
+
+  matches = out.match(ROOTDATA_REGEXP);
+  if (!matches || matches.length !== 3) return out;
+  return out.replace(REMOVE_ROOTDATA, '');
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lib/dot/definitions.def b/lib/dot/definitions.def
index a30cfd5..7632fe7 100644
--- a/lib/dot/definitions.def
+++ b/lib/dot/definitions.def
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@
 {{## def.cleanUp: {{ out = it.util.cleanUpCode(out); }} #}}
 
 
-{{## def.cleanUpVarErrors: {{ out = it.util.cleanUpVarErrors(out, $async); }} #}}
+{{## def.finalCleanUp: {{ out = it.util.finalCleanUpCode(out, $async); }} #}}
 
 
 {{## def.$data:
diff --git a/lib/dot/validate.jst b/lib/dot/validate.jst
index 026b70a..82023a7 100644
--- a/lib/dot/validate.jst
+++ b/lib/dot/validate.jst
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@
 {{?}}
 
 {{? typeof it.schema == 'boolean' || !($refKeywords || it.schema.$ref) }}
+  {{ var $keyword = 'false schema'; }}
+  {{# def.setupKeyword }}
   {{? it.schema === false}}
-    {{ var $keyword = 'false schema'; }}
-    {{# def.setupKeyword }}
     {{? it.isTop}}
       {{ $breakOnError = true; }}
     {{??}}
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
 
   var vErrors = null; {{ /* don't edit, used in replace */ }}
   var errors = 0;     {{ /* don't edit, used in replace */ }}
-  if (rootData === undefined) rootData = data;
+  if (rootData === undefined) rootData = data; {{ /* don't edit, used in replace */ }}
 {{??}}
   {{
     var $lvl = it.level
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@
 {{# def.cleanUp }}
 
 {{? $top && $breakOnError }}
-  {{# def.cleanUpVarErrors }}
+  {{# def.finalCleanUp }}
 {{?}}
 
 {{
diff --git a/spec/async/boolean.json b/spec/async/boolean.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..59284c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/async/boolean.json
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+[
+  {
+    "description": "boolean schema = true in properties",
+    "schema": {
+      "$async": true,
+      "properties": {
+        "foo": true
+      }
+    },
+    "tests": [
+      {
+        "description": "any data is valid",
+        "data": { "foo": 1 },
+        "valid": true
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "description": "boolean schema = false in properties",
+    "schema": {
+      "$async": true,
+      "properties": {
+        "foo": false
+      }
+    },
+    "tests": [
+      {
+        "description": "any property is invalid",
+        "data": { "foo": 1 },
+        "valid": false
+      },
+      {
+        "description": "without property is valid",
+        "data": { "bar": 1 },
+        "valid": true
+      },
+      {
+        "description": "empty object is valid",
+        "data": {},
+        "valid": true
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "description": "boolean schema = true in $ref",
+    "schema": {
+      "$async": true,
+      "$ref": "#/definitions/true",
+      "definitions": {
+        "true": true
+      }
+    },
+    "tests": [
+      {
+        "description": "any data is valid",
+        "data": 1,
+        "valid": true
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "description": "boolean schema = false in $ref",
+    "schema": {
+      "$async": true,
+      "$ref": "#/definitions/false",
+      "definitions": {
+        "false": false
+      }
+    },
+    "tests": [
+      {
+        "description": "any data is invalid",
+        "data": 1,
+        "valid": false
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "description": "boolean schema = true in properties with $ref",
+    "schema": {
+      "$async": true,
+      "properties": {
+        "foo": { "$ref": "#/definitions/foo" }
+      },
+      "definitions": {
+        "foo": true
+      }
+    },
+    "tests": [
+      {
+        "description": "any data is valid",
+        "data": { "foo": 1 },
+        "valid": true
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "description": "boolean schema = false in properties with $ref",
+    "schema": {
+      "$async": true,
+      "properties": {
+        "foo": { "$ref": "#/definitions/foo" }
+      },
+      "definitions": {
+        "foo": false
+      }
+    },
+    "tests": [
+      {
+        "description": "any property is invalid",
+        "data": { "foo": 1 },
+        "valid": false
+      },
+      {
+        "description": "without property is valid",
+        "data": { "bar": 1 },
+        "valid": true
+      },
+      {
+        "description": "empty object is valid",
+        "data": {},
+        "valid": true
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+]
diff --git a/spec/boolean.spec.js b/spec/boolean.spec.js
index 2a3474c..eeb8a47 100644
--- a/spec/boolean.spec.js
+++ b/spec/boolean.spec.js
@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@ describe('boolean schemas', function() {
   var ajvs;
 
   before(function() {
-    ajvs = [ new Ajv, new Ajv({allErrors: true}) ];
+    ajvs = [
+      new Ajv,
+      new Ajv({allErrors: true}),
+      new Ajv({inlineRefs: false})
+    ];
   });
 
   describe('top level schema', function() {
@@ -431,6 +435,35 @@ describe('boolean schemas', function() {
   });
 
 
+  describe('in $ref', function() {
+    describe('schema = true', function() {
+      it('should be valid with any data', function() {
+        ajvs.forEach(test(true, true));
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('schema = false', function() {
+      it('should be invalid with any data', function() {
+        ajvs.forEach(test(false, false));
+      });
+    });
+
+    function test(boolSchema, valid) {
+      return function (ajv) {
+        var schema = {
+          $ref: '#/definitions/bool',
+          definitions: {
+            bool: boolSchema
+          }
+        };
+
+        var validate = ajv.compile(schema);
+        testSchema(validate, valid);
+      };
+    }
+  });
+
+
   function testSchema(validate, valid) {
     validate(1) .should.equal(valid);
     validate('foo') .should.equal(valid);