diff --git a/__tests__/__fixtures__/invalid-ref-oas/external-components.json b/__tests__/__fixtures__/invalid-ref-oas/external-components.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0a87758ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/__fixtures__/invalid-ref-oas/external-components.json
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+{
+  "requestBodies": {
+    "Pet": {
+      "content": {
+        "application/json": {
+          "schema": {
+            "$ref": "#/schemas/Pet"
+          }
+        },
+        "application/xml": {
+          "schema": {
+            "$ref": "#/schemas/Pet"
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "description": "Pet object that needs to be added to the store",
+      "required": true
+    }
+  },
+  "schemas": {
+    "Order": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "properties": {
+        "id": {
+          "type": "integer",
+          "format": "int64"
+        },
+        "petId": {
+          "type": "integer",
+          "format": "int64"
+        },
+        "quantity": {
+          "type": "integer",
+          "format": "int32"
+        },
+        "shipDate": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "format": "date-time"
+        },
+        "status": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "Order Status",
+          "enum": [
+            "placed",
+            "approved",
+            "delivered"
+          ]
+        },
+        "complete": {
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "default": false
+        }
+      },
+      "xml": {
+        "name": "Order"
+      }
+    },
+    "Category": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "properties": {
+        "id": {
+          "type": "integer",
+          "format": "int64"
+        },
+        "name": {
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "xml": {
+        "name": "Category"
+      }
+    },
+    "User": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "properties": {
+        "id": {
+          "type": "integer",
+          "format": "int64"
+        },
+        "username": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "firstName": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "lastName": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "email": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "password": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "phone": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "userStatus": {
+          "type": "integer",
+          "format": "int32",
+          "description": "User Status"
+        }
+      },
+      "xml": {
+        "name": "User"
+      }
+    },
+    "Tag": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "properties": {
+        "id": {
+          "type": "integer",
+          "format": "int64"
+        },
+        "name": {
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "xml": {
+        "name": "Tag"
+      }
+    },
+    "Pet": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "required": [
+        "name",
+        "photoUrls"
+      ],
+      "properties": {
+        "id": {
+          "type": "integer",
+          "format": "int64",
+          "default": 40,
+          "example": 25
+        },
+        "category": {
+          "$ref": "#/schemas/Category"
+        },
+        "name": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "example": "doggie"
+        },
+        "photoUrls": {
+          "type": "array",
+          "xml": {
+            "name": "photoUrl",
+            "wrapped": true
+          },
+          "items": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "example": "https://example.com/photo.png"
+          }
+        },
+        "tags": {
+          "type": "array",
+          "xml": {
+            "name": "tag",
+            "wrapped": true
+          },
+          "items": {
+            "$ref": "#/schemas/Tag"
+          }
+        },
+        "status": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "pet status in the store",
+          "enum": [
+            "available",
+            "pending",
+            "sold"
+          ]
+        }
+      },
+      "xml": {
+        "name": "Pet"
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/__tests__/__fixtures__/invalid-ref-oas/petstore.json b/__tests__/__fixtures__/invalid-ref-oas/petstore.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a6df77458
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/__fixtures__/invalid-ref-oas/petstore.json
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+{
+  "openapi": "3.0.0",
+  "info": {
+    "version": "1.0.0",
+    "title": "Example petstore to demo our handling of external $ref pointers"
+  },
+  "servers": [
+    {
+      "url": "http://petstore.swagger.io/v2"
+    }
+  ],
+  "paths": {
+    "/pet": {
+      "post": {
+        "tags": ["pet"],
+        "summary": "Add a new pet to the store",
+        "description": "",
+        "operationId": "addPet",
+        "requestBody": {
+          "$ref": "__tests__/__fixtures__/ref-oas/external-components.json#/requestBodies/Petty"
+        },
+        "responses": {
+          "405": {
+            "description": "Invalid input"
+          }
+        },
+        "security": [
+          {
+            "petstore_auth": ["write:pets", "read:pets"]
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      "put": {
+        "tags": ["pet"],
+        "summary": "Update an existing pet",
+        "description": "",
+        "operationId": "updatePet",
+        "requestBody": {
+          "$ref": "__tests__/__fixtures__/ref-oas/external-components.json#/requestBodies/Petty"
+        },
+        "responses": {
+          "400": {
+            "description": "Invalid ID supplied"
+          },
+          "404": {
+            "description": "Pet not found"
+          },
+          "405": {
+            "description": "Validation exception"
+          }
+        },
+        "security": [
+          {
+            "petstore_auth": ["write:pets", "read:pets"]
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    },
+    "/pet/{petId}": {
+      "get": {
+        "tags": ["pet"],
+        "summary": "Find pet by ID",
+        "description": "Returns a single pet",
+        "operationId": "getPetById",
+        "parameters": [
+          {
+            "name": "petId",
+            "in": "path",
+            "description": "ID of pet to return",
+            "required": true,
+            "schema": {
+              "type": "integer",
+              "format": "int64"
+            }
+          }
+        ],
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "successful operation",
+            "content": {
+              "application/xml": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "__tests__/__fixtures__/ref-oas/external-components.json#/schemas/Petty"
+                }
+              },
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "__tests__/__fixtures__/ref-oas/external-components.json#/schemas/Petty"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "400": {
+            "description": "Invalid ID supplied"
+          },
+          "404": {
+            "description": "Pet not found"
+          },
+          "default": {
+            "description": "successful response"
+          }
+        },
+        "security": [
+          {
+            "api_key": []
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    }
+  },
+  "components": {
+    "securitySchemes": {
+      "petstore_auth": {
+        "type": "oauth2",
+        "flows": {
+          "implicit": {
+            "authorizationUrl": "http://petstore.swagger.io/oauth/dialog",
+            "scopes": {
+              "write:pets": "modify pets in your account",
+              "read:pets": "read your pets"
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "api_key": {
+        "type": "apiKey",
+        "name": "api_key",
+        "in": "header"
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/__tests__/cmds/__snapshots__/openapi.test.js.snap b/__tests__/cmds/__snapshots__/openapi.test.js.snap
index 5ac7da20e..0435abd2d 100644
--- a/__tests__/cmds/__snapshots__/openapi.test.js.snap
+++ b/__tests__/cmds/__snapshots__/openapi.test.js.snap
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ REQUIRED must have required property 'name'
   29 |     }]
 `;
 
+exports[`rdme openapi error handling should throw an error if an invalid ref is supplied 1`] = `[MissingPointerError: Token "Petty" does not exist.]`;
+
 exports[`rdme openapi upload should bundle and upload the expected content 1`] = `
 Object {
   "components": Object {
diff --git a/__tests__/cmds/openapi.test.js b/__tests__/cmds/openapi.test.js
index cf56519c8..6e06b304c 100644
--- a/__tests__/cmds/openapi.test.js
+++ b/__tests__/cmds/openapi.test.js
@@ -387,6 +387,12 @@ describe('rdme openapi', () => {
       ).rejects.toMatchSnapshot();
     });
 
+    it.only('should throw an error if an invalid ref is supplied', () => {
+      return expect(
+        openapi.run({ spec: './__tests__/__fixtures__/invalid-ref-oas/petstore.json', key, id, version })
+      ).rejects.toMatchSnapshot();
+    });
+
     it('should throw an error if an invalid Swagger definition is supplied (create)', async () => {
       const errorObject = {
         error: 'INTERNAL_ERROR',
diff --git a/src/lib/prepareOas.js b/src/lib/prepareOas.js
index 0d2158f9a..1d144c4f8 100644
--- a/src/lib/prepareOas.js
+++ b/src/lib/prepareOas.js
@@ -34,15 +34,10 @@ module.exports = async function prepare(path, bundle = false) {
   let bundledSpec = '';
 
   if (bundle) {
-    bundledSpec = await oas
-      .bundle()
-      .then(res => {
-        return JSON.stringify(res);
-      })
-      .catch(err => {
-        debug(`raw bundling error object: ${JSON.stringify(err)}`);
-        throw err;
-      });
+    bundledSpec = await oas.bundle().then(res => {
+      return JSON.stringify(res);
+    });
+
     debug('spec bundled');
   }