diff --git a/openapi3/loader.go b/openapi3/loader.go
index f7fc8cd87..a48b001ad 100644
--- a/openapi3/loader.go
+++ b/openapi3/loader.go
@@ -516,6 +516,10 @@ func (loader *Loader) resolveComponent(doc *T, ref string, path *url.URL, resolv
 		if err := codec(cursor, resolved); err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("bad data in %q (expecting %s)", ref, readableType(resolved))
 		}
+		// The value came from a generic map in T.Extensions (a $ref to an
+		// arbitrary top-level key), so the json round-trip above stripped its
+		// origins. Re-attach them from the file, best-effort.
+		loader.attachOriginToResolved(resolved, componentPath, fragment)
 		return componentDoc, componentPath, nil
 
 	default:
@@ -523,6 +527,36 @@ func (loader *Loader) resolveComponent(doc *T, ref string, path *url.URL, resolv
 	}
 }
 
+// attachOriginToResolved re-attaches source origins to a component resolved
+// through the generic-map path: a $ref to a schema under an arbitrary top-level
+// key lands in T.Extensions, and the json round-trip in resolveComponent strips
+// its origin. It re-derives the component file's origin tree, walks to the ref
+// fragment, and applies that subtree, so the object carries the same origins a
+// typed resolution would, with the original file's line numbers. Best-effort:
+// any failure leaves the object without origins, exactly as before.
+func (loader *Loader) attachOriginToResolved(resolved any, componentPath *url.URL, fragment string) {
+	if !loader.IncludeOrigin || componentPath == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	data, err := loader.readURL(componentPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	tree := originTree(data, componentPath)
+	if tree == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	for _, part := range strings.Split(strings.Trim(fragment, "/"), "/") {
+		if part == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if tree = tree.Fields[unescapeRefString(part)]; tree == nil {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	applyOrigins(resolved, tree)
+}
+
 func readableType(x any) string {
 	switch x.(type) {
 	case *Callback:
diff --git a/openapi3/origin.go b/openapi3/origin.go
index e55695a5b..c24655340 100644
--- a/openapi3/origin.go
+++ b/openapi3/origin.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package openapi3
 
 import (
+	"net/url"
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
@@ -324,3 +325,24 @@ func jsonTagName(f reflect.StructField) string {
 	name, _, _ := strings.Cut(tag, ",")
 	return name
 }
+
+// originTree parses data solely for its origin tree, used to re-attach source
+// origins to a component resolved through the generic-map path: a $ref to a
+// schema under an arbitrary top-level key lands in T.Extensions and loses its
+// origin in the json round-trip (see resolveComponent). Returns nil when parsing
+// fails; callers degrade to no origin.
+func originTree(data []byte, location *url.URL) *yaml.OriginTree {
+	var file string
+	if location != nil {
+		file = location.String()
+	}
+	var v any
+	tree, err := yaml.Unmarshal(data, &v, yaml.DecodeOpts{
+		Origin:            yaml.OriginOpt{Enabled: true, File: file},
+		DisableTimestamps: true,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return tree
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/origin_external_ref_test.go b/openapi3/origin_external_ref_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5410310e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/origin_external_ref_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package openapi3
+
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// A $ref to a schema stored under an arbitrary top-level key in another file
+// (e.g. "./schemas.yaml#/User", the Swagger-2-era "definitions bag") must carry
+// the origin of the file it lives in, like a $ref into /components/schemas does.
+// The key is not a typed field of T, so the loader reaches it through T.Extensions
+// (a generic map); the origin must survive that path.
+func TestOrigin_ExternalRefToArbitraryTopLevelKey(t *testing.T) {
+	loader := NewLoader()
+	loader.IncludeOrigin = true
+	loader.IsExternalRefsAllowed = true
+
+	doc, err := loader.LoadFromFile("testdata/origin/arbitrary_key.yaml")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	user := doc.Paths.Value("/users").Get.Responses.Value("200").Value.Content["application/json"].Schema.Value
+	require.NotNil(t, user, "the User schema resolves")
+
+	require.NotNil(t, user.Origin, "a schema $ref'd under an arbitrary top-level key must carry an origin")
+	require.NotNil(t, user.Origin.Key, "the origin has a key location")
+	require.Equal(t, "arbitrary_key_schemas.yaml", filepath.Base(user.Origin.Key.File),
+		"origin points at the file the schema lives in, not the referencing document")
+	require.NotZero(t, user.Origin.Key.Line, "the origin has a source line")
+}
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/origin/arbitrary_key.yaml b/openapi3/testdata/origin/arbitrary_key.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..11cf195fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/origin/arbitrary_key.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+openapi: 3.0.0
+info:
+  title: Arbitrary top-level key ref
+  version: 1.0.0
+paths:
+  /users:
+    get:
+      responses:
+        "200":
+          description: OK
+          content:
+            application/json:
+              schema:
+                $ref: "./arbitrary_key_schemas.yaml#/User"
diff --git a/openapi3/testdata/origin/arbitrary_key_schemas.yaml b/openapi3/testdata/origin/arbitrary_key_schemas.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8474e357b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi3/testdata/origin/arbitrary_key_schemas.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+User:
+  type: object
+  properties:
+    id:
+      type: string
+    name:
+      type: string