diff --git a/src/metadataGeneration/tsoa.ts b/src/metadataGeneration/tsoa.ts
index 8313cd664..e3003e809 100644
--- a/src/metadataGeneration/tsoa.ts
+++ b/src/metadataGeneration/tsoa.ts
@@ -124,9 +124,6 @@ export namespace Tsoa {
     description?: string;
     dataType: RefTypeLiteral;
     refName: string;
-    properties?: Property[];
-    additionalProperties?: Type;
-    enums?: string[];
     example?: any;
   }
 
@@ -134,10 +131,13 @@ export namespace Tsoa {
 
   export interface ReferenceObject extends ReferenceTypeBase {
     dataType: 'refObject';
+    properties: Property[];
+    additionalProperties?: Type;
   }
 
   export interface ReferenceEnum extends ReferenceTypeBase {
     dataType: 'refEnum';
+    enums: string[];
   }
 
   export interface ReferenceTypeAlias extends Omit<Property, 'name' | 'required'>, ReferenceTypeBase {
diff --git a/src/metadataGeneration/typeResolver.ts b/src/metadataGeneration/typeResolver.ts
index 8823514e8..a9f09821d 100644
--- a/src/metadataGeneration/typeResolver.ts
+++ b/src/metadataGeneration/typeResolver.ts
@@ -393,14 +393,14 @@ export class TypeResolver {
     const inheritedProperties = this.getModelInheritedProperties(modelType) || [];
     const example = this.getNodeExample(modelType);
 
-    const referenceType = {
+    const referenceType: Tsoa.ReferenceObject = {
       additionalProperties,
       dataType: 'refObject',
       description: this.getNodeDescription(modelType),
       properties: inheritedProperties,
       refName: this.getRefTypeName(name),
       ...(example && { example }),
-    } as Tsoa.ReferenceType;
+    };
 
     referenceType.properties = (referenceType.properties as Tsoa.Property[]).concat(properties);
 
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ export class TypeResolver {
   }
 
   private createCircularDependencyResolver(refName: string) {
-    const referenceType = {
+    let referenceType = {
       dataType: 'refObject',
       refName,
     } as Tsoa.ReferenceType;
@@ -440,10 +440,10 @@ export class TypeResolver {
       if (!realReferenceType) {
         return;
       }
-      referenceType.description = realReferenceType.description;
-      referenceType.properties = realReferenceType.properties;
-      referenceType.dataType = realReferenceType.dataType;
-      referenceType.refName = referenceType.refName;
+      referenceType = {
+        ...referenceType,
+        ...realReferenceType,
+      };
     });
 
     return referenceType;
@@ -711,7 +711,7 @@ export class TypeResolver {
         }
 
         const referenceType = this.getReferenceType(t);
-        if (referenceType.properties) {
+        if (referenceType.dataType === 'refObject') {
           referenceType.properties.forEach(property => properties.push(property));
         }
 
diff --git a/src/routeGeneration/routeGenerator.ts b/src/routeGeneration/routeGenerator.ts
index 18c7a01bf..5a9283eed 100644
--- a/src/routeGeneration/routeGenerator.ts
+++ b/src/routeGeneration/routeGenerator.ts
@@ -138,24 +138,29 @@ export class RouteGenerator {
       const referenceType = this.metadata.referenceTypeMap[name];
 
       const properties: { [name: string]: TsoaRoute.PropertySchema } = {};
-      if (referenceType.properties) {
+      if (referenceType.dataType === 'refObject') {
         referenceType.properties.map(property => {
           properties[property.name] = this.buildPropertySchema(property);
         });
       }
+
       const modelSchema = {
-        enums: referenceType.enums,
-        properties: Object.keys(properties).length === 0 ? undefined : properties,
+        ...(referenceType.dataType === 'refEnum' && { enums: referenceType.enums }),
+        ...(referenceType.dataType === 'refObject' && Object.keys(properties).length > 0 && { properties }),
         ...(referenceType.dataType === 'refType' && { type: this.buildProperty(referenceType.type) }),
       } as TsoaRoute.ModelSchema;
-      if (referenceType.additionalProperties) {
-        modelSchema.additionalProperties = this.buildProperty(referenceType.additionalProperties);
-      } else if (this.minimalSwaggerConfig.noImplicitAdditionalProperties) {
-        modelSchema.additionalProperties = false;
-      } else {
-        // Since Swagger allows "excess properties" (to use a TypeScript term) by default
-        modelSchema.additionalProperties = true;
+
+      if (referenceType.dataType === 'refObject') {
+        if (referenceType.additionalProperties) {
+          modelSchema.additionalProperties = this.buildProperty(referenceType.additionalProperties);
+        } else if (this.minimalSwaggerConfig.noImplicitAdditionalProperties) {
+          modelSchema.additionalProperties = false;
+        } else {
+          // Since Swagger allows "excess properties" (to use a TypeScript term) by default
+          modelSchema.additionalProperties = true;
+        }
       }
+
       models[name] = modelSchema;
     });
     return models;
diff --git a/src/swagger/specGenerator2.ts b/src/swagger/specGenerator2.ts
index 95e58d3ff..3ab1eaa90 100644
--- a/src/swagger/specGenerator2.ts
+++ b/src/swagger/specGenerator2.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export class SpecGenerator2 extends SpecGenerator {
       const referenceType = this.metadata.referenceTypeMap[typeName];
 
       // Object definition
-      if (referenceType.properties) {
+      if (referenceType.dataType === 'refObject') {
         const required = referenceType.properties.filter(p => p.required).map(p => p.name);
         definitions[referenceType.refName] = {
           description: referenceType.description,
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ export class SpecGenerator2 extends SpecGenerator {
       }
 
       // Enum definition
-      if (referenceType.enums) {
+      if (referenceType.dataType === 'refEnum') {
         definitions[referenceType.refName] = {
           description: referenceType.description,
           enum: referenceType.enums,
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ export class SpecGenerator2 extends SpecGenerator {
     const properties = type.types.reduce((acc, type) => {
       if (type.dataType === 'refObject') {
         let refType = type as Tsoa.ReferenceType;
-        refType = this.metadata.referenceTypeMap[refType.refName];
+        refType = this.metadata.referenceTypeMap[refType.refName] as Tsoa.ReferenceObject;
 
         const props =
           refType &&
diff --git a/src/swagger/specGenerator3.ts b/src/swagger/specGenerator3.ts
index 61c9f255e..01176e964 100644
--- a/src/swagger/specGenerator3.ts
+++ b/src/swagger/specGenerator3.ts
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ export class SpecGenerator3 extends SpecGenerator {
       const referenceType = this.metadata.referenceTypeMap[typeName];
 
       // Object definition
-      if (referenceType.properties) {
+      if (referenceType.dataType === 'refObject') {
         const required = referenceType.properties.filter(p => p.required).map(p => p.name);
         schema[referenceType.refName] = {
           description: referenceType.description,
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ export class SpecGenerator3 extends SpecGenerator {
       }
 
       // Enum definition
-      if (referenceType.enums) {
+      if (referenceType.dataType === 'refEnum') {
         schema[referenceType.refName] = {
           description: referenceType.description,
           enum: referenceType.enums,