diff --git a/internal/openapi/schema.go b/internal/openapi/schema.go
index 3816c4c..35b191b 100644
--- a/internal/openapi/schema.go
+++ b/internal/openapi/schema.go
@@ -174,6 +174,17 @@ func fieldNotFoundErr(seg string, props map[string]*base.SchemaProxy, sch *base.
 	}
 }
 
+// allOfShapeKeys are the non-object schema facets simplify adopts from allOf
+// members so a typed ref wrapped in an allOf (the `.describe()`-on-a-ref
+// pattern) keeps its shape instead of collapsing to an empty object. properties
+// and required are merged separately, so they are deliberately excluded here. A
+// later member's value overrides an earlier one's; the schema's own facets,
+// applied after the allOf loop, override these in turn.
+var allOfShapeKeys = []string{
+	"type", "items", "anyOf", "oneOf", "additionalProperties",
+	"enum", "format", "description", "default", "example",
+}
+
 // simplify turns a libopenapi schema into a compact, agent-friendly map. It
 // merges allOf composition into a single object, preserves descriptions, enums,
 // formats, required fields and examples, and guards against deep nesting (via
@@ -230,9 +241,13 @@ func (d *describer) simplify(proxy *base.SchemaProxy, depth int, seen map[string
 		}
 	}
 
-	// allOf composes at the same level: merge member properties and required
-	// into this object. Members are expanded at the same depth, since allOf is
-	// composition rather than nesting.
+	// allOf composes at the same level. Object members contribute their
+	// properties and required, merged here at the same depth since allOf is
+	// composition rather than nesting. A member that instead carries a
+	// non-object shape is the `.describe()`-on-a-ref pattern: a typed ref —
+	// array, scalar, or union — wrapped in an allOf alongside a description-only
+	// sibling. We adopt that shape directly (see allOfShapeKeys); without it the
+	// field would lose its type/items and collapse to an empty object.
 	for _, member := range sch.AllOf {
 		sub, ok := d.simplify(member, depth, childSeen).(map[string]interface{})
 		if !ok {
@@ -246,6 +261,11 @@ func (d *describer) simplify(proxy *base.SchemaProxy, depth int, seen map[string
 		if req, ok := sub["required"].([]string); ok {
 			addRequired(req)
 		}
+		for _, k := range allOfShapeKeys {
+			if v, ok := sub[k]; ok {
+				out[k] = v
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	// This schema's own properties (nested one level deeper).
@@ -356,6 +376,14 @@ func (d *describer) synth(proxy *base.SchemaProxy, name string, depth int, seen
 			return obj
 		}
 		reqSet, props := gatherObject(sch, childSeen)
+		// A `.describe()`-on-a-ref wrapper around a non-object (e.g. an array or
+		// scalar ref beside a description-only sibling) has nothing to gather as
+		// an object. Synthesize the underlying typed member instead of {}.
+		if len(props) == 0 && len(reqSet) == 0 && len(sch.AllOf) > 0 {
+			if m := substantiveAllOfMember(sch); m != nil {
+				return d.synth(m, name, depth, childSeen)
+			}
+		}
 		for _, fieldName := range sortedKeys(reqSet) {
 			if p, ok := props[fieldName]; ok {
 				obj[fieldName] = d.synth(p, fieldName, depth+1, childSeen)
@@ -428,6 +456,46 @@ func gatherObject(sch *base.Schema, seen map[string]bool) (map[string]bool, map[
 	return reqSet, props
 }
 
+// substantiveAllOfMember returns the single allOf member that carries an actual
+// shape — a $ref or any typed/composed schema — ignoring description-only
+// siblings. It lets synth handle the `.describe()`-on-a-ref pattern, where a
+// typed ref is wrapped in an allOf next to a metadata-only member. It returns
+// nil unless exactly one member is substantive, so an ambiguous composition
+// falls back to plain object handling.
+func substantiveAllOfMember(sch *base.Schema) *base.SchemaProxy {
+	var found *base.SchemaProxy
+	for _, m := range sch.AllOf {
+		if m == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		if !m.IsReference() {
+			ms := m.Schema()
+			if ms == nil || isMetadataOnly(ms) {
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+		if found != nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+		found = m
+	}
+	return found
+}
+
+// isMetadataOnly reports whether a schema carries no structural shape — only
+// annotations like description. Such a member is the description-only sibling in
+// the `.describe()`-on-a-ref pattern.
+func isMetadataOnly(sch *base.Schema) bool {
+	return len(sch.Type) == 0 &&
+		sch.Properties == nil &&
+		len(sch.AllOf) == 0 &&
+		len(sch.AnyOf) == 0 &&
+		len(sch.OneOf) == 0 &&
+		sch.Items == nil &&
+		len(sch.Enum) == 0 &&
+		(sch.AdditionalProperties == nil || !sch.AdditionalProperties.IsA())
+}
+
 // placeholder returns a typed stand-in value for a required field that carries
 // no example. Strings echo the field name so the agent knows what to fill in.
 func placeholder(name, typ string) interface{} {
diff --git a/internal/openapi/schema_test.go b/internal/openapi/schema_test.go
index 8a6702c..cc0e31a 100644
--- a/internal/openapi/schema_test.go
+++ b/internal/openapi/schema_test.go
@@ -302,6 +302,152 @@ func TestSchema_MapExampleShowsRepresentativeEntry(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// describeRefTestSpec exercises the `.describe()`-on-a-ref pattern: a typed ref
+// wrapped in an allOf alongside a description-only sibling. `containers` wraps an
+// array ref (Layout) and `identifier` wraps a scalar ref (DocId). A naive
+// allOf merge that only harvests object properties/required drops these to an
+// empty object; the describer must instead adopt the underlying shape.
+const describeRefTestSpec = `{
+  "openapi": "3.1.0",
+  "info": {"title": "test", "version": "1.0"},
+  "paths": {
+    "/api/v1/docs": {
+      "post": {
+        "operationId": "docsCreate",
+        "tags": ["docs"],
+        "requestBody": {
+          "content": {
+            "application/json": {
+              "schema": {"$ref": "#/components/schemas/CreateDoc"}
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        "responses": {"200": {"description": "ok"}}
+      }
+    }
+  },
+  "components": {
+    "schemas": {
+      "Grid": {"type": "object", "required": ["kind"], "properties": {"kind": {"type": "string", "example": "grid"}}},
+      "Stack": {"type": "object", "required": ["kind"], "properties": {"kind": {"type": "string", "example": "stack"}}},
+      "Layout": {
+        "type": "array",
+        "description": "Container layout array.",
+        "items": {"anyOf": [{"$ref": "#/components/schemas/Grid"}, {"$ref": "#/components/schemas/Stack"}]}
+      },
+      "DocId": {"type": "string", "minLength": 2, "description": "Base identifier description."},
+      "CreateDoc": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "required": ["containers", "identifier"],
+        "properties": {
+          "containers": {
+            "allOf": [
+              {"$ref": "#/components/schemas/Layout"},
+              {"description": "Override: when present, replaces the existing layout."}
+            ]
+          },
+          "identifier": {
+            "allOf": [
+              {"$ref": "#/components/schemas/DocId"},
+              {"description": "Override: identifier for the new document."}
+            ]
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}`
+
+// An array ref wrapped in a describe()-allOf must keep its array shape and items
+// union, not collapse to an empty object.
+func TestSchema_DescribeOnRefArrayKeepsShape(t *testing.T) {
+	doc, err := runSchemaWith(t, describeRefTestSpec)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	body := doc.Body.(map[string]interface{})
+	props := body["properties"].(map[string]interface{})
+	containers, ok := props["containers"].(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("containers property missing or not an object")
+	}
+	if containers["type"] != "array" {
+		t.Errorf("containers.type = %v, want array (shape lost to allOf merge)", containers["type"])
+	}
+	items, ok := containers["items"].(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("containers.items missing — array shape was dropped: %v", containers)
+	}
+	anyOf, ok := items["anyOf"].([]interface{})
+	if !ok || len(anyOf) != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("containers.items.anyOf = %v, want 2 members (Grid/Stack)", items["anyOf"])
+	}
+	// The description-only sibling overrides the ref's own description.
+	if got, _ := containers["description"].(string); !strings.HasPrefix(got, "Override:") {
+		t.Errorf("containers.description = %q, want the sibling override to win", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// A scalar ref wrapped in a describe()-allOf must keep its scalar type and take
+// the sibling's overriding description.
+func TestSchema_DescribeOnRefScalarKeepsType(t *testing.T) {
+	doc, err := runSchemaWith(t, describeRefTestSpec)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	body := doc.Body.(map[string]interface{})
+	props := body["properties"].(map[string]interface{})
+	identifier, ok := props["identifier"].(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("identifier property missing or not an object")
+	}
+	if identifier["type"] != "string" {
+		t.Errorf("identifier.type = %v, want string (scalar shape lost)", identifier["type"])
+	}
+	if got, _ := identifier["description"].(string); !strings.HasPrefix(got, "Override:") {
+		t.Errorf("identifier.description = %q, want the sibling override to win", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// The synthesized example must reflect the underlying typed member: an array for
+// the array ref and a scalar placeholder for the scalar ref, not empty objects.
+func TestSchema_DescribeOnRefExampleSynthesizesShape(t *testing.T) {
+	doc, err := runSchemaWith(t, describeRefTestSpec)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	ex, ok := doc.Example.(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("example is not an object: %T", doc.Example)
+	}
+	arr, ok := ex["containers"].([]interface{})
+	if !ok || len(arr) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("example.containers = %v, want a one-element array (got empty object?)", ex["containers"])
+	}
+	if s, ok := ex["identifier"].(string); !ok || !strings.HasPrefix(s, "<") {
+		t.Errorf("example.identifier = %v, want a scalar placeholder", ex["identifier"])
+	}
+}
+
+// Drilling --field into a describe()-on-a-ref array resolves and expands it,
+// rather than returning an empty body.
+func TestSchema_DescribeOnRefFieldDrill(t *testing.T) {
+	doc, err := runSchemaWith(t, describeRefTestSpec, "--field", "containers")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	body, ok := doc.Body.(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("body is not an object: %T", doc.Body)
+	}
+	if body["type"] != "array" {
+		t.Errorf("drilled containers.type = %v, want array", body["type"])
+	}
+	if _, ok := body["items"].(map[string]interface{}); !ok {
+		t.Errorf("drilled containers.items missing: %v", body)
+	}
+}
+
 // runSchemaWith runs "create --schema" plus extra flags against a spec. On
 // success it returns the parsed doc; on failure it returns the execution error
 // (usage/errors silenced so the error carries only the message under test).