diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index 9988183..757be45 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -10,11 +10,10 @@ export function getSchemaUrl(schemaName, version) {
   // check for query param override
   const schemas_url = getSearchParam("schemas");
   // Use raw github URL since the link will also display in the browser
-  let baseUrl = `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ome/ngff-spec/${version}/schemas`;
+  // let baseUrl = `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ome/ngff-spec/${version}/schemas`;
+  let baseUrl = `https://ngff--581.org.readthedocs.build/${version}/schemas`;
   if (schemas_url) {
     baseUrl = schemas_url;
-  } else if (version.startsWith("0.6")) {
-    baseUrl = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ome/ngff-spec/refs/heads/main/schemas";
   }
   if (baseUrl.endsWith("/")) {
     baseUrl = baseUrl.slice(0, -1);
@@ -248,6 +247,23 @@ export function validateData(schema, jsonData, extraSchemas) {
   return errors;
 }
 
+function getRefs(jsonSchema) {
+  // Return an array of $ref values found in the JSON schema.
+  let refs = [];
+  function findRefs(obj) {
+    if (typeof obj !== "object" || obj === null) return;
+    for (const key in obj) {
+      if (key === "$ref" && !refs.includes(obj[key])) {
+        refs.push(obj[key]);
+      } else {
+        findRefs(obj[key]);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  findRefs(jsonSchema);
+  return refs;
+}
+
 export async function validate(jsonData) {
   // get version, lookup schema, do validation...
   // v0.5+ unwrap the attrs under "attributes.ome"
@@ -278,29 +294,53 @@ export async function validate(jsonData) {
   }
 
   let refSchemas = [];
-  // TODO: need to know whether to load other schemas...
-  // For now, we can use version check... 
-  if (version === "0.5") {
-    const versionSchema = await getSchema(getSchemaUrl("_version", version));
-    // const schemaSchema = await getSchema(getSchemaUrl("_schema_url", version));
-    refSchemas = [versionSchema];
-    // For version 0.5+, we validate the "attributes" content.
-    // If no "attributes" exist, then it will be assumed this is v0.4 data (see above)
+
+  if (jsonData.attributes) {
     jsonData = jsonData.attributes;
   }
 
-  if (version.startsWith("0.6")) {
-    refSchemas = [];
-    // Since the image.schema has $id: https://ngff.openmicroscopy.org/0.6rc0/schemas/image.schema
-    // and contains "$ref": "coordinate_systems.schema" etc
-    // We need to use the same URL prefix for all those $ref schemas
-    const names = ["coordinate_transformations", "coordinate_systems", "axes", "_version"];
-    for(const name of names) {
-      const schema = await getSchema(getSchemaUrl(name, version));
-      schema["$id"] = `https://ngff.openmicroscopy.org/0.6rc0/schemas/${name}.schema`;
-      refSchemas.push(schema);
+  // Before we validate, need to load any additional schemas
+  // found under $refs...
+  let refs = [];
+  for (let s=0; s<schemaUrls.length; s++) {
+    let schema = await getSchema(schemaUrls[s]);
+    for (let ref of getRefs(schema)) {
+      // ignore local references within the same schema
+      if (!ref.startsWith("#") && !refs.includes(ref)) {
+        refs.push(ref.split("#")[0]);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  let loadedNames = [];
+  let refIndex = 0;
+  // We process the refs list, while also adding to it...
+  while (refIndex < refs.length) {
+    let ref = refs[refIndex];
+    refIndex++;
+    const match = ref.match(/schemas\/([a-z_]+)\.schema/);
+    if (match) {
+      const name = match[1];
+      if (!loadedNames.includes(name)) {
+        // load the schema and populate refSchemas
+        const refSchemaUrl = getSchemaUrl(name, version);
+        const refSchema = await getSchema(refSchemaUrl);
+        refSchema["$id"] = ref;
+        refSchemas.push(refSchema);
+        loadedNames.push(name);
+
+        // keep adding any new refs to the list
+        for (let newRef of getRefs(refSchema)) {
+          if (!newRef.startsWith("#") && !refs.includes(newRef.split("#")[0])) {
+            // handle e.g. $ref: "axes.schema"
+            if (!newRef.startsWith("http")) {
+              newRef = ref.split("schemas")[0] + "schemas/" + newRef;
+            }
+            refs.push(newRef.split("#")[0]);
+          }
+        }
+      }
     }
-    jsonData = jsonData.attributes;
   }
 
   let errors = [];