diff --git a/reference.go b/reference.go
index d4d2eca..6457291 100644
--- a/reference.go
+++ b/reference.go
@@ -27,11 +27,12 @@
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"github.com/xeipuuv/gojsonpointer"
 	"net/url"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/xeipuuv/gojsonpointer"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -124,16 +125,21 @@
 // Creates a new reference from a parent and a child
 // If the child cannot inherit from the parent, an error is returned
 func (r *JsonReference) Inherits(child JsonReference) (*JsonReference, error) {
-	childUrl := child.GetUrl()
-	parentUrl := r.GetUrl()
-	if childUrl == nil {
+	if child.GetUrl() == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("childUrl is nil!")
 	}
-	if parentUrl == nil {
+
+	if r.GetUrl() == nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("parentUrl is nil!")
 	}
 
-	ref, err := NewJsonReference(parentUrl.ResolveReference(childUrl).String())
+	// Get a copy of the parent url to make sure we do not modify the original.
+	// URL reference resolving fails if the fragment of the child is empty, but the parent's is not.
+	// The fragment of the child must be used, so the fragment of the parent is manually removed.
+	parentUrl := *r.GetUrl()
+	parentUrl.Fragment = ""
+
+	ref, err := NewJsonReference(parentUrl.ResolveReference(child.GetUrl()).String())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/reference_test.go b/reference_test.go
index 4f6e773..7380473 100644
--- a/reference_test.go
+++ b/reference_test.go
@@ -245,6 +245,24 @@
 	}
 }
 
+func TestInheritsEmptyFragment(t *testing.T) {
+	in1 := "#a"
+	in2 := ""
+
+	r1, _ := NewJsonReference(in1)
+	r2, _ := NewJsonReference(in2)
+
+	result, err := r1.Inherits(r2)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Inherits(%s,%s) should not fail. Error: %s", r1.String(), r2.String(), err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if result.String() != in2 {
+		t.Errorf("Inherits(%s,%s) should be empty but is %s", in1, in2, result)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestFileScheme(t *testing.T) {
 
 	in1 := "file:///Users/mac/1.json#a"
@@ -266,7 +284,7 @@
 	}
 
 	if r1.IsCanonical() != true {
-		t.Errorf("NewJsonReference(%v)::IsCanonical %v expect %v", in1, r1.IsCanonical, true)
+		t.Errorf("NewJsonReference(%v)::IsCanonical %v expect %v", in1, r1.IsCanonical(), true)
 	}
 
 	result, err := r1.Inherits(r2)