diff --git a/Describer/ParameterRefMergeDescriber.php b/Describer/ParameterRefMergeDescriber.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bebf8d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Describer/ParameterRefMergeDescriber.php
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the NelmioApiDocBundle package.
+ *
+ * (c) Nelmio
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace Nelmio\ApiDocBundle\Describer;
+
+use EXSyst\Component\Swagger\Collections\Parameters;
+use EXSyst\Component\Swagger\Operation;
+use EXSyst\Component\Swagger\Parameter;
+use EXSyst\Component\Swagger\Path;
+use EXSyst\Component\Swagger\Swagger;
+
+/**
+ * Merges parameters that have been added as refs through config files with those that get auto generated based on
+ * routes.
+ */
+class ParameterRefMergeDescriber implements DescriberInterface
+{
+    /**
+     * {@inheritdoc}
+     */
+    public function describe(Swagger $api)
+    {
+        /** @var Path $path */
+        foreach ($api->getPaths() as $path) {
+            /** @var Operation $operation */
+            foreach ($path->getOperations() as $operation) {
+                $this->checkOperation($api, $operation);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This method removes parameters that also have a ref version as they will be duplicated otherwise.
+     */
+    private function checkOperation(Swagger $api, Operation $operation)
+    {
+        $parametersToRemove = [];
+
+        /** @var Parameter[] $globalParams */
+        $globalParams = $api->getParameters();
+        /** @var Parameters|Parameter[] $currentParams */
+        $currentParams = $operation->getParameters();
+
+        foreach ($currentParams as $parameter) {
+            $ref = $parameter->getRef();
+
+            if (null === $ref) {
+                // we only concern ourselves with '$ref' parameters
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            $ref = \mb_substr($ref, 13); // trim the '#/parameters/' part of ref
+            if (!isset($globalParams[$ref])) {
+                // this really shouldn't happen, if it does there will be other failures elsewhere, so just ignore here
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            $refParameter = $globalParams[$ref];
+            // param ids are in form {name}/{in}
+            $refParameterId = \sprintf('%s/%s', $refParameter->getName(), $refParameter->getIn());
+            if ($currentParams->has($refParameterId)) {
+                // if we got here it means a duplicate parameter is directly defined, schedule it for removal
+                $parametersToRemove[] = $currentParams->get($refParameterId);
+            }
+        }
+
+        foreach ($parametersToRemove as $parameterToRemove) {
+            $currentParams->remove($parameterToRemove);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Resources/config/services.xml b/Resources/config/services.xml
index 978930e..c6ad025 100644
--- a/Resources/config/services.xml
+++ b/Resources/config/services.xml
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@
             <tag name="nelmio_api_doc.describer" priority="-1000" />
         </service>
 
+        <service id="nelmio_api_doc.describers.param_ref_merge" class="Nelmio\ApiDocBundle\Describer\ParameterRefMergeDescriber" public="false">
+            <tag name="nelmio_api_doc.describer" priority="-999" />
+        </service>
+
         <!-- Routing Describers -->
         <service id="nelmio_api_doc.route_describers.route_metadata" class="Nelmio\ApiDocBundle\RouteDescriber\RouteMetadataDescriber" public="false">
             <tag name="nelmio_api_doc.route_describer" priority="-300" />
diff --git a/Tests/Describer/AbstractDescriberTest.php b/Tests/Describer/AbstractDescriberTest.php
index b1cca2d..f73dcb3 100644
--- a/Tests/Describer/AbstractDescriberTest.php
+++ b/Tests/Describer/AbstractDescriberTest.php
@@ -12,10 +12,12 @@
 namespace Nelmio\ApiDocBundle\Tests\Describer;
 
 use EXSyst\Component\Swagger\Swagger;
+use Nelmio\ApiDocBundle\Describer\DescriberInterface;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
 
 abstract class AbstractDescriberTest extends TestCase
 {
+    /** @var DescriberInterface */
     protected $describer;
 
     protected function getSwaggerDoc(): Swagger
diff --git a/Tests/Describer/ParameterRefMergeDescriberTest.php b/Tests/Describer/ParameterRefMergeDescriberTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd2b666
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/Describer/ParameterRefMergeDescriberTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the NelmioApiDocBundle package.
+ *
+ * (c) Nelmio
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace Nelmio\ApiDocBundle\Tests\Describer;
+
+use EXSyst\Component\Swagger\Swagger;
+use Nelmio\ApiDocBundle\Describer\ParameterRefMergeDescriber;
+
+class ParameterRefMergeDescriberTest extends AbstractDescriberTest
+{
+    public function testDescribe()
+    {
+        // this sample config was taken from a json generated by swagger without ParameterRefMergeDescriber
+        $apiDef = [
+            'swagger' => '2.0',
+            'info' => ['title' => 'Ref Test'],
+            'paths' => [
+                '/api/{version}/product' => [
+                    'get' => [
+                        'parameters' => [
+                            [
+                                '$ref' => '#/parameters/versionParam',
+                            ],
+                            [
+                                'name' => 'version',
+                                'in' => 'path',
+                                'required' => true,
+                                'type' => 'string',
+                                'pattern' => 'v\\d+',
+                            ],
+                        ],
+                    ],
+                ],
+            ],
+            'parameters' => [
+                'versionParam' => [
+                    'name' => 'version',
+                    'in' => 'path',
+                    'required' => true,
+                    'type' => 'string',
+                ],
+            ],
+        ];
+        $api = new Swagger($apiDef);
+        $this->describer->describe($api);
+
+        $describedData = $api->toArray();
+        // only one parameter should remain as they were duplicates
+        $this->assertCount(1, $describedData['paths']['/api/{version}/product']['get']['parameters']);
+    }
+
+    protected function setUp()
+    {
+        $this->describer = new ParameterRefMergeDescriber();
+    }
+}