diff --git a/.changeset/fix-operation-channel-schema.md b/.changeset/fix-operation-channel-schema.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fcce000b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fix-operation-channel-schema.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@asyncapi/parser": patch
+---
+
+Fix schema parsing for messages defined through operation channel references.
diff --git a/packages/parser/src/custom-operations/parse-schema.ts b/packages/parser/src/custom-operations/parse-schema.ts
index d33c017b4..a7a2f3c58 100644
--- a/packages/parser/src/custom-operations/parse-schema.ts
+++ b/packages/parser/src/custom-operations/parse-schema.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ const customSchemasPathsV3 = [
   '$.components.channels.*.messages.*.payload',
   '$.components.channels.*.messages.*.headers',
   // operations
+  '$.operations.*.channel.messages.*.payload',
+  '$.operations.*.channel.messages.*.headers',
   '$.operations.*.messages.*.payload',
   '$.operations.*.messages.*.headers',
   '$.components.operations.*.messages.*.payload',
diff --git a/packages/parser/test/custom-operations/parse-schema-v3.spec.ts b/packages/parser/test/custom-operations/parse-schema-v3.spec.ts
index 12cb24403..44731618e 100644
--- a/packages/parser/test/custom-operations/parse-schema-v3.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/parser/test/custom-operations/parse-schema-v3.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { AsyncAPIDocumentV3 } from '../../src/models';
 import { Parser } from '../../src/parser';
 import { filterLastVersionDiagnostics } from '../utils';
+import type { SchemaParser } from '../../src/schema-parser';
 
 import type { v3 } from '../../src/spec-types';
 
@@ -253,4 +254,45 @@ describe('custom operations for v3 - parse schemas', function() {
       type: 'string',
     });
   });
+
+  it('should parse schema through an external operation channel reference', async function() {
+    const documentRaw = {
+      asyncapi: '3.0.0',
+      info: {
+        title: 'External operation channel test',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+      },
+      operations: {
+        operation: {
+          action: 'receive',
+          channel: {
+            $ref: '../mocks/parse/operation-channel.yaml#/channels/BarChannel',
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    };
+
+    const customParser: SchemaParser = {
+      validate: () => [],
+      parse: async input => ({
+        ...(input.data as any),
+        'x-custom-parser': true,
+      }),
+      getMimeTypes: () => ['application/vnd.aai.asyncapi;version=2.0.0'],
+    };
+
+    parser.registerSchemaParser(customParser);
+
+    const { document } = await parser.parse(documentRaw, {
+      source: __filename,
+    });
+
+    expect(
+      (document?.json() as any).operations.operation.channel.messages.AMessage
+        .payload.schema,
+    ).toEqual({
+      type: 'object',
+      'x-custom-parser': true,
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/parser/test/mocks/parse/operation-channel.yaml b/packages/parser/test/mocks/parse/operation-channel.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..41a5faff6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/parser/test/mocks/parse/operation-channel.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+channels:
+  BarChannel:
+    address: test
+    messages:
+      AMessage:
+        payload:
+          schemaFormat: 'application/vnd.aai.asyncapi;version=2.0.0'
+          schema:
+            type: object