diff --git a/expander.go b/expander.go
index 9edbe9a..00eb5b5 100644
--- a/expander.go
+++ b/expander.go
@@ -546,25 +546,28 @@ func expandOperation(op *Operation, resolver *schemaLoader, basePath string) err
 //
 // Setting the cache is optional and this parameter may safely be left to nil.
 func ExpandResponseWithRoot(response *Response, root any, cache ResolutionCache) error {
-	cache = cacheOrDefault(cache)
-	opts := &ExpandOptions{
-		RelativeBase: baseForRoot(root, cache),
-	}
-	resolver := defaultSchemaLoader(root, opts, cache, nil)
-
-	return expandParameterOrResponse(response, resolver, opts.RelativeBase)
+	return ExpandResponseWithOptions(response, root, cache, nil)
 }
 
 // ExpandResponse expands a response based on a basepath
 //
 // All refs inside response will be resolved relative to basePath.
 func ExpandResponse(response *Response, basePath string) error {
-	opts := optionsOrDefault(&ExpandOptions{
-		RelativeBase: basePath,
-	})
-	resolver := defaultSchemaLoader(nil, opts, nil, nil)
+	return ExpandResponseWithOptions(response, nil, nil, &ExpandOptions{RelativeBase: basePath})
+}
 
-	return expandParameterOrResponse(response, resolver, opts.RelativeBase)
+// ExpandResponseWithOptions expands a response, honoring the provided expand options.
+//
+// It is the option-aware form of [ExpandResponse] and [ExpandResponseWithRoot]. When root is
+// non-nil, refs resolve against the in-memory root document; otherwise they resolve relative to
+// opts.RelativeBase.
+//
+// Set opts.PathLoaderWithOptions (or opts.PathLoader) to inject a confined document loader when
+// the response's $ref may derive from an untrusted source — see the package "Security" section.
+//
+// Setting the cache is optional and this parameter may safely be left to nil.
+func ExpandResponseWithOptions(response *Response, root any, cache ResolutionCache, opts *ExpandOptions) error {
+	return expandRefableWithOptions(response, root, cache, opts)
 }
 
 // ExpandParameterWithRoot expands a parameter based on a root document, not a fetchable document.
@@ -572,26 +575,43 @@ func ExpandResponse(response *Response, basePath string) error {
 // Notice that it is impossible to reference a json schema in a different document other than root
 // (use ExpandParameter to resolve external references).
 func ExpandParameterWithRoot(parameter *Parameter, root any, cache ResolutionCache) error {
-	cache = cacheOrDefault(cache)
-
-	opts := &ExpandOptions{
-		RelativeBase: baseForRoot(root, cache),
-	}
-	resolver := defaultSchemaLoader(root, opts, cache, nil)
-
-	return expandParameterOrResponse(parameter, resolver, opts.RelativeBase)
+	return ExpandParameterWithOptions(parameter, root, cache, nil)
 }
 
 // ExpandParameter expands a parameter based on a basepath.
 // This is the exported version of expandParameter
 // all refs inside parameter will be resolved relative to basePath.
 func ExpandParameter(parameter *Parameter, basePath string) error {
-	opts := optionsOrDefault(&ExpandOptions{
-		RelativeBase: basePath,
-	})
-	resolver := defaultSchemaLoader(nil, opts, nil, nil)
+	return ExpandParameterWithOptions(parameter, nil, nil, &ExpandOptions{RelativeBase: basePath})
+}
+
+// ExpandParameterWithOptions expands a parameter, honoring the provided expand options.
+//
+// It is the option-aware form of [ExpandParameter] and [ExpandParameterWithRoot]. When root is
+// non-nil, refs resolve against the in-memory root document; otherwise they resolve relative to
+// opts.RelativeBase.
+//
+// Set opts.PathLoaderWithOptions (or opts.PathLoader) to inject a confined document loader when
+// the parameter's $ref may derive from an untrusted source — see the package "Security" section.
+//
+// Setting the cache is optional and this parameter may safely be left to nil.
+func ExpandParameterWithOptions(parameter *Parameter, root any, cache ResolutionCache, opts *ExpandOptions) error {
+	return expandRefableWithOptions(parameter, root, cache, opts)
+}
+
+// expandRefableWithOptions is the shared implementation for the option-aware parameter/response
+// expanders. When root is non-nil, refs resolve against the in-memory root (base derived from
+// root); otherwise they resolve relative to opts.RelativeBase. opts carries the loader and other
+// expand options.
+func expandRefableWithOptions(input any, root any, cache ResolutionCache, opts *ExpandOptions) error {
+	cache = cacheOrDefault(cache)
+	effective := optionsOrDefault(opts) // clones and normalizes RelativeBase; preserves the loader
+	if root != nil {
+		effective.RelativeBase = baseForRoot(root, cache)
+	}
+	resolver := defaultSchemaLoader(root, effective, cache, nil)
 
-	return expandParameterOrResponse(parameter, resolver, opts.RelativeBase)
+	return expandParameterOrResponse(input, resolver, effective.RelativeBase)
 }
 
 func getRefAndSchema(input any) (*Ref, *Schema, error) {
diff --git a/expander_loader_test.go b/expander_loader_test.go
index 3d0fc6d..aaaf9eb 100644
--- a/expander_loader_test.go
+++ b/expander_loader_test.go
@@ -57,6 +57,43 @@ func TestExpandSchemaWithOptions(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestExpandParameterResponseWithOptions(t *testing.T) {
+	// Parameter and response $ref pointing into an external document are expanded through the
+	// injected option-aware loader — the path go-openapi/validate needs for confined validation.
+	const external = `{
+		"parameters":{"Foo":{"name":"foo","in":"query","type":"string"}},
+		"responses":{"Bar":{"description":"ok"}}
+	}`
+
+	var loaderCalls int
+	loader := func(pth string, _ ...loading.Option) (json.RawMessage, error) {
+		if strings.Contains(pth, "external.json") {
+			loaderCalls++
+			return json.RawMessage(external), nil
+		}
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", errUnexpectedLoad, pth)
+	}
+	opts := &ExpandOptions{RelativeBase: "spec.json", PathLoaderWithOptions: loader}
+
+	t.Run("parameter", func(t *testing.T) {
+		param := new(Parameter)
+		param.Ref = MustCreateRef("external.json#/parameters/Foo")
+		require.NoError(t, ExpandParameterWithOptions(param, nil, nil, opts))
+		assert.EqualT(t, "foo", param.Name)
+		assert.EqualT(t, "", param.Ref.String())
+	})
+
+	t.Run("response", func(t *testing.T) {
+		resp := new(Response)
+		resp.Ref = MustCreateRef("external.json#/responses/Bar")
+		require.NoError(t, ExpandResponseWithOptions(resp, nil, nil, opts))
+		assert.EqualT(t, "ok", resp.Description)
+		assert.EqualT(t, "", resp.Ref.String())
+	})
+
+	assert.TrueT(t, loaderCalls >= 2, "expected the injected loader to resolve both external $ref")
+}
+
 func TestPathLoaderSelection(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("option-aware loader is used when set", func(t *testing.T) {
 		var called string