diff --git a/schemars/src/gen.rs b/schemars/src/gen.rs
index 87ec2be..4f2d301 100644
--- a/schemars/src/gen.rs
+++ b/schemars/src/gen.rs
@@ -121,9 +121,29 @@ impl SchemaGenerator {
         &self.settings
     }
 
-    // TODO document/rename
-    #[doc(hidden)]
-    pub fn objectify(&self, schema: SchemaObject) -> SchemaObject {
+    /// Returns a `SchemaObject` equivalent to the given `schema` which may have validation, metadata or other properties set on it.
+    ///
+    /// If `schema` is not a `$ref` schema, then this returns `schema` unmodified. Otherwise, depending on this generator's settings,
+    /// this may wrap the `$ref` in another schema. This is required because in many JSON Schema implementations, a schema with `$ref`
+    /// set may not include other properties.
+    ///
+    /// # Example
+    /// ```
+    /// use schemars::{gen::SchemaGenerator, schema::SchemaObject};
+    ///
+    /// let gen = SchemaGenerator::default();
+    ///
+    /// let ref_schema = SchemaObject::new_ref("foo".to_owned());
+    /// assert!(ref_schema.is_ref());
+    ///
+    /// let extensible_schema = gen.make_extensible(ref_schema.clone());
+    /// assert_ne!(ref_schema, extensible_schema);
+    /// assert!(!extensible_schema.is_ref());
+    ///
+    /// let extensible_schema2 = gen.make_extensible(extensible_schema.clone());
+    /// assert_eq!(extensible_schema, extensible_schema2);
+    /// ```
+    pub fn make_extensible(&self, schema: SchemaObject) -> SchemaObject {
         if schema.is_ref() {
             SchemaObject {
                 subschemas: Some(Box::new(SubschemaValidation {
diff --git a/schemars/src/json_schema_impls/core.rs b/schemars/src/json_schema_impls/core.rs
index 7e8479c..209f8ae 100644
--- a/schemars/src/json_schema_impls/core.rs
+++ b/schemars/src/json_schema_impls/core.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ impl<T: JsonSchema> JsonSchema for Option<T> {
             }
         }
         if gen.settings().option_nullable {
-            let mut schema_obj = gen.objectify(schema.into());
+            let mut schema_obj = gen.make_extensible(schema.into());
             schema_obj
                 .extensions
                 .insert("nullable".to_owned(), json!(true));
diff --git a/schemars_derive/src/metadata.rs b/schemars_derive/src/metadata.rs
index 1cf7b62..61b1d4c 100644
--- a/schemars_derive/src/metadata.rs
+++ b/schemars_derive/src/metadata.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ pub fn set_metadata_on_schema(schema_expr: TokenStream, metadata: &SchemaMetadat
     quote! {
         {
             let schema = #schema_expr.into();
-            let mut schema_obj = gen.objectify(schema);
+            let mut schema_obj = gen.make_extensible(schema);
             let mut metadata = schema_obj.metadata();
             #(#setters)*
             schemars::schema::Schema::Object(schema_obj)