diff --git a/motor/rule_applicator.go b/motor/rule_applicator.go
index efa3b4eb..0db38165 100644
--- a/motor/rule_applicator.go
+++ b/motor/rule_applicator.go
@@ -106,16 +106,17 @@ func ApplyRulesToRuleSet(execution *RuleSetExecution) *RuleSetExecutionResult {
 		config.AllowFileLookup = true
 	}
 
-	var specInfo, specInfoUnresolved *datamodel.SpecInfo
-	var doc libopenapi.Document
-	var err error
+	doc := execution.Document
 
-	// create a new document.
-	doc, err = libopenapi.NewDocumentWithConfiguration(execution.Spec, docConfig)
+	if doc == nil {
+		var err error
+		// create a new document.
+		doc, err = libopenapi.NewDocumentWithConfiguration(execution.Spec, docConfig)
 
-	if err != nil {
-		// Done.
-		return &RuleSetExecutionResult{Errors: []error{err}}
+		if err != nil {
+			// Done.
+			return &RuleSetExecutionResult{Errors: []error{err}}
+		}
 	}
 
 	// build model
@@ -127,31 +128,30 @@ func ApplyRulesToRuleSet(execution *RuleSetExecution) *RuleSetExecutionResult {
 	case '2':
 		var docModel *libopenapi.DocumentModel[v2.Swagger]
 		docModel, docModelErrors = doc.BuildV2Model()
-		if execution.SpecInfo == nil {
-			specInfo = doc.GetSpecInfo()
-			specInfoUnresolved, _ = datamodel.ExtractSpecInfo(execution.Spec)
-		} else {
-			specInfo = execution.SpecInfo
-			specInfoUnresolved = execution.SpecInfo
-		}
+
 		if docModel != nil {
 			modelIndex = docModel.Index
 		}
 	case '3':
 		var docModel *libopenapi.DocumentModel[v3.Document]
 		docModel, docModelErrors = doc.BuildV3Model()
-		if execution.SpecInfo == nil {
-			specInfo = doc.GetSpecInfo()
-			specInfoUnresolved, _ = datamodel.ExtractSpecInfo(execution.Spec)
-		} else {
-			specInfo = execution.SpecInfo
-			specInfoUnresolved = execution.SpecInfo
-		}
+
 		if docModel != nil {
 			modelIndex = docModel.Index
 		}
 	}
 
+	specInfo := execution.SpecInfo
+	specInfoUnresolved := execution.SpecInfo
+	if execution.SpecInfo == nil {
+		specInfo = doc.GetSpecInfo()
+		spec := execution.Spec
+		if spec == nil {
+			spec, _ = doc.Serialize()
+		}
+		specInfoUnresolved, _ = datamodel.ExtractSpecInfo(spec)
+	}
+
 	specUnresolved = specInfoUnresolved.RootNode
 	specResolved = specInfo.RootNode
 
@@ -301,6 +301,7 @@ func runRule(ctx ruleContext) {
 
 		var nodes []*yaml.Node
 		var err error
+
 		if givenPath != "$" {
 			nodes, err = utils.FindNodesWithoutDeserializing(ctx.specNode, givenPath)
 		} else {
@@ -381,7 +382,6 @@ func buildResults(ctx ruleContext, ruleAction model.RuleAction, nodes []*yaml.No
 				lock.Unlock()
 			}
 		} else {
-
 			// iterate through nodes and supply them one at a time so we don't pollute each run
 			for _, node := range nodes {
 
diff --git a/motor/rule_applicator_test.go b/motor/rule_applicator_test.go
index bafab6f3..6ebdab6e 100644
--- a/motor/rule_applicator_test.go
+++ b/motor/rule_applicator_test.go
@@ -2,13 +2,16 @@ package motor
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
 	"github.com/daveshanley/vacuum/model"
 	"github.com/daveshanley/vacuum/rulesets"
+	"github.com/pb33f/libopenapi"
+	"github.com/pb33f/libopenapi/datamodel"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
-	"os"
-	"testing"
-	"time"
 )
 
 func TestApplyRules_PostResponseSuccess(t *testing.T) {
@@ -46,6 +49,47 @@ func TestApplyRules_PostResponseSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Len(t, results.Results, 0)
 }
 
+func TestApplyRules_PostResponseSuccessWithDocument(t *testing.T) {
+
+	json := `{
+  "documentationUrl": "quobix.com",
+  "rules": {
+    "hello-test": {
+      "description": "this is a test for checking basic mechanics",
+      "recommended": true,
+      "type": "style",
+      "given": "$.paths.*.post.responses",
+      "then": {
+        "function": "post-response-success",
+		"functionOptions" : { 
+			"properties": [
+				"200", "201", "202", "204"
+			]
+		}
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+`
+	rc := CreateRuleComposer()
+	rs, _ := rc.ComposeRuleSet([]byte(json))
+	burgershop, _ := os.ReadFile("../model/test_files/burgershop.openapi.yaml")
+
+	var err error
+	// create a new document.
+	docConfig := datamodel.NewClosedDocumentConfiguration()
+	doc, err := libopenapi.NewDocumentWithConfiguration(burgershop, docConfig)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	rse := &RuleSetExecution{
+		RuleSet:  rs,
+		Document: doc,
+	}
+	results := ApplyRulesToRuleSet(rse)
+
+	assert.Len(t, results.Results, 0)
+}
+
 func TestApplyRules_PostResponseFailure(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// use a bunch of error codes that won't exist.