diff --git a/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdcreatesetter_test.go b/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdcreatesetter_test.go
index ff6da4f31..001de307e 100644
--- a/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdcreatesetter_test.go
+++ b/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdcreatesetter_test.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: nginx-deployment
 spec:
-  replicas: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+  replicas: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
  `,
 		},
 		{
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: nginx-deployment
 spec:
-  replicas: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+  replicas: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
  `,
 		},
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ apiVersion: example.com/v1beta1
 kind: Example
 spec:
   list:
-  - "a" # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.list"}
+  - "a" # {"$openapi":"list"}
  `,
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdcreatesubstitution_test.go b/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdcreatesubstitution_test.go
index 90ffc854b..505afbf39 100644
--- a/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdcreatesubstitution_test.go
+++ b/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdcreatesubstitution_test.go
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ spec:
     spec:
       containers:
       - name: nginx
-        image: nginx:1.7.9 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.substitutions.my-image-subst"}
+        image: nginx:1.7.9 # {"$openapi":"my-image-subst"}
       - name: sidecar
         image: sidecar:1.7.9
  `,
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ spec:
     spec:
       containers:
       - name: nginx
-        image: something/nginx::1.7.9/nginxotherthing # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.substitutions.my-image-subst"}
+        image: something/nginx::1.7.9/nginxotherthing # {"$openapi":"my-image-subst"}
       - name: sidecar
         image: sidecar:1.7.9
  `,
diff --git a/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdset_test.go b/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdset_test.go
index c10edcf08..5e253573c 100644
--- a/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdset_test.go
+++ b/cmd/config/internal/commands/cmdset_test.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: nginx-deployment
 spec:
-  replicas: 3 # {"$openAPI":"replicas"}
+  replicas: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
  `,
 			expectedOpenAPI: `
 apiVersion: v1alpha1
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: nginx-deployment
 spec:
-  replicas: 4 # {"$openAPI":"replicas"}
+  replicas: 4 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
  `,
 		},
 		{
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ spec:
     spec:
       containers:
       - name: nginx
-        image: nginx:1.7.9 # {"$openAPI":"image"}
+        image: nginx:1.7.9 # {"$openapi":"image"}
       - name: sidecar
         image: sidecar:1.7.9
  `,
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ spec:
     spec:
       containers:
       - name: nginx
-        image: nginx:1.8.1 # {"$openAPI":"image"}
+        image: nginx:1.8.1 # {"$openapi":"image"}
       - name: sidecar
         image: sidecar:1.7.9
 `,
diff --git a/kyaml/fieldmeta/fieldmeta.go b/kyaml/fieldmeta/fieldmeta.go
index 663832efc..c8597a29e 100644
--- a/kyaml/fieldmeta/fieldmeta.go
+++ b/kyaml/fieldmeta/fieldmeta.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package fieldmeta
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ func (fm *FieldMeta) processShortHand(comment string) bool {
 	if err != nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	name := input[ShortHandRef]
+	name := input[shortHandRef]
 	if name == "" {
 		return false
 	}
@@ -147,11 +148,11 @@ func (fm *FieldMeta) Write(n *yaml.RNode) error {
 	} else {
 		delete(fm.Schema.VendorExtensible.Extensions, "x-kustomize")
 	}
-	b, err := json.Marshal(fm.Schema)
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err)
-	}
-	n.YNode().LineComment = string(b)
+
+	// Ex: {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"} should be converted to
+	// {"openAPI":"replicas"} and added to the line comment
+	arr := strings.Split(fm.Schema.Ref.String(), ".")
+	n.YNode().LineComment = fmt.Sprintf(`{"%s":"%s"}`, shortHandRef, arr[len(arr)-1])
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -230,7 +231,15 @@ const (
 
 	// DefinitionsPrefix is the prefix used to reference definitions in the OpenAPI
 	DefinitionsPrefix = "#/definitions/"
-
-	// ShortHandRef is the shorthand reference to setters and substitutions
-	ShortHandRef = "$openAPI"
 )
+
+// shortHandRef is the shorthand reference to setters and substitutions
+var shortHandRef = "$openapi"
+
+func SetShortHandRef(ref string) {
+	shortHandRef = ref
+}
+
+func ShortHandRef() string {
+	return shortHandRef
+}
diff --git a/kyaml/setters2/add_test.go b/kyaml/setters2/add_test.go
index ab5524287..9516612c3 100644
--- a/kyaml/setters2/add_test.go
+++ b/kyaml/setters2/add_test.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: nginx-deployment
 spec:
-  replicas: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+  replicas: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
  `,
 		},
 		{
@@ -67,9 +67,9 @@ kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: nginx-deployment
   annotations:
-    something: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+    something: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
 spec:
-  replicas: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+  replicas: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
  `,
 		},
 		{
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ metadata:
   annotations:
     something: 3
 spec:
-  replicas: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+  replicas: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
  `,
 		},
 		{
@@ -123,9 +123,9 @@ kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: nginx-deployment
   annotations:
-    replicas: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+    replicas: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
 spec:
-  replicas: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+  replicas: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
  `,
 		},
 		{
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ metadata:
   annotations:
     replicas: 3
 spec:
-  replicas: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+  replicas: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
  `,
 		},
 		{
diff --git a/kyaml/setters2/example_test.go b/kyaml/setters2/example_test.go
index 10e3c918a..8bb36c485 100644
--- a/kyaml/setters2/example_test.go
+++ b/kyaml/setters2/example_test.go
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ spec:
 	//   annotations:
 	//     something: 3
 	// spec:
-	//   replicas: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+	//   replicas: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
 }
 
 // ExampleAdd demonstrates adding a setter reference to fields.
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ spec:
 	// metadata:
 	//   name: nginx-deployment
 	//   annotations:
-	//     something: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+	//     something: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
 	// spec:
-	//   replicas: 3 # {"$ref":"#/definitions/io.k8s.cli.setters.replicas"}
+	//   replicas: 3 # {"$openapi":"replicas"}
 }