diff --git a/example/index.js b/example/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f0026b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+const path = require('node:path')
+
+const Fastify = require('fastify')
+const fastifyApiReference = require('@scalar/fastify-api-reference')
+
+const fastifyOpenapiMerge = require('..')
+
+const fastify = Fastify()
+
+fastify.register(fastifyOpenapiMerge, {
+  specDir: path.join(__dirname, 'specs'),
+  specDefinition: {
+    openapi: '3.0.0',
+    info: {
+      title: 'CRUD API Example',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      description: 'A sample CRUD API for managing items.'
+    },
+  }
+})
+
+fastify.register(fastifyApiReference, {
+  routePrefix: '/docs',
+  configuration: {
+    spec: {
+      url: '/openapi/json'
+    }
+  }
+})
+
+fastify.listen({ port: 3000 }, (err) => {
+  if (err) throw err
+  console.log('Documentation available on http://localhost:3000/docs')
+})
diff --git a/example/specs/api.yaml b/example/specs/api.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2faa0ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/specs/api.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+paths:
+  /items:
+    get:
+      summary: Get all items
+      operationId: getItems
+      responses:
+        '200':
+          description: A list of items
+          content:
+            application/json:
+              schema:
+                type: array
+                items:
+                  $ref: '#/components/schemas/Item'
+    post:
+      summary: Create a new item
+      operationId: createItem
+      requestBody:
+        required: true
+        content:
+          application/json:
+            schema:
+              $ref: '#/components/schemas/ItemInput'
+      responses:
+        '201':
+          description: Item created
+          content:
+            application/json:
+              schema:
+                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Item'
+  /items/{id}:
+    get:
+      summary: Get an item by ID
+      operationId: getItemById
+      parameters:
+        - name: id
+          in: path
+          required: true
+          schema:
+            type: string
+      responses:
+        '200':
+          description: Item details
+          content:
+            application/json:
+              schema:
+                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Item'
+        '404':
+          description: Item not found
+    put:
+      summary: Update an item by ID
+      operationId: updateItem
+      parameters:
+        - name: id
+          in: path
+          required: true
+          schema:
+            type: string
+      requestBody:
+        required: true
+        content:
+          application/json:
+            schema:
+              $ref: '#/components/schemas/ItemInput'
+      responses:
+        '200':
+          description: Item updated
+          content:
+            application/json:
+              schema:
+                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Item'
+    delete:
+      summary: Delete an item by ID
+      operationId: deleteItem
+      parameters:
+        - name: id
+          in: path
+          required: true
+          schema:
+            type: string
+      responses:
+        '204':
+          description: Item deleted
diff --git a/example/specs/schemas.yaml b/example/specs/schemas.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9e1401c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/specs/schemas.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+components:
+  schemas:
+    Item:
+      type: object
+      properties:
+        id:
+          type: string
+        name:
+          type: string
+        description:
+          type: string
+      required:
+        - id
+        - name
+    ItemInput:
+      type: object
+      properties:
+        name:
+          type: string
+        description:
+          type: string
+      required:
+        - name
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index d02cb13..39775d4 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ const path = require('node:path')
 
 const fp = require('fastify-plugin')
 const { glob } = require('glob')
-const YAML = require('yaml')
 
 const { checkSpecDir } = require('./lib/spec-dir')
 const { mergeSpec } = require('./lib/merge-spec')
@@ -20,11 +19,11 @@ async function fastifyOpenapiMerge (fastify, opts) {
 
   for (const specPath of rootsSpec) {
     const files = await glob('**/*.{yaml,yml,json}', {
-      cwd: specPath, absolute: false, follow: true, nodir: true,
+      cwd: specPath, absolute: true, follow: true, nodir: true,
     })
 
     specFiles.push(...files.map((file) => {
-      return path.join(specPath, file).split(path.win32.sep).join(path.posix.sep)
+      return file.split(path.win32.sep).join(path.posix.sep)
     }))
   }
 
@@ -48,13 +47,12 @@ async function fastifyOpenapiMerge (fastify, opts) {
       const mergedSpec = await mergeSpec(specFiles, {
         customMerge: opts.merge,
         specDefinition: opts.specDefinition,
+        yaml: true
       })
 
-      const yaml = YAML.stringify(mergedSpec)
-
       return reply
         .type('application/x-yaml')
-        .send(yaml)
+        .send(mergedSpec)
     },
   })
 }
diff --git a/lib/merge-spec.js b/lib/merge-spec.js
index 0b299f7..651b321 100644
--- a/lib/merge-spec.js
+++ b/lib/merge-spec.js
@@ -24,17 +24,17 @@ async function defaultMerge (specs) {
   return result.output
 }
 
-async function mergeSpec (specPaths, { specDefinition, customMerge } = {}) {
+async function mergeSpec (specPaths, opts = {}) {
   if (!specPaths.length) {
-    throw new Error('"specPaths" option array requires one or more paths')
+    return
   }
 
-  const _merge = customMerge ?? defaultMerge
+  const _merge = opts.customMerge ?? defaultMerge
   if (typeof _merge !== 'function') {
     throw new Error('"customMerge" must be a function')
   }
 
-  specDefinition = specDefinition || defaultSpecDefinition
+  opts.specDefinition = opts.specDefinition || defaultSpecDefinition
 
   const specs = []
 
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ async function mergeSpec (specPaths, { specDefinition, customMerge } = {}) {
     const content = fs.readFileSync(specPath, 'utf-8')
     const parse = YAML.parse(content) ?? {}
 
-    if (!customMerge) {
+    if (!opts.customMerge) {
       specs.push({ oas: parse })
     } else {
       specs.push(parse)
@@ -51,10 +51,16 @@ async function mergeSpec (specPaths, { specDefinition, customMerge } = {}) {
 
   const result = await _merge(specs)
 
-  return {
+  const merged = {
     ...result,
-    ...specDefinition,
+    ...opts.specDefinition,
   }
+
+  if (opts.yaml === true) {
+    return YAML.stringify(merged)
+  }
+
+  return merged
 }
 
 module.exports = { mergeSpec }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7f139ec..06f4a33 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
     "yaml": "^2.6.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
+    "@scalar/fastify-api-reference": "^1.25.76",
     "@types/node": "^22.10.1",
     "c8": "^10.1.2",
     "eslint": "^9.16.0",
diff --git a/test/merge-spec.test.js b/test/merge-spec.test.js
index 7579ecd..4bbdc09 100644
--- a/test/merge-spec.test.js
+++ b/test/merge-spec.test.js
@@ -83,13 +83,10 @@ test('custom merge not a function', async (t) => {
 })
 
 test('merge with empty spec', async (t) => {
-  t.plan(2)
-  try {
-    await mergeSpec([])
-  } catch (e) {
-    t.assert.ok(e)
-    t.assert.strictEqual(e.message, '"specPaths" option array requires one or more paths')
-  }
+  t.plan(1)
+
+  const mergedSpec = await mergeSpec([])
+  t.assert.ifError(mergedSpec)
 })
 
 test('merge with YAML file', async (t) => {