diff --git a/draft.go b/draft.go
index f40173d..b165a93 100644
--- a/draft.go
+++ b/draft.go
@@ -273,6 +273,41 @@ func (d *dialect) hasVocab(name string) bool {
 	return slices.Contains(d.draft.defaultVocabs, name)
 }
 
+func (d *dialect) getSchema() *Schema {
+	if d.vocabs == nil {
+		return d.draft.sch
+	}
+	// TODO: support custom vocabulary
+	var allOf []*Schema
+	for _, vocab := range d.vocabs {
+		sch := d.draft.allVocabs[vocab]
+		if sch != nil {
+			allOf = append(allOf, sch)
+		}
+	}
+	if !slices.Contains(d.vocabs, "core") {
+		sch := d.draft.allVocabs["core"]
+		if sch == nil {
+			sch = d.draft.sch
+		}
+		allOf = append(allOf, sch)
+	}
+	sch := &Schema{
+		Location:     "urn:mem:metaschema",
+		up:           urlPtr{url("urn:mem:metaschema"), ""},
+		DraftVersion: d.draft.version,
+		AllOf:        allOf,
+	}
+	sch.resource = sch
+	if sch.DraftVersion >= 2020 {
+		sch.DynamicAnchor = "meta"
+		sch.dynamicAnchors = map[string]*Schema{
+			"meta": sch,
+		}
+	}
+	return sch
+}
+
 // --
 
 type ParseIDError struct {
diff --git a/root.go b/root.go
index 5242c66..0dceacc 100644
--- a/root.go
+++ b/root.go
@@ -268,24 +268,10 @@ func (r *root) collectAnchors(sch any, schPtr jsonPointer, res *resource) error
 func (r *root) validate(ptr jsonPointer, v any, regexpEngine RegexpEngine) error {
 	dialect := r.resource(ptr).dialect
 	up := urlPtr{r.url, ptr}
-	if dialect.vocabs == nil {
-		meta := dialect.draft.sch
-		if err := meta.validate(v, regexpEngine, meta, r.resources); err != nil {
-			return &SchemaValidationError{URL: up.String(), Err: err}
-		}
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// TODO: validate with vocabs with metaswitch
-	// validate only with the vocabs listed in metaschema
-	if err := dialect.draft.allVocabs["core"].validate(v, regexpEngine, nil, nil); err != nil {
+	meta := dialect.getSchema()
+	if err := meta.validate(v, regexpEngine, meta, r.resources); err != nil {
 		return &SchemaValidationError{URL: up.String(), Err: err}
 	}
-	for _, vocab := range dialect.vocabs {
-		if err := dialect.draft.allVocabs[vocab].validate(v, regexpEngine, nil, nil); err != nil {
-			return &SchemaValidationError{URL: up.String(), Err: err}
-		}
-	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/testdata/Extra-Test-Suite/tests/draft2020-12/mixed-dialects.json b/testdata/Extra-Test-Suite/tests/draft2020-12/mixed-dialects.json
index 175e3ec..b517e87 100644
--- a/testdata/Extra-Test-Suite/tests/draft2020-12/mixed-dialects.json
+++ b/testdata/Extra-Test-Suite/tests/draft2020-12/mixed-dialects.json
@@ -33,5 +33,35 @@
 				"valid": false
 			}
 		]
+	},
+	{
+		"description": "subschema without applicator",
+		"schema": {
+			"$defs": {
+				"one": {
+					"$id": "http://temp.com/one.json",
+     				"$schema": "http://localhost:1234/draft2020-12/no-applicator.json",
+					"$comment": "should ignore unevaluatedProperties",
+					"type": "object",
+					"allOf": [
+						1,
+						{ "type": "number" }
+					] 
+				}
+			},
+			"$ref": "#/$defs/one"
+		},
+		"tests": [
+			{
+				"description": "valid",
+				"data": {},
+				"valid": true
+			},
+			{
+				"description": "invalid",
+				"data": 1,
+				"valid": false
+			}
+		]
 	}
 ]
diff --git a/validator.go b/validator.go
index 9f3d45d..d14ae17 100644
--- a/validator.go
+++ b/validator.go
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ func (vd *validator) objValidate(obj map[string]any) {
 			sch, meta, resources := s.PropertyNames, vd.meta, vd.resources
 			res := vd.metaResource(sch)
 			if res != nil {
-				meta = res.dialect.draft.sch
+				meta = res.dialect.getSchema()
 				sch = meta
 			}
 			if err := sch.validate(pname, vd.regexpEngine, meta, resources); err != nil {
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ func (vd *validator) strValidate(str string) {
 		sch, meta, resources := s.ContentSchema, vd.meta, vd.resources
 		res := vd.metaResource(sch)
 		if res != nil {
-			meta = res.dialect.draft.sch
+			meta = res.dialect.getSchema()
 			sch = meta
 		}
 		if err = sch.validate(*deserialized, vd.regexpEngine, meta, resources); err != nil {
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ func (vd *validator) handleMeta() {
 	if res == nil {
 		return
 	}
-	sch := res.dialect.draft.sch
+	sch := res.dialect.getSchema()
 	vd.meta = sch
 	vd.sch = sch
 }