diff --git a/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/main/java/io/github/springwolf/examples/kafka/dtos/ExamplePayloadDto.java b/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/main/java/io/github/springwolf/examples/kafka/dtos/ExamplePayloadDto.java
index e72c6ccfc..9ff1d8a59 100644
--- a/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/main/java/io/github/springwolf/examples/kafka/dtos/ExamplePayloadDto.java
+++ b/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/main/java/io/github/springwolf/examples/kafka/dtos/ExamplePayloadDto.java
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 import io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema;
 import lombok.AllArgsConstructor;
 import lombok.Data;
+import lombok.Getter;
 import lombok.NoArgsConstructor;
 import lombok.RequiredArgsConstructor;
+import lombok.ToString;
 
 import static io.swagger.v3.oas.annotations.media.Schema.RequiredMode.REQUIRED;
 
@@ -45,12 +47,26 @@ public class ExamplePayloadDto {
     @Schema(description = "Some enum field", example = "FOO2", requiredMode = REQUIRED)
     private ExampleEnum someEnum;
 
+    @Schema(enumAsRef = true, example = "OK")
+    @Getter
     @RequiredArgsConstructor
+    @ToString
     public enum ExampleEnum {
-        FOO1(1),
-        FOO2(2),
-        FOO3(3);
+        OK(200, "OK"),
+        BAD_REQUEST(400, "Bad Request"),
+        UNAUTHORIZED(401, "Unauthorized"),
+        NOT_FOUND(404, "Not Found"),
+        INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR(500, "Internal Server Error"),
+        ;
 
-        private final int code;
+        private final int value;
+        private final String reasonPhrase;
+
+        /**
+         * @return true if messageStatus's value indicates an error (value >= 400)
+         */
+        public boolean isError() {
+            return value >= 400;
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/java/io/github/springwolf/examples/kafka/KafkaProducerSystemTest.java b/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/java/io/github/springwolf/examples/kafka/KafkaProducerSystemTest.java
index 47ea4d743..4bb809372 100644
--- a/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/java/io/github/springwolf/examples/kafka/KafkaProducerSystemTest.java
+++ b/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/java/io/github/springwolf/examples/kafka/KafkaProducerSystemTest.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
-import static io.github.springwolf.examples.kafka.dtos.ExamplePayloadDto.ExampleEnum.FOO1;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 
 /**
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@ void producerCanUseSpringwolfConfigurationToSendMessage() throws JsonProcessingE
         headers.put("kafka_offset", List.of("0"));
         headers.put("kafka_receivedMessageKey", List.of("string"));
 
-        ExamplePayloadDto payload = new ExamplePayloadDto("foo", 5, FOO1);
+        ExamplePayloadDto payload = new ExamplePayloadDto("foo", 5, ExamplePayloadDto.ExampleEnum.OK);
         String payloadAsString = new ObjectMapper().writeValueAsString(payload).replaceAll("\"", "\\\\\"");
         String message = "{\n" //
                 + "    \"bindings\": {},\n"
diff --git a/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/resources/asyncapi.json b/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/resources/asyncapi.json
index 5541261b0..af5751038 100644
--- a/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/resources/asyncapi.json
+++ b/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/resources/asyncapi.json
@@ -951,7 +951,7 @@
         "examples": [
           {
             "example": {
-              "someEnum": "FOO2",
+              "someEnum": "OK",
               "someLong": 5,
               "someString": "some string value"
             },
@@ -971,10 +971,13 @@
                 "someEnum": {
                   "description": "Some enum field",
                   "enum": [
-                    "FOO1",
-                    "FOO2",
-                    "FOO3"
+                    "OK",
+                    "BAD_REQUEST",
+                    "UNAUTHORIZED",
+                    "NOT_FOUND",
+                    "INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR"
                   ],
+                  "title": "ExampleEnum",
                   "type": "string"
                 },
                 "someLong": {
@@ -1013,16 +1016,7 @@
         "type": "object",
         "properties": {
           "someEnum": {
-            "type": "string",
-            "description": "Some enum field",
-            "enum": [
-              "FOO1",
-              "FOO2",
-              "FOO3"
-            ],
-            "examples": [
-              "FOO2"
-            ]
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/io.github.springwolf.examples.kafka.dtos.ExamplePayloadDto$ExampleEnum"
           },
           "someLong": {
             "type": "integer",
@@ -1044,7 +1038,7 @@
         "description": "Example payload model demonstrating markdown text styling:\n**bold**, *cursive* and <u>underlined</u>\n",
         "examples": [
           {
-            "someEnum": "FOO2",
+            "someEnum": "OK",
             "someLong": 5,
             "someString": "some string value"
           }
@@ -1060,10 +1054,13 @@
             "someEnum": {
               "description": "Some enum field",
               "enum": [
-                "FOO1",
-                "FOO2",
-                "FOO3"
+                "OK",
+                "BAD_REQUEST",
+                "UNAUTHORIZED",
+                "NOT_FOUND",
+                "INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR"
               ],
+              "title": "ExampleEnum",
               "type": "string"
             },
             "someLong": {
@@ -1085,6 +1082,34 @@
           "type": "object"
         }
       },
+      "io.github.springwolf.examples.kafka.dtos.ExamplePayloadDto$ExampleEnum": {
+        "title": "ExampleEnum",
+        "type": "string",
+        "description": "Some enum field",
+        "enum": [
+          "OK",
+          "BAD_REQUEST",
+          "UNAUTHORIZED",
+          "NOT_FOUND",
+          "INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR"
+        ],
+        "examples": [
+          "OK"
+        ],
+        "x-json-schema": {
+          "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#",
+          "description": "Some enum field",
+          "enum": [
+            "OK",
+            "BAD_REQUEST",
+            "UNAUTHORIZED",
+            "NOT_FOUND",
+            "INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR"
+          ],
+          "title": "ExampleEnum",
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
       "io.github.springwolf.examples.kafka.dtos.NestedPayloadDto": {
         "title": "NestedPayloadDto",
         "type": "object",
@@ -1112,7 +1137,7 @@
           {
             "examplePayloads": [
               {
-                "someEnum": "FOO2",
+                "someEnum": "OK",
                 "someLong": 5,
                 "someString": "some string value"
               }
@@ -1133,10 +1158,13 @@
                   "someEnum": {
                     "description": "Some enum field",
                     "enum": [
-                      "FOO1",
-                      "FOO2",
-                      "FOO3"
+                      "OK",
+                      "BAD_REQUEST",
+                      "UNAUTHORIZED",
+                      "NOT_FOUND",
+                      "INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR"
                     ],
+                    "title": "ExampleEnum",
                     "type": "string"
                   },
                   "someLong": {
diff --git a/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/resources/asyncapi.yaml b/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/resources/asyncapi.yaml
index f1552a6c2..c92221795 100644
--- a/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/resources/asyncapi.yaml
+++ b/springwolf-examples/springwolf-kafka-example/src/test/resources/asyncapi.yaml
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ components:
       description: Another payload model
       examples:
         - example:
-            someEnum: FOO2
+            someEnum: OK
             someLong: 5
             someString: some string value
           foo: bar
@@ -666,9 +666,12 @@ components:
               someEnum:
                 description: Some enum field
                 enum:
-                  - FOO1
-                  - FOO2
-                  - FOO3
+                  - OK
+                  - BAD_REQUEST
+                  - UNAUTHORIZED
+                  - NOT_FOUND
+                  - INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
+                title: ExampleEnum
                 type: string
               someLong:
                 description: Some long field
@@ -708,14 +711,7 @@ components:
       type: object
       properties:
         someEnum:
-          type: string
-          description: Some enum field
-          enum:
-            - FOO1
-            - FOO2
-            - FOO3
-          examples:
-            - FOO2
+          $ref: "#/components/schemas/io.github.springwolf.examples.kafka.dtos.ExamplePayloadDto$ExampleEnum"
         someLong:
           type: integer
           description: Some long field
@@ -744,7 +740,7 @@ components:
         Example payload model demonstrating markdown text styling:
         **bold**, *cursive* and <u>underlined</u>
       examples:
-        - someEnum: FOO2
+        - someEnum: OK
           someLong: 5
           someString: some string value
       required:
@@ -759,9 +755,12 @@ components:
           someEnum:
             description: Some enum field
             enum:
-              - FOO1
-              - FOO2
-              - FOO3
+              - OK
+              - BAD_REQUEST
+              - UNAUTHORIZED
+              - NOT_FOUND
+              - INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
+            title: ExampleEnum
             type: string
           someLong:
             description: Some long field
@@ -788,6 +787,29 @@ components:
           - someString
         title: ExamplePayloadDto
         type: object
+    io.github.springwolf.examples.kafka.dtos.ExamplePayloadDto$ExampleEnum:
+      title: ExampleEnum
+      type: string
+      description: Some enum field
+      enum:
+        - OK
+        - BAD_REQUEST
+        - UNAUTHORIZED
+        - NOT_FOUND
+        - INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
+      examples:
+        - OK
+      x-json-schema:
+        $schema: https://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#
+        description: Some enum field
+        enum:
+          - OK
+          - BAD_REQUEST
+          - UNAUTHORIZED
+          - NOT_FOUND
+          - INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
+        title: ExampleEnum
+        type: string
     io.github.springwolf.examples.kafka.dtos.NestedPayloadDto:
       title: NestedPayloadDto
       type: object
@@ -807,7 +829,7 @@ components:
       description: Payload model with nested complex types
       examples:
         - examplePayloads:
-            - someEnum: FOO2
+            - someEnum: OK
               someLong: 5
               someString: some string value
           someStrings:
@@ -825,9 +847,12 @@ components:
                 someEnum:
                   description: Some enum field
                   enum:
-                    - FOO1
-                    - FOO2
-                    - FOO3
+                    - OK
+                    - BAD_REQUEST
+                    - UNAUTHORIZED
+                    - NOT_FOUND
+                    - INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
+                  title: ExampleEnum
                   type: string
                 someLong:
                   description: Some long field