diff --git a/aws_lambda_powertools/event_handler/api_gateway.py b/aws_lambda_powertools/event_handler/api_gateway.py
index fe51d68dab9..29601247b48 100644
--- a/aws_lambda_powertools/event_handler/api_gateway.py
+++ b/aws_lambda_powertools/event_handler/api_gateway.py
@@ -503,6 +503,18 @@ def _get_openapi_path(
             if request_body_oai:
                 operation["requestBody"] = request_body_oai
 
+        # Validation failure response (422) will always be part of the schema
+        operation_responses: Dict[int, OpenAPIResponse] = {
+            422: {
+                "description": "Validation Error",
+                "content": {
+                    "application/json": {
+                        "schema": {"$ref": COMPONENT_REF_PREFIX + "HTTPValidationError"},
+                    },
+                },
+            },
+        }
+
         # Add the response to the OpenAPI operation
         if self.responses:
             for status_code in list(self.responses):
@@ -549,45 +561,34 @@ def _get_openapi_path(
 
                         response["content"][content_type] = new_payload
 
-            operation["responses"] = self.responses
+                # Merge the user provided response with the default responses
+                operation_responses[status_code] = response
         else:
             # Set the default 200 response
-            responses = operation.setdefault("responses", {})
-            success_response = responses.setdefault(200, {})
-            success_response["description"] = self.response_description or _DEFAULT_OPENAPI_RESPONSE_DESCRIPTION
-            success_response["content"] = {"application/json": {"schema": {}}}
-            json_response = success_response["content"].setdefault("application/json", {})
-
-            # Add the response schema to the OpenAPI 200 response
-            json_response.update(
-                self._openapi_operation_return(
-                    param=dependant.return_param,
-                    model_name_map=model_name_map,
-                    field_mapping=field_mapping,
-                ),
+            response_schema = self._openapi_operation_return(
+                param=dependant.return_param,
+                model_name_map=model_name_map,
+                field_mapping=field_mapping,
             )
 
-            # Add validation failure response (422)
-            operation["responses"][422] = {
-                "description": "Validation Error",
-                "content": {
-                    "application/json": {
-                        "schema": {"$ref": COMPONENT_REF_PREFIX + "HTTPValidationError"},
-                    },
-                },
+            # Add the response schema to the OpenAPI 200 response
+            operation_responses[200] = {
+                "description": self.response_description or _DEFAULT_OPENAPI_RESPONSE_DESCRIPTION,
+                "content": {"application/json": response_schema},
             }
 
-            # Add the validation error schema to the definitions, but only if it hasn't been added yet
-            if "ValidationError" not in definitions:
-                definitions.update(
-                    {
-                        "ValidationError": validation_error_definition,
-                        "HTTPValidationError": validation_error_response_definition,
-                    },
-                )
-
+        operation["responses"] = operation_responses
         path[self.method.lower()] = operation
 
+        # Add the validation error schema to the definitions, but only if it hasn't been added yet
+        if "ValidationError" not in definitions:
+            definitions.update(
+                {
+                    "ValidationError": validation_error_definition,
+                    "HTTPValidationError": validation_error_response_definition,
+                },
+            )
+
         # Generate the response schema
         return path, definitions
 
diff --git a/aws_lambda_powertools/event_handler/openapi/types.py b/aws_lambda_powertools/event_handler/openapi/types.py
index beafa0e566c..5a99ee76e98 100644
--- a/aws_lambda_powertools/event_handler/openapi/types.py
+++ b/aws_lambda_powertools/event_handler/openapi/types.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
             "type": "array",
             "items": {"anyOf": [{"type": "string"}, {"type": "integer"}]},
         },
-        "msg": {"title": "Message", "type": "string"},
+        # For security reasons, we hide **msg** details (don't leak Python, Pydantic or filenames)
         "type": {"title": "Error Type", "type": "string"},
     },
     "required": ["loc", "msg", "type"],
diff --git a/tests/functional/event_handler/test_openapi_params.py b/tests/functional/event_handler/test_openapi_params.py
index 38b0cbed307..2ac9c036f3f 100644
--- a/tests/functional/event_handler/test_openapi_params.py
+++ b/tests/functional/event_handler/test_openapi_params.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def handler():
 
     assert JSON_CONTENT_TYPE in response.content
     json_response = response.content[JSON_CONTENT_TYPE]
-    assert json_response.schema_ == Schema()
+    assert json_response.schema_ is None
     assert not json_response.examples
     assert not json_response.encoding
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/event_handler/test_openapi_responses.py b/tests/functional/event_handler/test_openapi_responses.py
index be5d9bca288..21a71d7dee3 100644
--- a/tests/functional/event_handler/test_openapi_responses.py
+++ b/tests/functional/event_handler/test_openapi_responses.py
@@ -50,8 +50,34 @@ def handler():
     assert 202 in responses.keys()
     assert responses[202].description == "Custom response"
 
-    assert 200 not in responses.keys()
-    assert 422 not in responses.keys()
+    assert 200 not in responses.keys()  # 200 was not added due to custom responses
+    assert 422 in responses.keys()  # 422 is always added due to potential data validation errors
+
+
+def test_openapi_422_default_response():
+    app = APIGatewayRestResolver(enable_validation=True)
+
+    @app.get("/")
+    def handler():
+        return {"message": "hello world"}
+
+    schema = app.get_openapi_schema()
+    responses = schema.paths["/"].get.responses
+    assert 422 in responses.keys()
+    assert responses[422].description == "Validation Error"
+
+
+def test_openapi_422_custom_response():
+    app = APIGatewayRestResolver(enable_validation=True)
+
+    @app.get("/", responses={422: {"description": "Custom validation response"}})
+    def handler():
+        return {"message": "hello world"}
+
+    schema = app.get_openapi_schema()
+    responses = schema.paths["/"].get.responses
+    assert 422 in responses.keys()
+    assert responses[422].description == "Custom validation response"
 
 
 def test_openapi_200_custom_schema():