diff --git a/scripts/fiber/tests-failing.txt b/scripts/fiber/tests-failing.txt
index 9e444afc1c..f1161cf0eb 100644
--- a/scripts/fiber/tests-failing.txt
+++ b/scripts/fiber/tests-failing.txt
@@ -384,7 +384,6 @@ src/renderers/shared/shared/event/__tests__/EventPluginHub-test.js
 
 src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/ReactComponent-test.js
 * should throw on invalid render targets
-* should throw when supplying a ref outside of render method
 * throws usefully when rendering badly-typed elements
 
 src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/ReactComponentLifeCycle-test.js
diff --git a/scripts/fiber/tests-passing.txt b/scripts/fiber/tests-passing.txt
index 93d0725443..84d4b53f0f 100644
--- a/scripts/fiber/tests-passing.txt
+++ b/scripts/fiber/tests-passing.txt
@@ -1019,6 +1019,7 @@ src/renderers/shared/shared/event/eventPlugins/__tests__/ResponderEventPlugin-te
 * should cancel correctly
 
 src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/ReactComponent-test.js
+* should throw when supplying a ref outside of render method
 * should warn when children are mutated during render
 * should warn when children are mutated during update
 * should support refs on owned components
@@ -1234,6 +1235,7 @@ src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/refs-test.js
 * always has a value for this.refs
 * ref called correctly for stateless component when __DEV__ = false
 * ref called correctly for stateless component when __DEV__ = true
+* coerces numbers to strings
 
 src/renderers/shared/utils/__tests__/accumulateInto-test.js
 * throws if the second item is null
diff --git a/src/renderers/shared/fiber/ReactChildFiber.js b/src/renderers/shared/fiber/ReactChildFiber.js
index cd0f7020de..7385372dd8 100644
--- a/src/renderers/shared/fiber/ReactChildFiber.js
+++ b/src/renderers/shared/fiber/ReactChildFiber.js
@@ -60,16 +60,16 @@ const {
   Deletion,
 } = ReactTypeOfSideEffect;
 
-function transferRef(current: ?Fiber, workInProgress: Fiber, element: ReactElement<any>) {
-  if (typeof element.ref === 'string') {
+function coerceRef(current: ?Fiber, element: ReactElement<any>) {
+  let mixedRef = element.ref;
+  if (mixedRef != null && typeof mixedRef !== 'function') {
     if (element._owner) {
       const ownerFiber : ?Fiber = (element._owner : any);
       if (ownerFiber && ownerFiber.tag === ClassComponent) {
-        const stringRef = element.ref;
+        const stringRef = String(mixedRef);
         // Check if previous string ref matches new string ref
         if (current && current.ref && current.ref._stringRef === stringRef) {
-          workInProgress.ref = current.ref;
-          return;
+          return current.ref;
         }
         const inst = ownerFiber.stateNode;
         const ref = function(value) {
@@ -77,12 +77,11 @@ function transferRef(current: ?Fiber, workInProgress: Fiber, element: ReactEleme
           refs[stringRef] = value;
         };
         ref._stringRef = stringRef;
-        workInProgress.ref = ref;
+        return ref;
       }
     }
-  } else {
-    workInProgress.ref = element.ref;
   }
+  return mixedRef;
 }
 
 // This wrapper function exists because I expect to clone the code in each path
@@ -244,13 +243,13 @@ function ChildReconciler(shouldClone, shouldTrackSideEffects) {
     if (current == null || current.type !== element.type) {
       // Insert
       const created = createFiberFromElement(element, priority);
-      transferRef(current, created, element);
+      created.ref = coerceRef(current, element);
       created.return = returnFiber;
       return created;
     } else {
       // Move based on index
       const existing = useFiber(current, priority);
-      transferRef(current, existing, element);
+      existing.ref = coerceRef(current, element);
       existing.pendingProps = element.props;
       existing.return = returnFiber;
       return existing;
@@ -342,7 +341,7 @@ function ChildReconciler(shouldClone, shouldTrackSideEffects) {
       switch (newChild.$$typeof) {
         case REACT_ELEMENT_TYPE: {
           const created = createFiberFromElement(newChild, priority);
-          transferRef(null, created, newChild);
+          created.ref = coerceRef(null, newChild);
           created.return = returnFiber;
           return created;
         }
@@ -679,7 +678,7 @@ function ChildReconciler(shouldClone, shouldTrackSideEffects) {
         if (child.type === element.type) {
           deleteRemainingChildren(returnFiber, child.sibling);
           const existing = useFiber(child, priority);
-          transferRef(child, existing, element);
+          existing.ref = coerceRef(child, element);
           existing.pendingProps = element.props;
           existing.return = returnFiber;
           return existing;
@@ -694,7 +693,7 @@ function ChildReconciler(shouldClone, shouldTrackSideEffects) {
     }
 
     const created = createFiberFromElement(element, priority);
-    transferRef(currentFirstChild, created, element);
+    created.ref = coerceRef(currentFirstChild, element);
     created.return = returnFiber;
     return created;
   }
diff --git a/src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/ReactUpdates-test.js b/src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/ReactUpdates-test.js
index f86a015531..5812ce35c0 100644
--- a/src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/ReactUpdates-test.js
+++ b/src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/ReactUpdates-test.js
@@ -897,7 +897,6 @@ describe('ReactUpdates', () => {
 
     var component = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<A />);
 
-    console.log('xxx', expect().toThrowError);
     expect(() => component.setState({}, 'no')).toThrowError(
       'setState(...): Expected the last optional `callback` argument ' +
       'to be a function. Instead received: string.'
diff --git a/src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/refs-test.js b/src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/refs-test.js
index 84faf923fe..d5e13b8e22 100644
--- a/src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/refs-test.js
+++ b/src/renderers/shared/stack/reconciler/__tests__/refs-test.js
@@ -273,4 +273,14 @@ describe('ref swapping', () => {
     testRefCall();
     __DEV__ = originalDev;
   });
+
+  it('coerces numbers to strings', () => {
+    class A extends React.Component {
+      render() {
+        return <div ref={1} />;
+      }
+    }
+    const a = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<A />);
+    expect(a.refs[1].nodeName).toBe('DIV');
+  });
 });