diff --git a/src/browser/ui/React.js b/src/browser/ui/React.js
index 19de5a77ea907..c966c2db85db3 100644
--- a/src/browser/ui/React.js
+++ b/src/browser/ui/React.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ var ReactMount = require('ReactMount');
 var ReactMultiChild = require('ReactMultiChild');
 var ReactPerf = require('ReactPerf');
 var ReactPropTypes = require('ReactPropTypes');
+var ReactRef = require('ReactRef');
 var ReactServerRendering = require('ReactServerRendering');
 var ReactTextComponent = require('ReactTextComponent');
 
@@ -62,6 +63,9 @@ var React = {
   createClass: ReactClass.createClass,
   createElement: createElement,
   createFactory: createFactory,
+  createRef: function() {
+    return new ReactRef();
+  },
   constructAndRenderComponent: ReactMount.constructAndRenderComponent,
   constructAndRenderComponentByID: ReactMount.constructAndRenderComponentByID,
   render: render,
diff --git a/src/core/ReactComponent.js b/src/core/ReactComponent.js
index 9d4e4b7e58944..7a7b9688d1bd7 100644
--- a/src/core/ReactComponent.js
+++ b/src/core/ReactComponent.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 var ReactElement = require('ReactElement');
 var ReactOwner = require('ReactOwner');
+var ReactRef = require('ReactRef');
 var ReactUpdates = require('ReactUpdates');
 
 var assign = require('Object.assign');
@@ -56,6 +57,22 @@ var unmountIDFromEnvironment = null;
  */
 var mountImageIntoNode = null;
 
+function attachRef(ref, component, owner) {
+  if (ref instanceof ReactRef) {
+    ReactRef.attachRef(ref, component);
+  } else {
+    ReactOwner.addComponentAsRefTo(component, ref, owner);
+  }
+}
+
+function detachRef(ref, component, owner) {
+  if (ref instanceof ReactRef) {
+    ReactRef.detachRef(ref, component);
+  } else {
+    ReactOwner.removeComponentAsRefFrom(component, ref, owner);
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Components are the basic units of composition in React.
  *
@@ -255,7 +272,7 @@ var ReactComponent = {
       var ref = this._currentElement.ref;
       if (ref != null) {
         var owner = this._currentElement._owner;
-        ReactOwner.addComponentAsRefTo(this, ref, owner);
+        attachRef(ref, this, owner);
       }
       this._rootNodeID = rootID;
       this._lifeCycleState = ComponentLifeCycle.MOUNTED;
@@ -280,7 +297,7 @@ var ReactComponent = {
       );
       var ref = this._currentElement.ref;
       if (ref != null) {
-        ReactOwner.removeComponentAsRefFrom(this, ref, this._owner);
+        detachRef(ref, this, this._owner);
       }
       unmountIDFromEnvironment(this._rootNodeID);
       this._rootNodeID = null;
@@ -350,17 +367,11 @@ var ReactComponent = {
       if (nextElement._owner !== prevElement._owner ||
           nextElement.ref !== prevElement.ref) {
         if (prevElement.ref != null) {
-          ReactOwner.removeComponentAsRefFrom(
-            this, prevElement.ref, prevElement._owner
-          );
+          detachRef(prevElement.ref, this, prevElement._owner);
         }
         // Correct, even if the owner is the same, and only the ref has changed.
         if (nextElement.ref != null) {
-          ReactOwner.addComponentAsRefTo(
-            this,
-            nextElement.ref,
-            nextElement._owner
-          );
+          attachRef(nextElement.ref, this, nextElement._owner);
         }
       }
     },
diff --git a/src/core/ReactRef.js b/src/core/ReactRef.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..4463d54bf0fc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/ReactRef.js
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright 2013-2014 Facebook, Inc.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ *
+ * @providesModule ReactRef
+ */
+
+"use strict";
+
+var ReactUpdates = require('ReactUpdates');
+
+var accumulate = require('accumulate');
+var assign = require('Object.assign');
+var forEachAccumulated = require('forEachAccumulated');
+var invariant = require('invariant');
+
+function ReactRef() {
+  this._value = null;
+  this._successCallbacks = null;
+  this._failureCallbacks = null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Call the enqueued success or failure callbacks for a ref, as appropriate.
+ */
+function dispatchCallbacks() {
+  /*jshint validthis:true */
+  var successCallbacks = this._successCallbacks;
+  var failureCallbacks = this._failureCallbacks;
+  this._successCallbacks = null;
+  this._failureCallbacks = null;
+
+  if (this._value) {
+    forEachAccumulated(successCallbacks, callSuccess, this);
+  } else {
+    forEachAccumulated(failureCallbacks, callFailure);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Call a single success callback, passing the ref's value.
+ */
+function callSuccess(cb) {
+  /*jshint validthis:true */
+  cb(this._value);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Call a single failure callback, passing no arguments.
+ */
+function callFailure(cb) {
+  cb();
+}
+
+assign(ReactRef.prototype, {
+  /**
+   * Get the value of a ref asynchronously. Accepts a success callback and an
+   * optional failure callback. If the ref has been rendered, the success
+   * callback will be called with the component instance; otherwise, the failure
+   * callback will be executed.
+   *
+   * @param {function} success Callback in case of success
+   * @param {?function} failure Callback in case of failure
+   */
+  then: function(success, failure) {
+    invariant(
+      typeof success === 'function',
+      'ReactRef.then(...): Must provide a success callback.'
+    );
+    if (this._successCallbacks == null) {
+      ReactUpdates.asap(dispatchCallbacks, this);
+    }
+    this._successCallbacks = accumulate(this._successCallbacks, success);
+    if (failure) {
+      this._failureCallbacks = accumulate(this._failureCallbacks, failure);
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+ReactRef.attachRef = function(ref, value) {
+  ref._value = value;
+};
+
+ReactRef.detachRef = function(ref, value) {
+  // Check that `component` is still the current ref because we do not want to
+  // detach the ref if another component stole it.
+  if (ref._value === value) {
+    ref._value = null;
+  }
+};
+
+module.exports = ReactRef;
diff --git a/src/core/__tests__/ReactComponent-test.js b/src/core/__tests__/ReactComponent-test.js
index 3da25a0567dc7..3f4129b72a755 100644
--- a/src/core/__tests__/ReactComponent-test.js
+++ b/src/core/__tests__/ReactComponent-test.js
@@ -118,6 +118,114 @@ describe('ReactComponent', function() {
     instance = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(instance);
   });
 
+  it('should support new-style refs', function() {
+    var innerObj = {}, outerObj = {};
+
+    var Wrapper = React.createClass({
+      getObject: function() {
+        return this.props.object;
+      },
+      render: function() {
+        return <div>{this.props.children}</div>;
+      }
+    });
+
+    var refsResolved = 0;
+    var refsErrored = 0;
+    var Component = React.createClass({
+      componentWillMount: function() {
+        this.innerRef = React.createRef();
+        this.outerRef = React.createRef();
+        this.unusedRef = React.createRef();
+      },
+      render: function() {
+        var inner = <Wrapper object={innerObj} ref={this.innerRef} />;
+        var outer = (
+          <Wrapper object={outerObj} ref={this.outerRef}>
+            {inner}
+          </Wrapper>
+        );
+        return outer;
+      },
+      componentDidMount: function() {
+        // TODO: Currently new refs aren't available on initial render
+      },
+      componentDidUpdate: function() {
+        this.innerRef.then(function(inner) {
+          expect(inner.getObject()).toEqual(innerObj);
+          refsResolved++;
+        });
+        this.outerRef.then(function(outer) {
+          expect(outer.getObject()).toEqual(outerObj);
+          refsResolved++;
+        });
+        this.unusedRef.then(function() {
+          throw new Error("Unused ref should not be resolved");
+        }, function() {
+          refsErrored++;
+        });
+        expect(refsResolved).toBe(0);
+        expect(refsErrored).toBe(0);
+      }
+    });
+
+    var instance = <Component />;
+    instance = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(instance);
+    instance.forceUpdate();
+    expect(refsResolved).toBe(2);
+    expect(refsErrored).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it('should support new-style refs with mixed-up owners', function() {
+    var Wrapper = React.createClass({
+      render: function() {
+        return this.props.getContent();
+      }
+    });
+
+    var refsResolved = 0;
+    var Component = React.createClass({
+      componentWillMount: function() {
+        this.wrapperRef = React.createRef();
+        this.innerRef = React.createRef();
+      },
+      getInner: function() {
+        // (With old-style refs, it's impossible to get a ref to this div
+        // because Wrapper is the current owner when this function is called.)
+        return <div title="inner" ref={this.innerRef} />;
+      },
+      render: function() {
+        return (
+          <Wrapper
+            title="wrapper"
+            ref={this.wrapperRef}
+            getContent={this.getInner}
+            />
+        );
+      },
+      componentDidMount: function() {
+        // TODO: Currently new refs aren't available on initial render
+      },
+      componentDidUpdate: function() {
+        // Check .props.title to make sure we got the right elements back
+        this.wrapperRef.then(function(wrapper) {
+          expect(wrapper.props.title).toBe("wrapper");
+          refsResolved++;
+        });
+        this.innerRef.then(function(inner) {
+          expect(inner.props.title).toEqual("inner");
+          refsResolved++;
+        });
+        expect(refsResolved).toBe(0);
+      }
+    });
+
+    var instance = <Component />;
+    instance = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(instance);
+    instance.forceUpdate();
+    expect(refsResolved).toBe(2);
+  });
+
   it('should correctly determine if a component is mounted', function() {
     var Component = React.createClass({
       componentWillMount: function() {