diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 997ad803d345479c6afedb38fbfa4fed36dbb69f..e3845eab81088ac07f86ce0758f8fbb51bf20f7e 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -87,13 +87,17 @@ function createSlotClone(ownerName) {
     if (isLazyComponent(children) && typeof use === "function") {
       children = use(children._payload);
     }
+    const childrenRef = React.isValidElement(children) ? getElementRef(children) : null;
+    const composedRef = React.useMemo(
+      () => forwardedRef && childrenRef ? (0, import_react_compose_refs.composeRefs)(forwardedRef, childrenRef) : forwardedRef || childrenRef || null,
+      [forwardedRef, childrenRef]
+    );
     if (React.isValidElement(children)) {
-      const childrenRef = getElementRef(children);
       const props2 = mergeProps(slotProps, children.props);
       if (children.type !== React.Fragment) {
-        props2.ref = forwardedRef ? (0, import_react_compose_refs.composeRefs)(forwardedRef, childrenRef) : childrenRef;
+        props2.ref = composedRef;
       }
       return React.cloneElement(children, props2);
     }
     return React.Children.count(children) > 1 ? React.Children.only(null) : null;
   });
diff --git a/dist/index.mjs b/dist/index.mjs
index 6365c8003f76c8a41351ddc65a4e84ad8b6bf0d1..3e6146372c27ae6dc1a628264e49910b9f41f3f7 100644
--- a/dist/index.mjs
+++ b/dist/index.mjs
@@ -46,13 +46,17 @@ function createSlotClone(ownerName) {
     if (isLazyComponent(children) && typeof use === "function") {
       children = use(children._payload);
     }
+    const childrenRef = React.isValidElement(children) ? getElementRef(children) : null;
+    const composedRef = React.useMemo(
+      () => forwardedRef && childrenRef ? composeRefs(forwardedRef, childrenRef) : forwardedRef || childrenRef || null,
+      [forwardedRef, childrenRef]
+    );
     if (React.isValidElement(children)) {
-      const childrenRef = getElementRef(children);
       const props2 = mergeProps(slotProps, children.props);
       if (children.type !== React.Fragment) {
-        props2.ref = forwardedRef ? composeRefs(forwardedRef, childrenRef) : childrenRef;
+        props2.ref = composedRef;
       }
       return React.cloneElement(children, props2);
     }
     return React.Children.count(children) > 1 ? React.Children.only(null) : null;
   });