diff --git a/packages/enzyme-adapter-react-16.3/src/ReactSixteenThreeAdapter.js b/packages/enzyme-adapter-react-16.3/src/ReactSixteenThreeAdapter.js
index 3617703aa..a243eddde 100644
--- a/packages/enzyme-adapter-react-16.3/src/ReactSixteenThreeAdapter.js
+++ b/packages/enzyme-adapter-react-16.3/src/ReactSixteenThreeAdapter.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import TestUtils from 'react-dom/test-utils';
 import {
   isElement,
   isPortal,
+  isForwardRef,
   isValidElementType,
   AsyncMode,
   Fragment,
@@ -483,6 +484,13 @@ class ReactSixteenThreeAdapter extends EnzymeAdapter {
     return typeOfNode(fragment) === Fragment;
   }
 
+  isCustomComponentElement(inst) {
+    if (!inst || !this.isValidElement(inst)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    return typeof inst.type === 'function' || isForwardRef(inst);
+  }
+
   createElement(...args) {
     return React.createElement(...args);
   }
diff --git a/packages/enzyme-adapter-react-16/src/ReactSixteenAdapter.js b/packages/enzyme-adapter-react-16/src/ReactSixteenAdapter.js
index ac2941fab..e18030688 100644
--- a/packages/enzyme-adapter-react-16/src/ReactSixteenAdapter.js
+++ b/packages/enzyme-adapter-react-16/src/ReactSixteenAdapter.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import TestUtils from 'react-dom/test-utils';
 import {
   isElement,
   isPortal,
+  isForwardRef,
   isValidElementType,
   AsyncMode,
   Fragment,
@@ -525,6 +526,13 @@ class ReactSixteenAdapter extends EnzymeAdapter {
     return typeOfNode(fragment) === Fragment;
   }
 
+  isCustomComponentElement(inst) {
+    if (!inst || !this.isValidElement(inst)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    return typeof inst.type === 'function' || isForwardRef(inst);
+  }
+
   createElement(...args) {
     return React.createElement(...args);
   }
diff --git a/packages/enzyme-test-suite/test/ShallowWrapper-spec.jsx b/packages/enzyme-test-suite/test/ShallowWrapper-spec.jsx
index 5f427aa1e..84a78810b 100644
--- a/packages/enzyme-test-suite/test/ShallowWrapper-spec.jsx
+++ b/packages/enzyme-test-suite/test/ShallowWrapper-spec.jsx
@@ -6923,6 +6923,33 @@ describe('shallow', () => {
       expect(underwater.is(RendersDOM)).to.equal(true);
     });
 
+    describeIf(is('>=16.3.0'), 'forwardRef Elements', () => {
+      const ForwardRefWrapsRendersDOM = forwardRef && forwardRef(() => <WrapsRendersDOM />);
+      const NestedForwarRefsWrapsRendersDom = forwardRef
+        && forwardRef(() => <ForwardRefWrapsRendersDOM />);
+
+      if (forwardRef) {
+        NestedForwarRefsWrapsRendersDom.contextTypes = { foo: PropTypes.string };
+        ForwardRefWrapsRendersDOM.contextTypes = { foo: PropTypes.string };
+      }
+
+      it('dives + shallow-renders a forwardRef component', () => {
+        const wrapper = shallow(<ForwardRefWrapsRendersDOM />);
+        expect(wrapper.is(WrapsRendersDOM)).to.equal(true);
+
+        const underwater = wrapper.dive();
+        expect(underwater.is(RendersDOM)).to.equal(true);
+      });
+
+      it('dives + shallow-renders a with nested forwardRefs component', () => {
+        const wrapper = shallow(<NestedForwarRefsWrapsRendersDom />);
+        expect(wrapper.is(ForwardRefWrapsRendersDOM)).to.equal(true);
+
+        const underwater = wrapper.dive();
+        expect(underwater.is(WrapsRendersDOM)).to.equal(true);
+      });
+    });
+
     it('merges and pass options through', () => {
       const wrapper = shallow(<ContextWrapsRendersDOM />, { context: { foo: 'hello' } });
       expect(wrapper.context()).to.deep.equal({ foo: 'hello' });
diff --git a/packages/enzyme-test-suite/test/Utils-spec.jsx b/packages/enzyme-test-suite/test/Utils-spec.jsx
index bfa0d4fdc..1c3d7ad2d 100644
--- a/packages/enzyme-test-suite/test/Utils-spec.jsx
+++ b/packages/enzyme-test-suite/test/Utils-spec.jsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   displayNameOfNode,
   spyMethod,
   nodeHasType,
+  isCustomComponentElement,
 } from 'enzyme/build/Utils';
 import getAdapter from 'enzyme/build/getAdapter';
 import {
@@ -639,6 +640,151 @@ describe('Utils', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('isCustomComponentElement()', () => {
+    const adapter = getAdapter();
+
+    wrap()
+      .withOverride(() => adapter, 'isCustomComponentElement', () => undefined)
+      .describe('with an adapter lacking `.isCustomComponentElement`', () => {
+        describe('given a valid CustomComponentElement', () => {
+          it('returns true', () => {
+            class Foo extends React.Component {
+              render() { return <div />; }
+            }
+            expect(isCustomComponentElement(<Foo />, adapter)).to.equal(true);
+          });
+
+          describeIf(is('> 0.13'), 'stateless function elements', () => {
+            it('returns true', () => {
+              const Foo = () => <div />;
+
+              expect(isCustomComponentElement(<Foo />, adapter)).to.equal(true);
+            });
+          });
+
+          describeIf(is('>=16.3.0'), 'forwardRef Elements', () => {
+            it('returns false', () => {
+              const Foo = React.forwardRef(() => <div />);
+              expect(isCustomComponentElement(<Foo />, adapter)).to.equal(false);
+            });
+          });
+        });
+
+        describe('given an invalid CustomComponentElement', () => {
+          it('returns false for HTML elements', () => {
+            expect(isCustomComponentElement(<div />, adapter)).to.equal(false);
+          });
+
+          it('returns false for non-Components', () => {
+            [
+              class Foo {},
+              {},
+              () => {},
+              'div',
+              'Foo',
+              null,
+            ].forEach((nonComponent) => {
+              expect(isCustomComponentElement(nonComponent, adapter)).to.equal(false);
+            });
+          });
+        });
+      });
+
+    wrap()
+      .withOverride(() => adapter, 'isCustomComponentElement', () => () => false)
+      .describe('with an adapter that has `.isCustomComponentElement` that always returns false', () => {
+        describe('given a valid CustomComponentElement', () => {
+          it('returns false', () => {
+            class Foo extends React.Component {
+              render() { return <div />; }
+            }
+            expect(isCustomComponentElement(<Foo />, adapter)).to.equal(false);
+          });
+
+          describeIf(is('> 0.13'), 'stateless function elements', () => {
+            it('returns false', () => {
+              const Foo = () => <div />;
+
+              expect(isCustomComponentElement(<Foo />, adapter)).to.equal(false);
+            });
+          });
+
+          describeIf(is('>=16.3.0'), 'forwardRef Elements', () => {
+            it('returns false', () => {
+              const Foo = React.forwardRef(() => <div />);
+              expect(isCustomComponentElement(<Foo />, adapter)).to.equal(false);
+            });
+          });
+        });
+
+        describe('given an invalid CustomComponentElement', () => {
+          it('returns false for HTML elements', () => {
+            expect(isCustomComponentElement(<div />, adapter)).to.equal(false);
+          });
+
+          it('returns false for non-Components', () => {
+            [
+              class Foo {},
+              {},
+              () => {},
+              'div',
+              'Foo',
+              null,
+            ].forEach((nonComponent) => {
+              expect(isCustomComponentElement(nonComponent, adapter)).to.equal(false);
+            });
+          });
+        });
+      });
+
+    wrap()
+      .withOverride(() => adapter, 'isCustomComponentElement', () => () => true)
+      .describe('with an adapter that has `.isCustomComponentElement` that always returns true', () => {
+        describe('given a valid CustomComponentElement', () => {
+          it('returns true', () => {
+            class Foo extends React.Component {
+              render() { return <div />; }
+            }
+            expect(isCustomComponentElement(<Foo />, adapter)).to.equal(true);
+          });
+
+          describeIf(is('> 0.13'), 'stateless function elements', () => {
+            it('returns true', () => {
+              const Foo = () => <div />;
+
+              expect(isCustomComponentElement(<Foo />, adapter)).to.equal(true);
+            });
+          });
+
+          describeIf(is('>=16.3.0'), 'forwardRef Elements', () => {
+            it('returns true', () => {
+              const Foo = React.forwardRef(() => <div />);
+              expect(isCustomComponentElement(<Foo />, adapter)).to.equal(true);
+            });
+          });
+        });
+
+        describe('given an invalid CustomComponentElement', () => {
+          it('returns true for HTML elements', () => {
+            expect(isCustomComponentElement(<div />, adapter)).to.equal(true);
+          });
+
+          it('returns true for non-Components', () => {
+            [
+              class Foo {},
+              {},
+              () => {},
+              'div',
+              'Foo',
+              null,
+            ].forEach((nonComponent) => {
+              expect(isCustomComponentElement(nonComponent, adapter)).to.equal(true);
+            });
+          });
+        });
+      });
+  });
+
   wrap()
     .withOverride(() => getAdapter(), 'displayNameOfNode', () => undefined)
     .describe('nodeHasType', () => {
diff --git a/packages/enzyme/src/Utils.js b/packages/enzyme/src/Utils.js
index 63448a777..b1a8c93d4 100644
--- a/packages/enzyme/src/Utils.js
+++ b/packages/enzyme/src/Utils.js
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ export function makeOptions(options) {
 }
 
 export function isCustomComponentElement(inst, adapter) {
+  if (adapter.isCustomComponentElement) {
+    return !!adapter.isCustomComponentElement(inst);
+  }
   return !!inst && adapter.isValidElement(inst) && typeof inst.type === 'function';
 }