diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e07eeb7..485716f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "react-component-tree",
-  "version": "0.3.0",
+  "version": "0.3.1",
   "description": "Serialize and reproduce the state of an entire tree of React components",
   "main": "dist/entry.js",
   "repository": {
diff --git a/src/load-child.js b/src/load-child.js
index f44a2cb..42190e7 100644
--- a/src/load-child.js
+++ b/src/load-child.js
@@ -57,9 +57,17 @@ var getChildParams = function(component, childName, a, b, c, d, e, f) {
 
   // Default the child ref to its key name if the child template doesn't return
   // a value
-  if (!params.ref) {
+  if (!params.ref && isClassComponent(params.component)) {
     params.ref = childName;
   }
 
   return params;
 };
+
+var isClassComponent = function(Component) {
+  // Inspired from Recompose: http://bit.ly/1NCac7D
+  return Component &&
+         Component.prototype &&
+         // Only evidence this is reliable: http://bit.ly/1MQPRyU
+         typeof(Component.prototype.isReactComponent) === 'object';
+};
diff --git a/tests/unit/load-child.js b/tests/unit/load-child.js
index 14b2234..d7a0b72 100644
--- a/tests/unit/load-child.js
+++ b/tests/unit/load-child.js
@@ -1,9 +1,20 @@
 var React = require('react'),
+    _ = require('lodash'),
     loadChild = require('../../src/load-child.js').loadChild;
 
+var ReactComponent = {
+  prototype: {
+    isReactComponent: {}
+  }
+};
+var StatelessComponent = {
+  prototype: {}
+};
+
 describe('UNIT Load child', function() {
-  var FirstComponent = {},
-      SecondComponent = {},
+  var FirstComponent = _.cloneDeep(ReactComponent),
+      SecondComponent =_.cloneDeep(ReactComponent),
+      ThirdComponent =_.cloneDeep(StatelessComponent),
       component,
       children = [React.createElement('span', {
         key: '1',
@@ -25,7 +36,12 @@ describe('UNIT Load child', function() {
             component: SecondComponent,
             ref: 'fooChild'
           };
-        })
+        }),
+        omittedRef: function() {
+          return {
+            component: ThirdComponent
+          };
+        }
       }
     };
 
@@ -101,4 +117,11 @@ describe('UNIT Load child', function() {
     var props = React.createElement.lastCall.args[1];
     expect(props.ref).to.equal('fooChild');
   });
+
+  it('should omit ref for stateless components', function() {
+    loadChild(component, 'omittedRef');
+
+    var props = React.createElement.lastCall.args[1];
+    expect(props.ref).to.be.undefined;
+  });
 });