diff --git a/magicgui/backends/_qtpy/widgets.py b/magicgui/backends/_qtpy/widgets.py
index 4dc552bf2..3921d69a9 100644
--- a/magicgui/backends/_qtpy/widgets.py
+++ b/magicgui/backends/_qtpy/widgets.py
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ def _mgui_set_parent(self, widget: Widget):
     def _mgui_get_native_widget(self) -> QtW.QWidget:
         return self._qwidget
 
+    def _mgui_get_root_native_widget(self) -> QtW.QWidget:
+        return self._qwidget
+
     def _mgui_get_width(self) -> int:
         """Return the current width of the widget."""
         return self._qwidget.width()
@@ -428,7 +431,11 @@ def __init__(self, layout="vertical", scrollable: bool = False):
     def _is_scrollable(self) -> bool:
         return isinstance(self._qwidget, QtW.QScrollArea)
 
+    def _mgui_get_root_native_widget(self):
+        return self._qwidget
+
     def _mgui_get_native_widget(self):
+        # Return widget with the layout set
         return self._qwidget.widget() if self._is_scrollable else self._qwidget
 
     def _mgui_get_visible(self):
diff --git a/magicgui/widgets/_bases/widget.py b/magicgui/widgets/_bases/widget.py
index eefb6ccf2..b59b923ef 100644
--- a/magicgui/widgets/_bases/widget.py
+++ b/magicgui/widgets/_bases/widget.py
@@ -149,9 +149,26 @@ def options(self) -> dict:
 
     @property
     def native(self):
-        """Return native backend widget."""
+        """
+        Return native backend widget.
+
+        Note this is the widget that contains the layout, and not any
+        parent widgets of this (e.g. a parent widget that is used to
+        enable scroll bars)
+        """
         return self._widget._mgui_get_native_widget()
 
+    @property
+    def root_native_widget(self):
+        """
+        Return the root native backend widget.
+
+        This can be different from the ``.native`` widget if the layout
+        is a child of some other widget, e.g. a widget used to enable
+        scroll bars.
+        """
+        return self._widget._mgui_get_root_native_widget()
+
     @property
     def enabled(self) -> bool:
         """Whether widget is enabled (editable)."""
diff --git a/magicgui/widgets/_protocols.py b/magicgui/widgets/_protocols.py
index b50eb2247..06c4ebb1b 100644
--- a/magicgui/widgets/_protocols.py
+++ b/magicgui/widgets/_protocols.py
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ def _mgui_set_parent(self, widget: Widget) -> None:
     def _mgui_get_native_widget(self) -> Any:
         raise NotImplementedError()
 
+    @abstractmethod
+    def _mgui_get_root_native_widget(self) -> Any:
+        raise NotImplementedError()
+
     @abstractmethod
     def _mgui_bind_parent_change_callback(
         self, callback: Callable[[Any], None]
diff --git a/tests/test_magicgui.py b/tests/test_magicgui.py
index 1f9a689e9..0d1f4949f 100644
--- a/tests/test_magicgui.py
+++ b/tests/test_magicgui.py
@@ -812,9 +812,13 @@ def test_scrollable():
     def test_scrollable(a: int = 1, y: str = "a"):
         ...
 
+    assert test_scrollable.native is not test_scrollable.root_native_widget
+    assert not isinstance(test_scrollable.native, QScrollArea)
+    assert isinstance(test_scrollable.root_native_widget, QScrollArea)
+
     @magicgui(scrollable=False)
     def test_nonscrollable(a: int = 1, y: str = "a"):
         ...
 
-    assert isinstance(test_scrollable.native.parent().parent(), QScrollArea)
-    assert not test_nonscrollable.native.parent()
+    assert test_nonscrollable.native is test_nonscrollable.root_native_widget
+    assert not isinstance(test_nonscrollable.native, QScrollArea)
diff --git a/tests/test_widgets.py b/tests/test_widgets.py
index 4249f20a2..5a50d21e3 100644
--- a/tests/test_widgets.py
+++ b/tests/test_widgets.py
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ def _mgui_set_enabled(self, enabled): ... # noqa
     def _mgui_get_parent(self): ... # noqa
     def _mgui_set_parent(self, widget): ... # noqa
     def _mgui_get_native_widget(self): return MagicMock()  # noqa
+    def _mgui_get_root_native_widget(self): ... # noqa
     def _mgui_bind_parent_change_callback(self, callback): ... # noqa
     def _mgui_render(self): ... # noqa
     def _mgui_get_width(self): ... # noqa