diff --git a/packages/core/unrefElement/index.ts b/packages/core/unrefElement/index.ts
index cd018051f3f..712be030647 100644
--- a/packages/core/unrefElement/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/unrefElement/index.ts
@@ -3,14 +3,17 @@ import { unref } from 'vue-demi'
 import type { MaybeRef } from '@vueuse/shared'
 
 export type VueInstance = ComponentPublicInstance
-export type MaybeElementRef = MaybeRef<HTMLElement | SVGElement | VueInstance | undefined | null>
+export type MaybeElementRef<T extends MaybeElement = MaybeElement> = MaybeRef<T>
+export type MaybeElement = HTMLElement | SVGElement | VueInstance | undefined | null
+
+export type UnRefElementReturn<T extends MaybeElement = MaybeElement> = T extends VueInstance ? Exclude<MaybeElement, VueInstance> : T | undefined
 
 /**
  * Get the dom element of a ref of element or Vue component instance
  *
  * @param elRef
  */
-export function unrefElement(elRef: MaybeElementRef): HTMLElement | SVGElement | undefined {
+export function unrefElement<T extends MaybeElement>(elRef: MaybeElementRef<T>): UnRefElementReturn<T> {
   const plain = unref(elRef)
   return (plain as VueInstance)?.$el ?? plain
 }