diff --git a/packages/react/src/jsx/ReactJSXElement.js b/packages/react/src/jsx/ReactJSXElement.js
index b429db3326b5e..9b83632b5da75 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/jsx/ReactJSXElement.js
+++ b/packages/react/src/jsx/ReactJSXElement.js
@@ -870,7 +870,12 @@ export function cloneElement(element, config, children) {
         // Silently steal the ref from the parent.
         ref = config.ref;
         if (!disableStringRefs) {
-          ref = coerceStringRef(ref, owner, element.type);
+          let refOwner = owner;
+          if (refOwner == null) {
+            // fall back to the current owner
+            refOwner = ReactSharedInternals.owner;
+          }
+          ref = coerceStringRef(ref, refOwner, element.type);
         }
       }
       owner = ReactSharedInternals.owner;