diff --git a/packages/react-instantsearch-dom/src/components/SearchBox.js b/packages/react-instantsearch-dom/src/components/SearchBox.js
index 49ed5c0be3..b779757d6a 100644
--- a/packages/react-instantsearch-dom/src/components/SearchBox.js
+++ b/packages/react-instantsearch-dom/src/components/SearchBox.js
@@ -82,8 +82,10 @@ class SearchBox extends Component {
     isSearchStalled: PropTypes.bool,
     showLoadingIndicator: PropTypes.bool,
 
-    // For testing purposes
-    __inputRef: PropTypes.func,
+    inputRef: PropTypes.oneOfType([
+      PropTypes.func,
+      PropTypes.exact({ current: PropTypes.object }),
+    ]),
   };
 
   static defaultProps = {
@@ -133,8 +135,11 @@ class SearchBox extends Component {
 
   onInputMount = input => {
     this.input = input;
-    if (this.props.__inputRef) {
-      this.props.__inputRef(input);
+    if (!this.props.inputRef) return;
+    if (typeof this.props.inputRef === 'function') {
+      this.props.inputRef(input);
+    } else {
+      this.props.inputRef.current = input;
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/packages/react-instantsearch-dom/src/components/__tests__/SearchBox.js b/packages/react-instantsearch-dom/src/components/__tests__/SearchBox.js
index 86ad882582..12183ee36b 100644
--- a/packages/react-instantsearch-dom/src/components/__tests__/SearchBox.js
+++ b/packages/react-instantsearch-dom/src/components/__tests__/SearchBox.js
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ describe('SearchBox', () => {
       <SearchBox
         refine={() => null}
         focusShortcuts={['s', 84]}
-        __inputRef={node => {
+        inputRef={node => {
           input = node;
         }}
       />
@@ -295,4 +295,39 @@ describe('SearchBox', () => {
     expect(wrapper.instance().input.focus).toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(wrapper.state()).toEqual({ query: '' });
   });
+
+  it('should point created refs to its input element', () => {
+    const inputRef = React.createRef();
+    const wrapper = mount(
+      <SearchBox refine={() => null} inputRef={inputRef} />
+    );
+
+    const refSpy = jest.spyOn(inputRef.current, 'focus');
+
+    // Trigger input.focus()
+    wrapper.find('form').simulate('reset');
+
+    expect(refSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(inputRef.current.tagName).toEqual('INPUT');
+  });
+
+  it('should return a ref when given a callback', () => {
+    let inputRef;
+    const wrapper = mount(
+      <SearchBox
+        refine={() => null}
+        inputRef={ref => {
+          inputRef = ref;
+        }}
+      />
+    );
+
+    const refSpy = jest.spyOn(inputRef, 'focus');
+
+    // Trigger input.focus()
+    wrapper.find('form').simulate('reset');
+
+    expect(refSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(inputRef.tagName).toEqual('INPUT');
+  });
 });