diff --git a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/Index.js b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/Index.js
index 86390963b8..5f72f83717 100644
--- a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/Index.js
+++ b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/Index.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import React, { Component, Children } from 'react';
  * @kind widget
  * @name <Index>
  * @propType {string} indexName - index in which to search.
+ * @propType {{ Root: string|function, props: object }} [root] - Use this to customize the root element. Default value: `{ Root: 'div' }`
  * @example
  * import {InstantSearch, Index, SearchBox, Hits, Configure} from 'react-instantsearch/dom';
  *
diff --git a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/__snapshots__/createIndex.test.js.snap b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/__snapshots__/createIndex.test.js.snap
index d1a3e3cd47..4bab98847e 100644
--- a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/__snapshots__/createIndex.test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/__snapshots__/createIndex.test.js.snap
@@ -1,11 +1,28 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
+exports[`createIndex expect to create Index with a custom root props 1`] = `
+<Index
+  indexName="name"
+  root={
+    Object {
+      "Root": "span",
+      "props": Object {
+        "style": Object {
+          "flex": 1,
+        },
+      },
+    }
+  }
+/>
+`;
+
 exports[`createIndex wraps Index 1`] = `
-Object {
-  "children": undefined,
-  "indexName": "name",
-  "root": Object {
-    "Root": "div",
-  },
-}
+<Index
+  indexName="name"
+  root={
+    Object {
+      "Root": "div",
+    }
+  }
+/>
 `;
diff --git a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/__snapshots__/createInstantSearch.test.js.snap b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/__snapshots__/createInstantSearch.test.js.snap
index b43abba244..4337635c83 100644
--- a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/__snapshots__/createInstantSearch.test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/__snapshots__/createInstantSearch.test.js.snap
@@ -1,5 +1,28 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
+exports[`createInstantSearch expect to create InstantSearch with a custom root props 1`] = `
+Object {
+  "children": undefined,
+  "createURL": undefined,
+  "indexName": "name",
+  "onSearchParameters": undefined,
+  "onSearchStateChange": undefined,
+  "refresh": false,
+  "resultsState": undefined,
+  "root": Object {
+    "Root": "span",
+    "props": Object {
+      "style": Object {
+        "flex": 1,
+      },
+    },
+  },
+  "searchParameters": undefined,
+  "searchState": undefined,
+  "stalledSearchDelay": 200,
+}
+`;
+
 exports[`createInstantSearch wraps InstantSearch 1`] = `
 Object {
   "children": undefined,
diff --git a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createIndex.js b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createIndex.js
index abb816ca94..5a559d7e81 100644
--- a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createIndex.js
+++ b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createIndex.js
@@ -1,29 +1,34 @@
+import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
-import React, { Component } from 'react';
 import Index from './Index';
 
 /**
  * Creates a specialized root Index component. It accepts
  * a specification of the root Element.
- * @param {object} root - the defininition of the root of an Index sub tree.
- * @returns {object} a Index root
+ * @param {object} defaultRoot - the defininition of the root of an Index sub tree.
+ * @return {object} a Index root
  */
-export default function createIndex(root) {
-  return class CreateIndex extends Component {
-    static propTypes = {
-      children: PropTypes.oneOfType([
-        PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.node),
-        PropTypes.node,
-      ]),
-      indexName: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
-    };
+const createIndex = defaultRoot => {
+  const CreateIndex = ({ indexName, root, children }) => (
+    <Index indexName={indexName} root={root}>
+      {children}
+    </Index>
+  );
 
-    render() {
-      return (
-        <Index indexName={this.props.indexName} root={root}>
-          {this.props.children}
-        </Index>
-      );
-    }
+  CreateIndex.propTypes = {
+    indexName: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+    root: PropTypes.shape({
+      Root: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.string, PropTypes.func]).isRequired,
+      props: PropTypes.object,
+    }),
+    children: PropTypes.node,
   };
-}
+
+  CreateIndex.defaultProps = {
+    root: defaultRoot,
+  };
+
+  return CreateIndex;
+};
+
+export default createIndex;
diff --git a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createIndex.test.js b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createIndex.test.js
index f15ae9523c..40dccd7cd4 100644
--- a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createIndex.test.js
+++ b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createIndex.test.js
@@ -1,19 +1,34 @@
-/* eslint-env jest, jasmine */
-/* eslint-disable no-console */
 import React from 'react';
 import Enzyme, { shallow } from 'enzyme';
 import Adapter from 'enzyme-adapter-react-16';
-Enzyme.configure({ adapter: new Adapter() });
-
 import createIndex from './createIndex';
 import Index from './Index';
 
+Enzyme.configure({ adapter: new Adapter() });
+
 describe('createIndex', () => {
   const CustomIndex = createIndex({ Root: 'div' });
 
   it('wraps Index', () => {
     const wrapper = shallow(<CustomIndex indexName="name" />);
     expect(wrapper.is(Index)).toBe(true);
-    expect(wrapper.props()).toMatchSnapshot();
+    expect(wrapper).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+
+  it('expect to create Index with a custom root props', () => {
+    const root = {
+      Root: 'span',
+      props: {
+        style: {
+          flex: 1,
+        },
+      },
+    };
+
+    const wrapper = shallow(<CustomIndex indexName="name" root={root} />);
+
+    expect(wrapper.is(Index)).toBe(true);
+    expect(wrapper.props().root).toEqual(root);
+    expect(wrapper).toMatchSnapshot();
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createInstantSearch.test.js b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createInstantSearch.test.js
index b75a98f63e..cf27b14353 100644
--- a/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createInstantSearch.test.js
+++ b/packages/react-instantsearch/src/core/createInstantSearch.test.js
@@ -10,11 +10,9 @@ Enzyme.configure({ adapter: new Adapter() });
 describe('createInstantSearch', () => {
   const algoliaClient = { addAlgoliaAgent: jest.fn() };
   const algoliaClientFactory = jest.fn(() => algoliaClient);
-  const createCustomInstantSearch = root =>
-    createInstantSearch(algoliaClientFactory, {
-      Root: 'div',
-      ...root,
-    });
+  const CustomInstantSearch = createInstantSearch(algoliaClientFactory, {
+    Root: 'div',
+  });
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     algoliaClient.addAlgoliaAgent.mockClear();
@@ -22,8 +20,6 @@ describe('createInstantSearch', () => {
   });
 
   it('wraps InstantSearch', () => {
-    const CustomInstantSearch = createCustomInstantSearch();
-
     const wrapper = shallow(
       <CustomInstantSearch appId="app" apiKey="key" indexName="name" />
     );
@@ -37,8 +33,6 @@ describe('createInstantSearch', () => {
   });
 
   it('creates an algolia client using the provided factory', () => {
-    const CustomInstantSearch = createCustomInstantSearch();
-
     shallow(<CustomInstantSearch appId="app" apiKey="key" indexName="name" />);
 
     expect(algoliaClientFactory).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
@@ -50,8 +44,6 @@ describe('createInstantSearch', () => {
   });
 
   it('updates the algoliaClient when appId or apiKey changes', () => {
-    const CustomInstantSearch = createCustomInstantSearch();
-
     const wrapper = shallow(
       <CustomInstantSearch appId="app" apiKey="key" indexName="name" />
     );
@@ -65,8 +57,6 @@ describe('createInstantSearch', () => {
   });
 
   it('uses the provided algoliaClient', () => {
-    const CustomInstantSearch = createCustomInstantSearch();
-
     const wrapper = shallow(
       <CustomInstantSearch algoliaClient={algoliaClient} indexName="name" />
     );
@@ -77,7 +67,6 @@ describe('createInstantSearch', () => {
   });
 
   it('updates the algoliaClient when provided algoliaClient is passed down', () => {
-    const CustomInstantSearch = createCustomInstantSearch();
     const newAlgoliaClient = {
       addAlgoliaAgent: jest.fn(),
     };
@@ -97,28 +86,23 @@ describe('createInstantSearch', () => {
   });
 
   it('expect to create InstantSearch with a custom root props', () => {
-    const CustomInstantSearch = createCustomInstantSearch({
+    const root = {
       Root: 'span',
       props: {
         style: {
           flex: 1,
         },
       },
-    });
+    };
 
     const wrapper = shallow(
-      <CustomInstantSearch algoliaClient={algoliaClient} indexName="name" />
+      <CustomInstantSearch indexName="name" root={root} />
     );
 
-    expect(algoliaClient.addAlgoliaAgent).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-shadow, no-unused-vars
+    const { algoliaClient, ...propsWithoutClient } = wrapper.props();
 
-    expect(wrapper.props().root).toEqual({
-      Root: 'span',
-      props: {
-        style: {
-          flex: 1,
-        },
-      },
-    });
+    expect(wrapper.props().root).toEqual(root);
+    expect(propsWithoutClient).toMatchSnapshot();
   });
 });
diff --git a/stories/MultiIndex.stories.js b/stories/MultiIndex.stories.js
index e7a79d0554..9c05c6d18a 100644
--- a/stories/MultiIndex.stories.js
+++ b/stories/MultiIndex.stories.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   connectStateResults,
 } from '../packages/react-instantsearch/connectors';
 import Autosuggest from 'react-autosuggest';
+import { displayName, filterProps } from './util';
 
 const stories = storiesOf('<Index>', module);
 
@@ -166,7 +167,36 @@ stories
         <Pagination />
       </Index>
     </InstantSearch>
-  ));
+  ))
+  .addWithJSX(
+    'with custom root',
+    () => (
+      <InstantSearch
+        appId="latency"
+        apiKey="6be0576ff61c053d5f9a3225e2a90f76"
+        indexName="ikea"
+      >
+        <SearchBox />
+        <Index
+          indexName="products"
+          root={{
+            Root: 'div',
+            props: {
+              style: {
+                background: 'linear-gradient(80deg, #00D8FF, #00A7FF)',
+              },
+            },
+          }}
+        >
+          <CustomProducts />
+        </Index>
+      </InstantSearch>
+    ),
+    {
+      displayName,
+      filterProps,
+    }
+  );
 
 const AutoComplete = connectAutoComplete(
   ({ hits, currentRefinement, refine }) => (