diff --git a/packages/eui/.loki/reference/chrome_desktop_Tabular_Content_EuiDataGrid_Cell_Actions.png b/packages/eui/.loki/reference/chrome_desktop_Tabular_Content_EuiDataGrid_Cell_Actions.png
index ca50c61e67de..6cc6db4e6ffe 100644
Binary files a/packages/eui/.loki/reference/chrome_desktop_Tabular_Content_EuiDataGrid_Cell_Actions.png and b/packages/eui/.loki/reference/chrome_desktop_Tabular_Content_EuiDataGrid_Cell_Actions.png differ
diff --git a/packages/eui/.loki/reference/chrome_desktop_Tabular_Content_EuiDataGrid_Cell_Expansion_Popover.png b/packages/eui/.loki/reference/chrome_desktop_Tabular_Content_EuiDataGrid_Cell_Expansion_Popover.png
index 2edc9b07ff99..7610b3ec4fff 100644
Binary files a/packages/eui/.loki/reference/chrome_desktop_Tabular_Content_EuiDataGrid_Cell_Expansion_Popover.png and b/packages/eui/.loki/reference/chrome_desktop_Tabular_Content_EuiDataGrid_Cell_Expansion_Popover.png differ
diff --git a/packages/eui/src/components/datagrid/data_grid.stories.tsx b/packages/eui/src/components/datagrid/data_grid.stories.tsx
index 36fd9d00d3a1..b8bdd9bce644 100644
--- a/packages/eui/src/components/datagrid/data_grid.stories.tsx
+++ b/packages/eui/src/components/datagrid/data_grid.stories.tsx
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ export const CellActions: Story = {
       dataGridRef.current?.setFocusedCell({ rowIndex: 2, colIndex: 2 });
     }, []);
 
-    return <StatefulDataGrid {...defaultStorybookArgs} ref={dataGridRef} />;
+    return <EuiDataGrid {...defaultStorybookArgs} ref={dataGridRef} />;
   },
 };
 
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ export const CellExpansionPopover: Story = {
       dataGridRef.current?.openCellPopover({ rowIndex: 1, colIndex: 1 });
     }, []);
 
-    return <StatefulDataGrid {...defaultStorybookArgs} ref={dataGridRef} />;
+    return <EuiDataGrid {...defaultStorybookArgs} ref={dataGridRef} />;
   },
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/eui/src/components/datagrid/data_grid.stories.utils.tsx b/packages/eui/src/components/datagrid/data_grid.stories.utils.tsx
index 135043bee98d..f4c2d5b4da60 100644
--- a/packages/eui/src/components/datagrid/data_grid.stories.utils.tsx
+++ b/packages/eui/src/components/datagrid/data_grid.stories.utils.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import React, {
   useCallback,
   useEffect,
   useState,
-  forwardRef,
   FunctionComponent,
 } from 'react';
 import { faker } from '@faker-js/faker';
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ import type {
   EuiDataGridColumnCellActionProps,
   EuiDataGridColumnSortingConfig,
   EuiDataGridProps,
-  EuiDataGridRefProps,
   EuiDataGridStyle,
   EuiDataGridRowHeightsOptions,
   EuiDataGridToolBarVisibilityOptions,
@@ -293,10 +291,7 @@ export const defaultStorybookArgs = {
   } as const,
 };
 
-export const StatefulDataGrid = forwardRef<
-  EuiDataGridRefProps,
-  EuiDataGridProps
->((props, ref) => {
+export const StatefulDataGrid = (props: EuiDataGridProps) => {
   const { pagination, sorting, columnVisibility, ...rest } = props;
 
   // Pagination
@@ -360,7 +355,6 @@ export const StatefulDataGrid = forwardRef<
   return (
     <EuiDataGrid
       {...rest}
-      ref={ref}
       columnVisibility={{ visibleColumns, setVisibleColumns }}
       sorting={{ columns: sortingColumns, onSort }}
       pagination={{
@@ -370,8 +364,7 @@ export const StatefulDataGrid = forwardRef<
       }}
     />
   );
-});
-StatefulDataGrid.displayName = 'StatefulDataGrid';
+};
 
 /*
  * Components that exist purely for allowing Storybook to parse certain nested