diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/tag-input/tagInput.tsx b/packages/core/src/components/tag-input/tagInput.tsx
index 1bbae9f7b9..11092b6fe5 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/tag-input/tagInput.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/tag-input/tagInput.tsx
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export interface ITagInputProps extends IntentProps, Props {
     inputProps?: HTMLInputProps;
 
     /** Ref handler for the `<input>` element. */
-    inputRef?: (input: HTMLInputElement | null) => void;
+    inputRef?: IRef<HTMLInputElement>;
 
     /** Controlled value of the `<input>` element. This is shorthand for `inputProps={{ value }}`. */
     inputValue?: string;
diff --git a/packages/popover2/src/popover2.tsx b/packages/popover2/src/popover2.tsx
index c8f40e58b7..6a698f0c8f 100644
--- a/packages/popover2/src/popover2.tsx
+++ b/packages/popover2/src/popover2.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import {
     mergeRefs,
     Overlay,
     Utils,
+    IRef,
 } from "@blueprintjs/core";
 
 import * as Classes from "./classes";
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ export interface IPopover2Props<TProps = React.HTMLProps<HTMLElement>> extends P
     /**
      * Ref supplied to the `Classes.POPOVER` element.
      */
-    popoverRef?: (ref: HTMLElement | null) => void;
+    popoverRef?: IRef<HTMLElement>;
 
     /**
      * Popper.js positioning strategy.
diff --git a/packages/select/src/components/select/multiSelect.tsx b/packages/select/src/components/select/multiSelect.tsx
index 3897b1b56f..db20c42545 100644
--- a/packages/select/src/components/select/multiSelect.tsx
+++ b/packages/select/src/components/select/multiSelect.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import {
     Position,
     TagInput,
     TagInputAddMethod,
+    refHandler,
+    setRef,
 } from "@blueprintjs/core";
 
 import { Classes, IListItemsProps } from "../../common";
@@ -113,18 +115,26 @@ export class MultiSelect<T> extends AbstractPureComponent2<MultiSelectProps<T>,
 
     private TypedQueryList = QueryList.ofType<T>();
 
-    private input: HTMLInputElement | null = null;
+    public input: HTMLInputElement | null = null;
 
-    private queryList: QueryList<T> | null = null;
+    public queryList: QueryList<T> | null = null;
 
-    private refHandlers = {
-        input: (ref: HTMLInputElement | null) => {
-            this.input = ref;
-            this.props.tagInputProps?.inputRef?.(ref);
-        },
+    private refHandlers: {
+        input: React.RefCallback<HTMLInputElement>;
+        queryList: React.RefCallback<QueryList<T>>;
+    } = {
+        input: refHandler(this, "input", this.props.tagInputProps?.inputRef),
         queryList: (ref: QueryList<T> | null) => (this.queryList = ref),
     };
 
+    public componentDidUpdate(prevProps: MultiSelectProps<T>) {
+        if (prevProps.tagInputProps?.inputRef !== this.props.tagInputProps?.inputRef) {
+            setRef(prevProps.tagInputProps?.inputRef, null);
+            this.refHandlers.input = refHandler(this, "input", this.props.tagInputProps?.inputRef);
+            setRef(this.props.tagInputProps?.inputRef, this.input);
+        }
+    }
+
     public render() {
         // omit props specific to this component, spread the rest.
         const { openOnKeyDown, popoverProps, tagInputProps, ...restProps } = this.props;