diff --git a/.eslintrc b/.eslintrc
index 1f6d407..57c3cbb 100644
--- a/.eslintrc
+++ b/.eslintrc
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     "mocha": true,
   },
   "rules": {
+    "no-cond-assign": "off",
     "jsx-a11y/href-no-hash": "off",
     // Override airbnb to disable devDependencies check until we figure out how to exclude tests files
     "import/no-extraneous-dependencies": [2, {"optionalDependencies": false}],
@@ -24,4 +25,4 @@
     // Turn off https://github.com/benmosher/eslint-plugin-import/blob/master/docs/rules/no-named-as-default-member.md
     "import/no-named-as-default-member": 0,
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/_tests/FocusLock.spec.js b/_tests/FocusLock.spec.js
index aa0a1e9..c5eadae 100644
--- a/_tests/FocusLock.spec.js
+++ b/_tests/FocusLock.spec.js
@@ -791,6 +791,64 @@ describe('react-focus-lock', () => {
         }, 1);
       });
 
+      it('Should handle focus groups - shard', (done) => {
+        const ref1 = React.createRef();
+        const ref2 = React.createRef();
+        const TestCase = () => (
+          <div>
+            <div>
+              text
+              <button className="action1">action1</button>
+              text
+            </div>
+            <FocusLock shards={[ref1, ref2.current, null]} autoFocus>
+              <button id="b1">button1</button>
+              <button id="b2">button2</button>
+            </FocusLock>
+            <button id="b3" ref={ref1}>button3</button>
+            <button id="b5">button5</button>
+            <button id="b4" ref={ref2}>button4</button>
+            <div>
+              text
+              <button className="action3">action1</button>
+              text
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        );
+
+        const wrapper = mount(<TestCase />, mountPoint);
+        wrapper.update().find('#b2').getDOMNode().focus();
+        // update wrapper to propagate ref2
+        wrapper.setProps({});
+        expect(document.activeElement.innerHTML).to.be.equal('button2');
+        setTimeout(() => {
+          expect(document.activeElement.innerHTML).to.be.equal('button2');
+          wrapper.find('#b3').simulate('focus');
+          wrapper.find('#b3').getDOMNode().focus();
+          wrapper.find('#b1').simulate('blur');
+          expect(document.activeElement.innerHTML).to.be.equal('button3');
+          setTimeout(() => {
+            expect(document.activeElement.innerHTML).to.be.equal('button3');
+            wrapper.find('#b4').simulate('focus');
+            wrapper.find('#b4').getDOMNode().focus();
+            wrapper.find('#b1').simulate('blur');
+            expect(document.activeElement.innerHTML).to.be.equal('button4');
+            setTimeout(() => {
+              expect(document.activeElement.innerHTML).to.be.equal('button4');
+              wrapper.find('#b5').simulate('focus');
+              wrapper.find('#b5').getDOMNode().focus();
+              expect(document.activeElement.innerHTML).to.be.equal('button5');
+              wrapper.find('#b1').simulate('blur');
+              setTimeout(() => {
+                // it should be 3 :(
+                expect(document.activeElement.innerHTML).to.be.equal('button3');
+                done();
+              }, 1);
+            }, 1);
+          }, 1);
+        }, 1);
+      });
+
       it('Should handle focus groups - disabled', (done) => {
         const wrapper = mount(
           <div>
diff --git a/react-focus-lock.d.ts b/react-focus-lock.d.ts
index ae5115c..d7f3c0a 100644
--- a/react-focus-lock.d.ts
+++ b/react-focus-lock.d.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ declare module 'react-focus-lock' {
     /**
      * Shards forms a scattered lock, same as `group` does, but in more "low" and controlled way
      */
-    shards?: Array<React.RefObject<any>>;
+    shards?: Array<React.RefObject<any> | HTMLElement>;
 
     children: React.ReactNode;
   }
diff --git a/src/FocusGuard.js b/src/FocusGuard.js
index d2cd1f5..c7255ed 100644
--- a/src/FocusGuard.js
+++ b/src/FocusGuard.js
@@ -11,16 +11,20 @@ export const hiddenGuard = {
   left: '1px',
 };
 
-const InFocusGuard = ({children}) => (
+const InFocusGuard = ({ children }) => (
   <React.Fragment>
-    <div key="guard-first" data-focus-guard data-focus-auto-guard style={hiddenGuard}/>
+    <div key="guard-first" data-focus-guard data-focus-auto-guard style={hiddenGuard} />
     {children}
-    {children && <div key="guard-last" data-focus-guard data-focus-auto-guard style={hiddenGuard}/>}
+    {children && <div key="guard-last" data-focus-guard data-focus-auto-guard style={hiddenGuard} />}
   </React.Fragment>
 );
 InFocusGuard.propTypes = {
   children: PropTypes.node,
 };
 
+InFocusGuard.defaultProps = {
+  children: null,
+};
+
 
 export default InFocusGuard;
diff --git a/src/Lock.js b/src/Lock.js
index 0ae8d97..2441f7d 100644
--- a/src/Lock.js
+++ b/src/Lock.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-import React, {Component} from 'react';
+import React, { Component } from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
-import {constants} from 'focus-lock';
-import FocusTrap, {onBlur, onFocus} from './Trap';
-import {hiddenGuard} from './FocusGuard';
+import { constants } from 'focus-lock';
+import FocusTrap, { onBlur, onFocus } from './Trap';
+import { hiddenGuard } from './FocusGuard';
 
-const RenderChildren = ({children}) => <div>{children}</div>;
+const RenderChildren = ({ children }) => <div>{children}</div>;
 RenderChildren.propTypes = {
   children: PropTypes.node.isRequired,
 };
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class FocusLock extends Component {
       as: Container = 'div',
       lockProps: containerProps = {},
     } = this.props;
-    const {observed} = this.state;
+    const { observed } = this.state;
 
     if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       if (typeof allowTextSelection !== 'undefined') {
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ class FocusLock extends Component {
     return (
       <Fragment>
         {!noFocusGuards && [
-          <div key="guard-first" data-focus-guard tabIndex={disabled ? -1 : 0} style={hiddenGuard}/>, // nearest focus guard
-          <div key="guard-nearest" data-focus-guard tabIndex={disabled ? -1 : 1} style={hiddenGuard}/>, // first tabbed element guard
+          <div key="guard-first" data-focus-guard tabIndex={disabled ? -1 : 0} style={hiddenGuard} />, // nearest focus guard
+          <div key="guard-nearest" data-focus-guard tabIndex={disabled ? -1 : 1} style={hiddenGuard} />, // first tabbed element guard
         ]}
         <Container
           ref={this.setObserveNode}
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ class FocusLock extends Component {
         </Container>
         {
           !noFocusGuards &&
-          <div data-focus-guard tabIndex={disabled ? -1 : 0} style={hiddenGuard}/>
+          <div data-focus-guard tabIndex={disabled ? -1 : 0} style={hiddenGuard} />
         }
       </Fragment>
     );
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ FocusLock.propTypes = {
   className: PropTypes.string,
 
   whiteList: PropTypes.func,
-  shards: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.shape({current: PropTypes.instanceOf(Element)})),
+  shards: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.shape({ current: PropTypes.instanceOf(Element) })),
 
   as: PropTypes.oneOfType([PropTypes.string, PropTypes.func, PropTypes.object]),
   lockProps: PropTypes.object,
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ FocusLock.defaultProps = {
   shards: undefined,
   as: 'div',
   lockProps: {},
+
   onActivation: undefined,
   onDeactivation: undefined,
 };
diff --git a/src/Trap.js b/src/Trap.js
index 11c6524..07120fd 100644
--- a/src/Trap.js
+++ b/src/Trap.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import withSideEffect from 'react-clientside-effect';
-import moveFocusInside, {focusInside, focusIsHidden, getFocusabledIn} from 'focus-lock';
-import {deferAction} from './util';
+import moveFocusInside, { focusInside, focusIsHidden, getFocusabledIn } from 'focus-lock';
+import { deferAction } from './util';
 
 const focusOnBody = () => (
   document && document.activeElement === document.body
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const focusWhitelisted = activeElement => (
 );
 
 const recordPortal = (observerNode, portaledElement) => {
-  lastPortaledElement = {observerNode, portaledElement};
+  lastPortaledElement = { observerNode, portaledElement };
 };
 
 const focusIsPortaledPair = element => (
@@ -47,14 +47,19 @@ function autoGuard(startIndex, end, step, allNodes) {
   }
 }
 
+const extractRef = ref => ((ref && 'current' in ref) ? ref.current : ref);
+
 const activateTrap = () => {
   let result = false;
   if (lastActiveTrap) {
-    const {observed, persistentFocus, autoFocus, shards} = lastActiveTrap;
+    const { observed, persistentFocus, autoFocus, shards } = lastActiveTrap;
     const workingNode = observed || (lastPortaledElement && lastPortaledElement.portaledElement);
     const activeElement = document && document.activeElement;
     if (workingNode) {
-      const workingArea = [workingNode, ...shards.map(({current}) => current)];
+      const workingArea = [
+        workingNode,
+        ...shards.map(extractRef).filter(Boolean),
+      ];
 
       if (!activeElement || focusWhitelisted(activeElement)) {
         if (persistentFocus || !isFreeFocus() || (!lastActiveFocus && autoFocus)) {
@@ -80,12 +85,12 @@ const activateTrap = () => {
       if (document) {
         const newActiveElement = document && document.activeElement;
         const allNodes = getFocusabledIn(workingArea);
-        const focusedItem = allNodes.find(({node}) => node === newActiveElement);
+        const focusedItem = allNodes.find(({ node }) => node === newActiveElement);
         if (focusedItem) {
           // remove old focus
           allNodes
-            .filter(({guard, node}) => guard && node.dataset.focusAutoGuard)
-            .forEach(({node}) => node.removeAttribute('tabIndex'));
+            .filter(({ guard, node }) => guard && node.dataset.focusAutoGuard)
+            .forEach(({ node }) => node.removeAttribute('tabIndex'));
 
           const focusedIndex = allNodes.indexOf(focusedItem);
           autoGuard(focusedIndex, allNodes.length, +1, allNodes);
@@ -120,7 +125,7 @@ export const onFocus = (event) => {
 
 const FocusWatcher = () => null;
 
-const FocusTrap = ({children}) => (
+const FocusTrap = ({ children }) => (
   <div onBlur={onBlur} onFocus={onFocus}>
     {children}
   </div>
@@ -140,10 +145,9 @@ const detachHandler = () => {
   document.removeEventListener('focusout', onBlur);
 };
 
-
 function reducePropsToState(propsList) {
   return propsList
-    .filter(({disabled}) => !disabled)
+    .filter(({ disabled }) => !disabled)
     .slice(-1)[0];
 }
 
diff --git a/stories/index.js b/stories/index.js
index 2329c0f..47998ba 100644
--- a/stories/index.js
+++ b/stories/index.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import {PortalCase, ShardPortalCase} from './Portal';
 import {MUISelect, MUISelectWhite} from './MUI';
 import Fight from './FocusFighting';
 import {StyledComponent, StyledSection} from "./Custom";
-import {DisabledForm, DisabledFormWithTabIndex} from "./Disabled";
+import {AutoDisabledForm, DisabledForm, DisabledFormWithTabIndex} from "./Disabled";
 
 const frameStyle = {
   width: '400px',