diff --git a/src/components/createConnect.js b/src/components/createConnect.js
index 5a7b9de41..c3d152630 100644
--- a/src/components/createConnect.js
+++ b/src/components/createConnect.js
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ export default function createConnect(React) {
     }
 
     return function wrapWithConnect(WrappedComponent) {
+      let isStateless = !(WrappedComponent.prototype && WrappedComponent.prototype.isReactComponent) || !('prototype' in WrappedComponent);
+
       class Connect extends Component {
 
         shouldComponentUpdate(nextProps, nextState) {
@@ -199,6 +201,10 @@ export default function createConnect(React) {
         }
 
         render() {
+          if (isStateless) {
+            return <WrappedComponent {...this.nextState} />;
+          }
+
           return (
             <WrappedComponent ref='wrappedInstance'
                               {...this.nextState} />
diff --git a/test/components/connect.spec.js b/test/components/connect.spec.js
index 25f6eb8a9..507280dea 100644
--- a/test/components/connect.spec.js
+++ b/test/components/connect.spec.js
@@ -1117,6 +1117,45 @@ describe('React', () => {
       expect(decorated.refs.wrappedInstance.someInstanceMethod()).toBe(someData);
     });
 
+    it('should not add refs to wrapped instance if stateless', () => {
+      const store = createStore(() => ({}));
+      const decorator = connect(state => state);
+      const Decorated = decorator(() => <div/>);
+
+      const tree = TestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
+        <ProviderMock store={store}>
+          <Decorated />
+        </ProviderMock>
+      );
+
+      const decorated = TestUtils.findRenderedComponentWithType(tree, Decorated);
+      expect(Object.keys(decorated.refs)).toExclude('wrappedInstance');
+    });
+
+    it('should consider module pattern of non-Component-inheriting classes stateful', () => {
+      function MyComponent(initialProps) {
+        return {
+          state: { value: initialProps.initialValue },
+          render: function render() {
+            return <span className={this.state.value} />;
+          }
+        };
+      }
+
+      const store = createStore(() => ({}));
+      const decorator = connect(state => state);
+      const Decorated = decorator(() => <MyComponent/>);
+
+      const tree = TestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
+        <ProviderMock store={store}>
+          <Decorated />
+        </ProviderMock>
+      );
+
+      const decorated = TestUtils.findRenderedComponentWithType(tree, Decorated);
+      expect(Object.keys(decorated.refs)).toInclude('wrappedInstance');
+    });
+
     it('should wrap impure components without supressing updates', () => {
       const store = createStore(() => ({}));