diff --git a/src/components/structures/GroupView.js b/src/components/structures/GroupView.js
index a0aa36803f..d52599abe9 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/GroupView.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/GroupView.js
@@ -1214,25 +1214,25 @@ export default createReactClass({
 
                 const EditableText = sdk.getComponent("elements.EditableText");
 
-                nameNode = <EditableText ref="nameEditor"
-                     className="mx_GroupView_editable"
-                     placeholderClassName="mx_GroupView_placeholder"
-                     placeholder={_t('Community Name')}
-                     blurToCancel={false}
-                     initialValue={this.state.profileForm.name}
-                     onValueChanged={this._onNameChange}
-                     tabIndex="0"
-                     dir="auto" />;
+                nameNode = <EditableText
+                    className="mx_GroupView_editable"
+                    placeholderClassName="mx_GroupView_placeholder"
+                    placeholder={_t('Community Name')}
+                    blurToCancel={false}
+                    initialValue={this.state.profileForm.name}
+                    onValueChanged={this._onNameChange}
+                    tabIndex="0"
+                    dir="auto" />;
 
-                shortDescNode = <EditableText ref="descriptionEditor"
-                     className="mx_GroupView_editable"
-                     placeholderClassName="mx_GroupView_placeholder"
-                     placeholder={_t("Description")}
-                     blurToCancel={false}
-                     initialValue={this.state.profileForm.short_description}
-                     onValueChanged={this._onShortDescChange}
-                     tabIndex="0"
-                     dir="auto" />;
+                shortDescNode = <EditableText
+                    className="mx_GroupView_editable"
+                    placeholderClassName="mx_GroupView_placeholder"
+                    placeholder={_t("Description")}
+                    blurToCancel={false}
+                    initialValue={this.state.profileForm.short_description}
+                    onValueChanged={this._onShortDescChange}
+                    tabIndex="0"
+                    dir="auto" />;
             } else {
                 const onGroupHeaderItemClick = this.state.isUserMember ? this._onEditClick : null;
                 const groupAvatarUrl = summary.profile ? summary.profile.avatar_url : null;
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js b/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
index efca8d12a8..c8863773f4 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ module.exports = createReactClass({
             if (rows.length === 0 && !this.state.loading) {
                 scrollpanel_content = <i>{ _t('No rooms to show') }</i>;
             } else {
-                scrollpanel_content = <table ref="directory_table" className="mx_RoomDirectory_table">
+                scrollpanel_content = <table className="mx_RoomDirectory_table">
                     <tbody>
                         { rows }
                     </tbody>
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
index 5cc1e2b765..679b385c71 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomView.js
@@ -1719,7 +1719,7 @@ module.exports = createReactClass({
             aux = <ForwardMessage onCancelClick={this.onCancelClick} />;
         } else if (this.state.searching) {
             hideCancel = true; // has own cancel
-            aux = <SearchBar ref="search_bar" searchInProgress={this.state.searchInProgress} onCancelClick={this.onCancelSearchClick} onSearch={this.onSearch} />;
+            aux = <SearchBar searchInProgress={this.state.searchInProgress} onCancelClick={this.onCancelSearchClick} onSearch={this.onSearch} />;
         } else if (showRoomUpgradeBar) {
             aux = <RoomUpgradeWarningBar room={this.state.room} recommendation={roomVersionRecommendation} />;
             hideCancel = true;
@@ -1775,7 +1775,7 @@ module.exports = createReactClass({
         }
 
         const auxPanel = (
-            <AuxPanel ref="auxPanel" room={this.state.room}
+            <AuxPanel room={this.state.room}
               fullHeight={false}
               userId={MatrixClientPeg.get().credentials.userId}
               conferenceHandler={this.props.ConferenceHandler}
diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/MAudioBody.js b/src/components/views/messages/MAudioBody.js
index 0246d28542..e10b175bd7 100644
--- a/src/components/views/messages/MAudioBody.js
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/MAudioBody.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ export default class MAudioBody extends React.Component {
 
         if (this.state.error !== null) {
             return (
-                <span className="mx_MAudioBody" ref="body">
+                <span className="mx_MAudioBody">
                     <img src={require("../../../../res/img/warning.svg")} width="16" height="16" />
                     { _t("Error decrypting audio") }
                 </span>
diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/MFileBody.js b/src/components/views/messages/MFileBody.js
index 7f4d76747a..d231a86f36 100644
--- a/src/components/views/messages/MFileBody.js
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/MFileBody.js
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ module.exports = createReactClass({
                 };
 
                 return (
-                    <span className="mx_MFileBody" ref="body">
+                    <span className="mx_MFileBody">
                         <div className="mx_MFileBody_download">
                             <a href="javascript:void(0)" onClick={decrypt}>
                                 { _t("Decrypt %(text)s", { text: text }) }
diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/MImageBody.js b/src/components/views/messages/MImageBody.js
index b12957a7df..3c20aab529 100644
--- a/src/components/views/messages/MImageBody.js
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/MImageBody.js
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ export default class MImageBody extends React.Component {
 
         if (this.state.error !== null) {
             return (
-                <span className="mx_MImageBody" ref="body">
+                <span className="mx_MImageBody">
                     <img src={require("../../../../res/img/warning.svg")} width="16" height="16" />
                     { _t("Error decrypting image") }
                 </span>
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ export default class MImageBody extends React.Component {
         const thumbnail = this._messageContent(contentUrl, thumbUrl, content);
         const fileBody = this.getFileBody();
 
-        return <span className="mx_MImageBody" ref="body">
+        return <span className="mx_MImageBody">
             { thumbnail }
             { fileBody }
         </span>;
diff --git a/src/components/views/messages/MVideoBody.js b/src/components/views/messages/MVideoBody.js
index 44954344ff..8366d0dd01 100644
--- a/src/components/views/messages/MVideoBody.js
+++ b/src/components/views/messages/MVideoBody.js
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ module.exports = createReactClass({
 
         if (this.state.error !== null) {
             return (
-                <span className="mx_MVideoBody" ref="body">
+                <span className="mx_MVideoBody">
                     <img src={require("../../../../res/img/warning.svg")} width="16" height="16" />
                     { _t("Error decrypting video") }
                 </span>
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ module.exports = createReactClass({
             // The attachment is decrypted in componentDidMount.
             // For now add an img tag with a spinner.
             return (
-                <span className="mx_MVideoBody" ref="body">
-                    <div className="mx_MImageBody_thumbnail mx_MImageBody_thumbnail_spinner" ref="image">
+                <span className="mx_MVideoBody">
+                    <div className="mx_MImageBody_thumbnail mx_MImageBody_thumbnail_spinner">
                         <img src={require("../../../../res/img/spinner.gif")} alt={content.body} width="16" height="16" />
                     </div>
                 </span>
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/AuxPanel.js b/src/components/views/rooms/AuxPanel.js
index ffb5d9272d..a83160ddbf 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/AuxPanel.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/AuxPanel.js
@@ -188,14 +188,15 @@ module.exports = createReactClass({
         }
 
         const callView = (
-            <CallView ref="callView" room={this.props.room}
+            <CallView
+                room={this.props.room}
                 ConferenceHandler={this.props.conferenceHandler}
                 onResize={this.props.onResize}
                 maxVideoHeight={this.props.maxHeight}
             />
         );
 
-        const appsDrawer = <AppsDrawer ref="appsDrawer"
+        const appsDrawer = <AppsDrawer
             room={this.props.room}
             userId={this.props.userId}
             maxHeight={this.props.maxHeight}
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomDetailList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomDetailList.js
index 9ec70dc8e0..19cd24b6e5 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomDetailList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomDetailList.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ export default createReactClass({
         if (rows.length === 0) {
             rooms = <i>{ _t('No rooms to show') }</i>;
         } else {
-            rooms = <table ref="directory_table" className="mx_RoomDirectory_table">
+            rooms = <table className="mx_RoomDirectory_table">
                 <tbody>
                     { this.getRows() }
                 </tbody>
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomNameEditor.js b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomNameEditor.js
index 5bdf719e97..375a4b42b1 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomNameEditor.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomNameEditor.js
@@ -65,14 +65,14 @@ module.exports = createReactClass({
 
         return (
                 <div className="mx_RoomHeader_name">
-                    <EditableText ref="editor"
-                         className="mx_RoomHeader_nametext mx_RoomHeader_editable"
-                         placeholderClassName="mx_RoomHeader_placeholder"
-                         placeholder={this._placeholderName}
-                         blurToCancel={false}
-                         initialValue={this.state.name}
-                         onValueChanged={this._onValueChanged}
-                         dir="auto" />
+                    <EditableText
+                        className="mx_RoomHeader_nametext mx_RoomHeader_editable"
+                        placeholderClassName="mx_RoomHeader_placeholder"
+                        placeholder={this._placeholderName}
+                        blurToCancel={false}
+                        initialValue={this.state.name}
+                        onValueChanged={this._onValueChanged}
+                        dir="auto" />
                 </div>
         );
     },