diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx
index e0a924f1e7..1bdcccd77f 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.tsx
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ export default class EventTile extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
     private suppressReadReceiptAnimation: boolean;
     private isListeningForReceipts: boolean;
     private tile = React.createRef();
-    private replyThread = React.createRef();
+    private replyThread = React.createRef<ReplyThread>();
 
     public readonly ref = createRef<HTMLElement>();