diff --git a/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/__snapshots__/hoistStatic.spec.ts.snap b/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/__snapshots__/hoistStatic.spec.ts.snap
index 267445b40..1bb57f3de 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/__snapshots__/hoistStatic.spec.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/__snapshots__/hoistStatic.spec.ts.snap
@@ -169,23 +169,6 @@ return function render() {
 }"
 `;
 
-exports[`compiler: hoistStatic transform prefixIdentifiers hoist element with static ref 1`] = `
-"const _Vue = Vue
-const _createVNode = Vue.createVNode
-
-const _hoisted_1 = _createVNode(\\"span\\", { ref: \\"o\\" })
-
-return function render() {
-  with (this) {
-    const { createVNode: _createVNode, createBlock: _createBlock, openBlock: _openBlock } = _Vue
-    
-    return (_openBlock(), _createBlock(\\"div\\", null, [
-      _hoisted_1
-    ]))
-  }
-}"
-`;
-
 exports[`compiler: hoistStatic transform prefixIdentifiers hoist nested static tree with static interpolation 1`] = `
 "const _Vue = Vue
 const _createVNode = Vue.createVNode
diff --git a/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/hoistStatic.spec.ts b/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/hoistStatic.spec.ts
index 719aee704..1fb81f931 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/hoistStatic.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/hoistStatic.spec.ts
@@ -677,42 +677,5 @@ describe('compiler: hoistStatic transform', () => {
         }).code
       ).toMatchSnapshot()
     })
-
-    test('hoist element with static ref', () => {
-      const { root, args } = transformWithHoist(
-        `<div><span ref="o"></span></div>`,
-        {
-          prefixIdentifiers: true
-        }
-      )
-
-      expect(root.hoists.length).toBe(1)
-      expect(root.hoists).toMatchObject([
-        {
-          type: NodeTypes.JS_CALL_EXPRESSION,
-          callee: CREATE_VNODE,
-          arguments: [
-            `"span"`,
-            createObjectMatcher({
-              ref: `o`
-            })
-          ]
-        }
-      ])
-      expect(args).toMatchObject([
-        `"div"`,
-        `null`,
-        [
-          {
-            type: NodeTypes.ELEMENT,
-            codegenNode: {
-              type: NodeTypes.SIMPLE_EXPRESSION,
-              content: `_hoisted_1`
-            }
-          }
-        ]
-      ])
-      expect(generate(root).code).toMatchSnapshot()
-    })
   })
 })
diff --git a/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/transformElement.spec.ts b/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/transformElement.spec.ts
index b8ef7543b..74b2cc878 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/transformElement.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-core/__tests__/transforms/transformElement.spec.ts
@@ -699,15 +699,10 @@ describe('compiler: element transform', () => {
       expect(node.arguments[3]).toBe(genFlagText(PatchFlags.FULL_PROPS))
     })
 
-    test('NO NEED_PATCH (static ref)', () => {
+    test('NEED_PATCH (static ref)', () => {
       const { node } = parseWithBind(`<div ref="foo" />`)
-      expect(node.arguments.length).toBe(2)
-      expect(node.arguments).toMatchObject([
-        `"div"`,
-        createObjectMatcher({
-          ref: `foo`
-        })
-      ])
+      expect(node.arguments.length).toBe(4)
+      expect(node.arguments[3]).toBe(genFlagText(PatchFlags.NEED_PATCH))
     })
 
     test('NEED_PATCH (dynamic ref)', () => {
diff --git a/packages/compiler-core/src/transforms/transformElement.ts b/packages/compiler-core/src/transforms/transformElement.ts
index 99f1c6752..646a51ce6 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-core/src/transforms/transformElement.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-core/src/transforms/transformElement.ts
@@ -249,6 +249,9 @@ export function buildProps(
     const prop = props[i]
     if (prop.type === NodeTypes.ATTRIBUTE) {
       const { loc, name, value } = prop
+      if (name === 'ref') {
+        hasRef = true
+      }
       properties.push(
         createObjectProperty(
           createSimpleExpression(