diff --git a/packages/dts-test/inject.test-d.ts b/packages/dts-test/inject.test-d.ts
index c34485a61..f0522f254 100644
--- a/packages/dts-test/inject.test-d.ts
+++ b/packages/dts-test/inject.test-d.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-import { provide, inject, InjectionKey } from 'vue'
+import { provide, inject, ref, Ref, InjectionKey } from 'vue'
 import { expectType } from './utils'
 
+provide('foo', 123)
+provide(123, 123)
+
 const key: InjectionKey<number> = Symbol()
 
 provide(key, 1)
@@ -14,3 +17,13 @@ expectType<number>(inject(key, () => 1, true /* treatDefaultAsFactory */))
 expectType<() => number>(inject('foo', () => 1))
 expectType<() => number>(inject('foo', () => 1, false))
 expectType<number>(inject('foo', () => 1, true))
+
+// #8201
+type Cube = {
+  size: number
+}
+
+const injectionKeyRef = Symbol('key') as InjectionKey<Ref<Cube>>
+
+// @ts-expect-error
+provide(injectionKeyRef, ref({}))
diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/src/apiInject.ts b/packages/runtime-core/src/apiInject.ts
index 4559c1b70..9b7659149 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/src/apiInject.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/src/apiInject.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ import { warn } from './warning'
 
 export interface InjectionKey<T> extends Symbol {}
 
-export function provide<T>(key: InjectionKey<T> | string | number, value: T) {
+export function provide<T extends InjectionKey<any>>(
+  key: T | string | number,
+  value: T extends InjectionKey<infer V> ? V : any
+) {
   if (!currentInstance) {
     if (__DEV__) {
       warn(`provide() can only be used inside setup().`)