diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/vnode.spec.ts b/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/vnode.spec.ts
index 5f27d99c4a4..3573f4a3e24 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/vnode.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/vnode.spec.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { Data } from '../src/component'
 import { ShapeFlags, PatchFlags } from '@vue/shared'
 import { h, reactive, isReactive } from '../src'
 import { createApp, nodeOps, serializeInner } from '@vue/runtime-test'
+import { setCurrentRenderingInstance } from '../src/componentRenderUtils'
 
 describe('vnode', () => {
   test('create with just tag', () => {
@@ -198,24 +199,55 @@ describe('vnode', () => {
     expect(cloned2).toEqual(node2)
     expect(cloneVNode(node2)).toEqual(node2)
     expect(cloneVNode(node2)).toEqual(cloned2)
+  })
 
+  test('cloneVNode key normalization', () => {
     // #1041 should use resolved key/ref
     expect(cloneVNode(createVNode('div', { key: 1 })).key).toBe(1)
     expect(cloneVNode(createVNode('div', { key: 1 }), { key: 2 }).key).toBe(2)
     expect(cloneVNode(createVNode('div'), { key: 2 }).key).toBe(2)
+  })
+
+  // ref normalizes to [currentRenderingInstance, ref]
+  test('cloneVNode ref normalization', () => {
+    const mockInstance1 = {} as any
+    const mockInstance2 = {} as any
+
+    setCurrentRenderingInstance(mockInstance1)
+    const original = createVNode('div', { ref: 'foo' })
+    expect(original.ref).toEqual([mockInstance1, 'foo'])
+
+    // clone and preserve original ref
+    const cloned1 = cloneVNode(original)
+    expect(cloned1.ref).toEqual([mockInstance1, 'foo'])
+
+    // cloning with new ref, but with same context instance
+    const cloned2 = cloneVNode(original, { ref: 'bar' })
+    expect(cloned2.ref).toEqual([mockInstance1, 'bar'])
+
+    // cloning and adding ref to original that has no ref
+    const original2 = createVNode('div')
+    const cloned3 = cloneVNode(original2, { ref: 'bar' })
+    expect(cloned3.ref).toEqual([mockInstance1, 'bar'])
+
+    // cloning with different context instance
+    setCurrentRenderingInstance(mockInstance2)
+
+    // clone and preserve original ref
+    const cloned4 = cloneVNode(original)
+    // #1311 should preserve original context instance!
+    expect(cloned4.ref).toEqual([mockInstance1, 'foo'])
+
+    // cloning with new ref, but with same context instance
+    const cloned5 = cloneVNode(original, { ref: 'bar' })
+    // new ref should use current context instance and overwrite orgiinal
+    expect(cloned5.ref).toEqual([mockInstance2, 'bar'])
+
+    // cloning and adding ref to original that has no ref
+    const cloned6 = cloneVNode(original2, { ref: 'bar' })
+    expect(cloned6.ref).toEqual([mockInstance2, 'bar'])
 
-    // ref normalizes to [currentRenderingInstance, ref]
-    expect(cloneVNode(createVNode('div', { ref: 'foo' })).ref).toEqual([
-      null,
-      'foo'
-    ])
-    expect(
-      cloneVNode(createVNode('div', { ref: 'foo' }), { ref: 'bar' }).ref
-    ).toEqual([null, 'bar'])
-    expect(cloneVNode(createVNode('div'), { ref: 'bar' }).ref).toEqual([
-      null,
-      'bar'
-    ])
+    setCurrentRenderingInstance(null)
   })
 
   describe('mergeProps', () => {
diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/src/vnode.ts b/packages/runtime-core/src/vnode.ts
index f6c3468fb84..9967d90ea48 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/src/vnode.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/src/vnode.ts
@@ -277,12 +277,13 @@ export const InternalObjectKey = `__vInternal`
 const normalizeKey = ({ key }: VNodeProps): VNode['key'] =>
   key != null ? key : null
 
-const normalizeRef = ({ ref }: VNodeProps): VNode['ref'] =>
-  (ref != null
+const normalizeRef = ({ ref }: VNodeProps): VNode['ref'] => {
+  return (ref != null
     ? isArray(ref)
       ? ref
       : [currentRenderingInstance!, ref]
     : null) as any
+}
 
 export const createVNode = (__DEV__
   ? createVNodeWithArgsTransform
@@ -420,7 +421,7 @@ export function cloneVNode<T, U>(
     type: vnode.type,
     props,
     key: props && normalizeKey(props),
-    ref: props && normalizeRef(props),
+    ref: extraProps && extraProps.ref ? normalizeRef(extraProps) : vnode.ref,
     scopeId: vnode.scopeId,
     children: vnode.children,
     target: vnode.target,