diff --git a/js/components/ascribe_forms/form.js b/js/components/ascribe_forms/form.js
index fe9e8646..c95b206e 100644
--- a/js/components/ascribe_forms/form.js
+++ b/js/components/ascribe_forms/form.js
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ let Form = React.createClass({
         };
     },
 
+    componentWillMount() {
+        // Set up internal storage for callback refs
+        this._refs = {};
+    },
+
     reset() {
         // If onReset prop is defined from outside,
         // notify component that a form reset is happening.
@@ -69,9 +74,9 @@ let Form = React.createClass({
             this.props.onReset();
         }
 
-        for(let ref in this.refs) {
-            if(typeof this.refs[ref].reset === 'function') {
-                this.refs[ref].reset();
+        for(let ref in this._refs) {
+            if(typeof this._refs[ref].reset === 'function') {
+                this._refs[ref].reset();
             }
         }
         this.setState(this.getInitialState());
@@ -124,8 +129,8 @@ let Form = React.createClass({
     getFormData() {
         let data = {};
 
-        for (let refName in this.refs) {
-            const ref = this.refs[refName];
+        for (let refName in this._refs) {
+            const ref = this._refs[refName];
 
             if (ref.state && 'value' in ref.state) {
                 // An input can also provide an `Object` as a value
@@ -154,9 +159,9 @@ let Form = React.createClass({
             this.props.handleSuccess(response);
         }
 
-        for(let ref in this.refs) {
-            if(this.refs[ref] && typeof this.refs[ref].handleSuccess === 'function'){
-                this.refs[ref].handleSuccess(response);
+        for(let ref in this._refs) {
+            if(this._refs[ref] && typeof this._refs[ref].handleSuccess === 'function'){
+                this._refs[ref].handleSuccess(response);
             }
         }
         this.setState({
@@ -168,8 +173,8 @@ let Form = React.createClass({
     handleError(err) {
         if (err.json) {
             for (let input in err.json.errors){
-                if (this.refs && this.refs[input] && this.refs[input].state) {
-                    this.refs[input].setErrors(err.json.errors[input]);
+                if (this._refs && this._refs[input] && this._refs[input].state) {
+                    this._refs[input].setErrors(err.json.errors[input]);
                 } else {
                     this.setState({errors: this.state.errors.concat(err.json.errors[input])});
                 }
@@ -196,9 +201,9 @@ let Form = React.createClass({
     },
 
     clearErrors() {
-        for(let ref in this.refs){
-            if (this.refs[ref] && typeof this.refs[ref].clearErrors === 'function'){
-                this.refs[ref].clearErrors();
+        for(let ref in this._refs){
+            if (this._refs[ref] && typeof this._refs[ref].clearErrors === 'function'){
+                this._refs[ref].clearErrors();
             }
         }
         this.setState({errors: []});
@@ -247,17 +252,19 @@ let Form = React.createClass({
     renderChildren() {
         return ReactAddons.Children.map(this.props.children, (child, i) => {
             if (child) {
-                // Since refs will be overwritten by this functions return statement,
-                // we still want to be able to define refs for nested `Form` or `Property`
-                // children, which is why we're upfront simply invoking the callback-ref-
-                // function before overwriting it.
-                if(typeof child.ref === 'function' && this.refs[child.props.name]) {
-                    child.ref(this.refs[child.props.name]);
-                }
-
                 return React.cloneElement(child, {
                     handleChange: this.handleChangeChild,
-                    ref: child.props.name,
+                    ref: (ref) => {
+                        this._refs[child.props.name] = ref;
+
+                        // Since refs will be overwritten by this functions return statement,
+                        // we still want to be able to define refs for nested `Form` or `Property`
+                        // children, which is why we're upfront simply invoking the callback-ref-
+                        // function before overwriting it.
+                        if (typeof child.ref === 'function') {
+                            child.ref(ref);
+                        }
+                    },
                     key: i,
                     // We need this in order to make editable be overridable when setting it directly
                     // on Property
@@ -338,10 +345,10 @@ let Form = React.createClass({
         const validatedFormInputs = {};
 
         Object
-            .keys(this.refs)
+            .keys(this._refs)
             .forEach((refName) => {
                 let refToValidate = {};
-                const property = this.refs[refName];
+                const property = this._refs[refName];
                 const input = property.refs.input;
                 const value = input.getDOMNode().value || input.state.value;
                 const { max,
diff --git a/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_register_piece.js b/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_register_piece.js
index 97e89c3d..be4c8808 100644
--- a/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_register_piece.js
+++ b/js/components/ascribe_forms/form_register_piece.js
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ let RegisterPieceForm = React.createClass({
         }
     },
 
+    componentWillMount() {
+        // Set up internal storage for callback refs
+        this._refs = {};
+    },
+
     /**
      * This method is overloaded so that we can track the ready-state
      * of each uploader in the component
@@ -88,7 +93,7 @@ let RegisterPieceForm = React.createClass({
 
     handleChangedThumbnail(thumbnailFile) {
         const { digitalWorkFile } = this.state;
-        const { fineuploader } = this.refs.digitalWorkFineUploader.refs;
+        const { fineuploader } = this._refs.digitalWorkFineUploader.refs;
 
         fineuploader.setThumbnailForFileId(
             digitalWorkFile.id,
@@ -160,7 +165,7 @@ let RegisterPieceForm = React.createClass({
                     ignoreFocus={true}
                     label={getLangText('Your Work')}>
                     <InputFineUploader
-                        ref={ref => this.refs.digitalWorkFineUploader = ref}
+                        ref={ref => this._refs.digitalWorkFineUploader = ref}
                         keyRoutine={{
                             url: AppConstants.serverUrl + 's3/key/',
                             fileClass: 'digitalwork'
@@ -182,7 +187,7 @@ let RegisterPieceForm = React.createClass({
                     name="thumbnail_file"
                     expanded={this.isThumbnailDialogExpanded()}>
                     <InputFineUploader
-                        ref={ref => this.refs.thumbnailFineUploader = ref}
+                        ref={ref => this._refs.thumbnailFineUploader = ref}
                         fileInputElement={UploadButton({ className: 'btn btn-secondary btn-sm' })}
                         createBlobRoutine={{
                             url: ApiUrls.blob_thumbnails
diff --git a/js/components/ascribe_forms/property.js b/js/components/ascribe_forms/property.js
index b8b90400..7450459a 100644
--- a/js/components/ascribe_forms/property.js
+++ b/js/components/ascribe_forms/property.js
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ const Property = React.createClass({
         };
     },
 
+    componentWillMount() {
+        // Set up internal storage for callback refs
+        this._refs = {};
+    },
+
     componentDidMount() {
         if(this.props.autoFocus) {
             this.handleFocus();
@@ -84,7 +89,7 @@ const Property = React.createClass({
     },
 
     componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
-        let childInput = this.refs.input;
+        let childInput = this._refs.input;
 
         // For expanded there are actually three use cases:
         //
@@ -124,7 +129,7 @@ const Property = React.createClass({
     },
 
     reset() {
-        let input = this.refs.input;
+        let input = this._refs.input;
 
         // maybe do reset by reload instead of front end state?
         this.setState({value: this.state.initialValue});
@@ -179,11 +184,11 @@ const Property = React.createClass({
         }
         // skip the focus of non-input elements
         let nonInputHTMLElements = ['pre', 'div'];
-        if (this.refs.input &&
-            nonInputHTMLElements.indexOf(this.refs.input.getDOMNode().nodeName.toLowerCase()) > -1 ) {
+        if (this._refs.input &&
+            nonInputHTMLElements.indexOf(this._refs.input.getDOMNode().nodeName.toLowerCase()) > -1 ) {
             return;
         }
-        this.refs.input.getDOMNode().focus();
+        this._refs.input.getDOMNode().focus();
         this.setState({
             isFocused: true
         });
@@ -205,7 +210,7 @@ const Property = React.createClass({
             errors: null,
 
             // also update initialValue in case of the user updating and canceling its actions again
-            initialValue: this.refs.input.getDOMNode().value
+            initialValue: this._refs.input.getDOMNode().value
         });
     },
 
@@ -262,25 +267,29 @@ const Property = React.createClass({
         // if the component is actually being shown (!== 'expanded === false')
         if((this.state.expanded && this.props.checkboxLabel) || !this.props.checkboxLabel) {
             return ReactAddons.Children.map(this.props.children, (child) => {
-                // Since refs will be overriden by this functions return statement,
-                // we still want to be able to define refs for nested `Form` or `Property`
-                // children, which is why we're upfront simply invoking the callback-ref-
-                // function before overriding it.
-                if(typeof child.ref === 'function' && this.refs.input) {
-                    child.ref(this.refs.input);
-                }
-
-                return React.cloneElement(child, {
+                const childWithProps = React.cloneElement(child, {
                     style,
                     onChange: this.handleChange,
                     onFocus: this.handleFocus,
                     onBlur: this.handleBlur,
                     setWarning: this.setWarning,
                     disabled: !this.props.editable,
-                    ref: 'input',
+                    ref: (ref) => {
+                        this._refs.input = ref;
+
+                        // Since refs will be overriden by this functions return statement,
+                        // we still want to be able to define refs for nested `Form` or `Property`
+                        // children, which is why we're upfront simply invoking the callback-ref-
+                        // function before overriding it.
+                        if (typeof child.ref === 'function') {
+                            child.ref(ref);
+                        }
+                    },
                     name: this.props.name,
                     setExpanded: this.setExpanded
                 });
+
+                return childWithProps;
             });
         }
     },