diff --git a/types/react-cropper/index.d.ts b/types/react-cropper/index.d.ts
index f6859f8db1..f4ef5eb24e 100644
--- a/types/react-cropper/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/react-cropper/index.d.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import * as React from 'react';
 type Omit<T, K> = Pick<T, Exclude<keyof T, K>>;
 
 export interface ReactCropperProps extends cropperjs.CropperOptions, Omit<React.HTMLProps<HTMLImageElement>, 'data' | 'ref'> {
-    ref: string | ((cropper: null | ReactCropper) => any);
+    ref?: string | ((cropper: null | ReactCropper) => any);
 }
 
 interface ReactCropper extends cropperjs {} // tslint:disable-line no-empty-interface
diff --git a/types/react-cropper/react-cropper-tests.tsx b/types/react-cropper/react-cropper-tests.tsx
index 32e8e7f25d..47b25fea0f 100644
--- a/types/react-cropper/react-cropper-tests.tsx
+++ b/types/react-cropper/react-cropper-tests.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class Demo extends React.Component {
 }
 
 function testCropperRef() {
-    <Cropper
+    const refIsWorking = <Cropper
         ref={(el: Cropper) => {
             // $ExpectError el can be null
             el.getCroppedCanvas();
@@ -36,4 +36,6 @@ function testCropperRef() {
             }
         }}
     />;
+
+    const refIsOptional = <Cropper />;
 }