diff --git a/packages/mui-base/src/ClickAwayListener/ClickAwayListener.tsx b/packages/mui-base/src/ClickAwayListener/ClickAwayListener.tsx
index ee00d7d9fc8d2b..a7c7c49148d2d5 100644
--- a/packages/mui-base/src/ClickAwayListener/ClickAwayListener.tsx
+++ b/packages/mui-base/src/ClickAwayListener/ClickAwayListener.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   unstable_ownerDocument as ownerDocument,
   unstable_useForkRef as useForkRef,
   unstable_useEventCallback as useEventCallback,
+  unstable_getReactNodeRef as getReactNodeRef,
 } from '@mui/utils';
 
 // TODO: return `EventHandlerName extends `on${infer EventName}` ? Lowercase<EventName> : never` once generatePropTypes runs with TS 4.1
@@ -94,11 +95,7 @@ function ClickAwayListener(props: ClickAwayListenerProps): React.JSX.Element {
     };
   }, []);
 
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(
-    // @ts-expect-error TODO upstream fix
-    children.ref,
-    nodeRef,
-  );
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(getReactNodeRef(children), nodeRef);
 
   // The handler doesn't take event.defaultPrevented into account:
   //
diff --git a/packages/mui-base/src/FocusTrap/FocusTrap.tsx b/packages/mui-base/src/FocusTrap/FocusTrap.tsx
index 3d00b5fc6f7bdc..d17c562746eeed 100644
--- a/packages/mui-base/src/FocusTrap/FocusTrap.tsx
+++ b/packages/mui-base/src/FocusTrap/FocusTrap.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   elementAcceptingRef,
   unstable_useForkRef as useForkRef,
   unstable_ownerDocument as ownerDocument,
+  unstable_getReactNodeRef as getReactNodeRef,
 } from '@mui/utils';
 import { FocusTrapProps } from './FocusTrap.types';
 
@@ -152,8 +153,7 @@ function FocusTrap(props: FocusTrapProps): React.JSX.Element {
   const activated = React.useRef(false);
 
   const rootRef = React.useRef<HTMLElement>(null);
-  // @ts-expect-error TODO upstream fix
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(children.ref, rootRef);
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(getReactNodeRef(children), rootRef);
   const lastKeydown = React.useRef<KeyboardEvent | null>(null);
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/packages/mui-base/src/Portal/Portal.tsx b/packages/mui-base/src/Portal/Portal.tsx
index c7b5c403decba3..89588fa288ce7d 100644
--- a/packages/mui-base/src/Portal/Portal.tsx
+++ b/packages/mui-base/src/Portal/Portal.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import * as React from 'react';
 import * as ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import getReactNodeRef from '@mui/utils/getReactNodeRef';
 import {
   exactProp,
   HTMLElementType,
@@ -33,8 +34,7 @@ const Portal = React.forwardRef(function Portal(
 ) {
   const { children, container, disablePortal = false } = props;
   const [mountNode, setMountNode] = React.useState<ReturnType<typeof getContainer>>(null);
-  // @ts-expect-error TODO upstream fix
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(React.isValidElement(children) ? children.ref : null, forwardedRef);
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(getReactNodeRef(children), forwardedRef);
 
   useEnhancedEffect(() => {
     if (!disablePortal) {
diff --git a/packages/mui-joy/src/Tooltip/Tooltip.tsx b/packages/mui-joy/src/Tooltip/Tooltip.tsx
index c6875348d03460..3966f0ae960d10 100644
--- a/packages/mui-joy/src/Tooltip/Tooltip.tsx
+++ b/packages/mui-joy/src/Tooltip/Tooltip.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   unstable_useId as useId,
   unstable_useTimeout as useTimeout,
   unstable_Timeout as Timeout,
+  unstable_getReactNodeRef as getReactNodeRef,
 } from '@mui/utils';
 import { Popper, unstable_composeClasses as composeClasses } from '@mui/base';
 import { OverridableComponent } from '@mui/types';
@@ -415,10 +416,7 @@ const Tooltip = React.forwardRef(function Tooltip(inProps, ref) {
   }, [handleClose, open]);
 
   const handleUseRef = useForkRef(setChildNode, ref);
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(
-    (children as unknown as { ref: React.Ref<HTMLElement> }).ref,
-    handleUseRef,
-  );
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(getReactNodeRef(children), handleUseRef);
 
   // There is no point in displaying an empty tooltip.
   if (typeof title !== 'number' && !title) {
diff --git a/packages/mui-material/src/ClickAwayListener/ClickAwayListener.tsx b/packages/mui-material/src/ClickAwayListener/ClickAwayListener.tsx
index ca36844eaf16a5..cf7e1673ba0db1 100644
--- a/packages/mui-material/src/ClickAwayListener/ClickAwayListener.tsx
+++ b/packages/mui-material/src/ClickAwayListener/ClickAwayListener.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   unstable_useForkRef as useForkRef,
   unstable_useEventCallback as useEventCallback,
 } from '@mui/utils';
+import getReactNodeRef from '@mui/utils/getReactNodeRef';
 
 // TODO: return `EventHandlerName extends `on${infer EventName}` ? Lowercase<EventName> : never` once generatePropTypes runs with TS 4.1
 function mapEventPropToEvent(
@@ -95,11 +96,7 @@ function ClickAwayListener(props: ClickAwayListenerProps): React.JSX.Element {
     };
   }, []);
 
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(
-    // @ts-expect-error TODO upstream fix
-    children.ref,
-    nodeRef,
-  );
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(getReactNodeRef(children), nodeRef);
 
   // The handler doesn't take event.defaultPrevented into account:
   //
diff --git a/packages/mui-material/src/Fade/Fade.js b/packages/mui-material/src/Fade/Fade.js
index d618b514bb2d7a..e4fd1d6f6db0aa 100644
--- a/packages/mui-material/src/Fade/Fade.js
+++ b/packages/mui-material/src/Fade/Fade.js
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ import * as React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import { Transition } from 'react-transition-group';
 import elementAcceptingRef from '@mui/utils/elementAcceptingRef';
+import getReactNodeRef from '@mui/utils/getReactNodeRef';
 import { useTheme } from '../zero-styled';
 import { reflow, getTransitionProps } from '../transitions/utils';
 import useForkRef from '../utils/useForkRef';
-import getChildRef from '../utils/getChildRef';
 
 const styles = {
   entering: {
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ const Fade = React.forwardRef(function Fade(props, ref) {
 
   const enableStrictModeCompat = true;
   const nodeRef = React.useRef(null);
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(nodeRef, getChildRef(children), ref);
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(nodeRef, getReactNodeRef(children), ref);
 
   const normalizedTransitionCallback = (callback) => (maybeIsAppearing) => {
     if (callback) {
diff --git a/packages/mui-material/src/Grow/Grow.js b/packages/mui-material/src/Grow/Grow.js
index 427166ec32c8ef..ef350420968f1c 100644
--- a/packages/mui-material/src/Grow/Grow.js
+++ b/packages/mui-material/src/Grow/Grow.js
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ import * as React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import useTimeout from '@mui/utils/useTimeout';
 import elementAcceptingRef from '@mui/utils/elementAcceptingRef';
+import getReactNodeRef from '@mui/utils/getReactNodeRef';
 import { Transition } from 'react-transition-group';
 import { useTheme } from '../zero-styled';
 import { getTransitionProps, reflow } from '../transitions/utils';
 import useForkRef from '../utils/useForkRef';
-import getChildRef from '../utils/getChildRef';
 
 function getScale(value) {
   return `scale(${value}, ${value ** 2})`;
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ const Grow = React.forwardRef(function Grow(props, ref) {
   const theme = useTheme();
 
   const nodeRef = React.useRef(null);
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(nodeRef, getChildRef(children), ref);
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(nodeRef, getReactNodeRef(children), ref);
 
   const normalizedTransitionCallback = (callback) => (maybeIsAppearing) => {
     if (callback) {
diff --git a/packages/mui-material/src/Portal/Portal.tsx b/packages/mui-material/src/Portal/Portal.tsx
index fc076791ee4ef9..d59a8322e47a95 100644
--- a/packages/mui-material/src/Portal/Portal.tsx
+++ b/packages/mui-material/src/Portal/Portal.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   unstable_useEnhancedEffect as useEnhancedEffect,
   unstable_useForkRef as useForkRef,
   unstable_setRef as setRef,
+  unstable_getReactNodeRef as getReactNodeRef,
 } from '@mui/utils';
 import { PortalProps } from './Portal.types';
 
@@ -33,8 +34,7 @@ const Portal = React.forwardRef(function Portal(
 ) {
   const { children, container, disablePortal = false } = props;
   const [mountNode, setMountNode] = React.useState<ReturnType<typeof getContainer>>(null);
-  // @ts-expect-error TODO upstream fix
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(React.isValidElement(children) ? children.ref : null, forwardedRef);
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(getReactNodeRef(children), forwardedRef);
 
   useEnhancedEffect(() => {
     if (!disablePortal) {
diff --git a/packages/mui-material/src/Select/Select.js b/packages/mui-material/src/Select/Select.js
index 16df3a3469ab84..38b8b1185ec466 100644
--- a/packages/mui-material/src/Select/Select.js
+++ b/packages/mui-material/src/Select/Select.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import * as React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import clsx from 'clsx';
 import deepmerge from '@mui/utils/deepmerge';
+import getReactNodeRef from '@mui/utils/getReactNodeRef';
 import SelectInput from './SelectInput';
 import formControlState from '../FormControl/formControlState';
 import useFormControl from '../FormControl/useFormControl';
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ const Select = React.forwardRef(function Select(inProps, ref) {
       filled: <StyledFilledInput ownerState={ownerState} />,
     }[variant];
 
-  const inputComponentRef = useForkRef(ref, InputComponent.ref);
+  const inputComponentRef = useForkRef(ref, getReactNodeRef(InputComponent));
 
   return (
     <React.Fragment>
diff --git a/packages/mui-material/src/Slide/Slide.js b/packages/mui-material/src/Slide/Slide.js
index d669e811d6f115..13505aea527426 100644
--- a/packages/mui-material/src/Slide/Slide.js
+++ b/packages/mui-material/src/Slide/Slide.js
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ import { Transition } from 'react-transition-group';
 import chainPropTypes from '@mui/utils/chainPropTypes';
 import HTMLElementType from '@mui/utils/HTMLElementType';
 import elementAcceptingRef from '@mui/utils/elementAcceptingRef';
+import getReactNodeRef from '@mui/utils/getReactNodeRef';
 import debounce from '../utils/debounce';
 import useForkRef from '../utils/useForkRef';
 import { useTheme } from '../zero-styled';
 import { reflow, getTransitionProps } from '../transitions/utils';
 import { ownerWindow } from '../utils';
-import getChildRef from '../utils/getChildRef';
 
 // Translate the node so it can't be seen on the screen.
 // Later, we're going to translate the node back to its original location with `none`.
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ const Slide = React.forwardRef(function Slide(props, ref) {
   } = props;
 
   const childrenRef = React.useRef(null);
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(getChildRef(children), childrenRef, ref);
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(getReactNodeRef(children), childrenRef, ref);
 
   const normalizedTransitionCallback = (callback) => (isAppearing) => {
     if (callback) {
diff --git a/packages/mui-material/src/Tooltip/Tooltip.js b/packages/mui-material/src/Tooltip/Tooltip.js
index bf1d6e5c1be2c2..d846a4126b7b4e 100644
--- a/packages/mui-material/src/Tooltip/Tooltip.js
+++ b/packages/mui-material/src/Tooltip/Tooltip.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { alpha } from '@mui/system/colorManipulator';
 import { useRtl } from '@mui/system/RtlProvider';
 import isFocusVisible from '@mui/utils/isFocusVisible';
 import appendOwnerState from '@mui/utils/appendOwnerState';
+import getReactNodeRef from '@mui/utils/getReactNodeRef';
 import { styled, useTheme } from '../zero-styled';
 import { useDefaultProps } from '../DefaultPropsProvider';
 import capitalize from '../utils/capitalize';
@@ -19,7 +20,6 @@ import useForkRef from '../utils/useForkRef';
 import useId from '../utils/useId';
 import useControlled from '../utils/useControlled';
 import tooltipClasses, { getTooltipUtilityClass } from './tooltipClasses';
-import getChildRef from '../utils/getChildRef';
 
 function round(value) {
   return Math.round(value * 1e5) / 1e5;
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ const Tooltip = React.forwardRef(function Tooltip(inProps, ref) {
     };
   }, [handleClose, open]);
 
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(getChildRef(children), setChildNode, ref);
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(getReactNodeRef(children), setChildNode, ref);
 
   // There is no point in displaying an empty tooltip.
   // So we exclude all falsy values, except 0, which is valid.
diff --git a/packages/mui-material/src/Unstable_TrapFocus/FocusTrap.tsx b/packages/mui-material/src/Unstable_TrapFocus/FocusTrap.tsx
index c1702350efd340..264403eb00eac9 100644
--- a/packages/mui-material/src/Unstable_TrapFocus/FocusTrap.tsx
+++ b/packages/mui-material/src/Unstable_TrapFocus/FocusTrap.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   elementAcceptingRef,
   unstable_useForkRef as useForkRef,
   unstable_ownerDocument as ownerDocument,
+  unstable_getReactNodeRef as getReactNodeRef,
 } from '@mui/utils';
 import { FocusTrapProps } from './FocusTrap.types';
 
@@ -144,8 +145,7 @@ function FocusTrap(props: FocusTrapProps): React.JSX.Element {
   const activated = React.useRef(false);
 
   const rootRef = React.useRef<HTMLElement>(null);
-  // @ts-expect-error TODO upstream fix
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(children.ref, rootRef);
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(getReactNodeRef(children), rootRef);
   const lastKeydown = React.useRef<KeyboardEvent | null>(null);
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/packages/mui-material/src/Zoom/Zoom.js b/packages/mui-material/src/Zoom/Zoom.js
index 7c90324999b1e5..b2d79c3bde2fed 100644
--- a/packages/mui-material/src/Zoom/Zoom.js
+++ b/packages/mui-material/src/Zoom/Zoom.js
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ import * as React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import { Transition } from 'react-transition-group';
 import elementAcceptingRef from '@mui/utils/elementAcceptingRef';
+import getReactNodeRef from '@mui/utils/getReactNodeRef';
 import { useTheme } from '../zero-styled';
 import { reflow, getTransitionProps } from '../transitions/utils';
 import useForkRef from '../utils/useForkRef';
-import getChildRef from '../utils/getChildRef';
 
 const styles = {
   entering: {
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ const Zoom = React.forwardRef(function Zoom(props, ref) {
   } = props;
 
   const nodeRef = React.useRef(null);
-  const handleRef = useForkRef(nodeRef, getChildRef(children), ref);
+  const handleRef = useForkRef(nodeRef, getReactNodeRef(children), ref);
 
   const normalizedTransitionCallback = (callback) => (maybeIsAppearing) => {
     if (callback) {
diff --git a/packages/mui-material/src/utils/getChildRef.d.ts b/packages/mui-material/src/utils/getChildRef.d.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index c7e9c058d3e031..00000000000000
--- a/packages/mui-material/src/utils/getChildRef.d.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-export default function getChildRef(child: React.ReactElement): React.Ref<any> | null;
diff --git a/packages/mui-material/src/utils/getChildRef.js b/packages/mui-material/src/utils/getChildRef.js
deleted file mode 100644
index a1d0c2aec5af0c..00000000000000
--- a/packages/mui-material/src/utils/getChildRef.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-import * as React from 'react';
-
-export default function getChildRef(child) {
-  if (!child || !React.isValidElement(child)) {
-    return null;
-  }
-  // 'ref' is passed as prop in React 19, whereas 'ref' is directly attached to children in React 18
-  // below check is to ensure 'ref' is accessible in both cases
-  return child.props.propertyIsEnumerable('ref') ? child.props.ref : child.ref;
-}
diff --git a/packages/mui-utils/src/getReactNodeRef/getReactNodeRef.ts b/packages/mui-utils/src/getReactNodeRef/getReactNodeRef.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..6da044530bec50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/mui-utils/src/getReactNodeRef/getReactNodeRef.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import * as React from 'react';
+
+/**
+ * Returns the ref of a React node handling differences between React 19 and older versions.
+ * It will return null if the node is not a valid React element.
+ *
+ * @param element React.ReactNode
+ * @returns React.Ref<any> | null
+ */
+export default function getReactNodeRef(element: React.ReactNode): React.Ref<any> | null {
+  if (!element || !React.isValidElement(element)) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  // 'ref' is passed as prop in React 19, whereas 'ref' is directly attached to children in older versions
+  return (element.props as any).propertyIsEnumerable('ref')
+    ? (element.props as any).ref
+    : // @ts-expect-error element.ref is not included in the ReactElement type
+      // We cannot check for it, but isValidElement is true at this point
+      // https://github.com/DefinitelyTyped/DefinitelyTyped/discussions/70189
+      element.ref;
+}
diff --git a/packages/mui-utils/src/getReactNodeRef/index.ts b/packages/mui-utils/src/getReactNodeRef/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..4b8dbacb937578
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/mui-utils/src/getReactNodeRef/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export { default } from './getReactNodeRef';
diff --git a/packages/mui-utils/src/index.ts b/packages/mui-utils/src/index.ts
index e95754b2a2b5bd..0cd2308d8650e5 100644
--- a/packages/mui-utils/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/mui-utils/src/index.ts
@@ -45,4 +45,5 @@ export { default as unstable_useSlotProps } from './useSlotProps';
 export type { UseSlotPropsParameters, UseSlotPropsResult } from './useSlotProps';
 export { default as unstable_resolveComponentProps } from './resolveComponentProps';
 export { default as unstable_extractEventHandlers } from './extractEventHandlers';
+export { default as unstable_getReactNodeRef } from './getReactNodeRef';
 export * from './types';
diff --git a/packages/mui-utils/src/useForkRef/useForkRef.test.js b/packages/mui-utils/src/useForkRef/useForkRef.test.js
index a3228602508fae..74a6b97d09348e 100644
--- a/packages/mui-utils/src/useForkRef/useForkRef.test.js
+++ b/packages/mui-utils/src/useForkRef/useForkRef.test.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as React from 'react';
 import { expect } from 'chai';
 import { createRenderer, screen } from '@mui/internal-test-utils';
 import useForkRef from './useForkRef';
+import getReactNodeRef from '../getReactNodeRef';
 
 describe('useForkRef', () => {
   const { render } = createRenderer();
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ describe('useForkRef', () => {
   it('does nothing if none of the forked branches requires a ref', () => {
     const Outer = React.forwardRef(function Outer(props, ref) {
       const { children } = props;
-      const handleRef = useForkRef(children.ref, ref);
+      const handleRef = useForkRef(getReactNodeRef(children), ref);
 
       return React.cloneElement(children, { ref: handleRef });
     });