diff --git a/Libraries/CustomComponents/Navigator/Navigator.js b/Libraries/CustomComponents/Navigator/Navigator.js
index bc5d65791..573223771 100644
--- a/Libraries/CustomComponents/Navigator/Navigator.js
+++ b/Libraries/CustomComponents/Navigator/Navigator.js
@@ -220,11 +220,6 @@ var Navigator = React.createClass({
      */
     onDidFocus: PropTypes.func,
 
-    /**
-     * Will be called with (ref, indexInStack, route) when the scene ref changes
-     */
-    onItemRef: PropTypes.func,
-
     /**
      * Optionally provide a navigation bar that persists across scene
      * transitions
@@ -318,7 +313,6 @@ var Navigator = React.createClass({
       onPanResponderMove: this._handlePanResponderMove,
       onPanResponderTerminate: this._handlePanResponderTerminate,
     });
-    this._itemRefs = {};
     this._interactionHandle = null;
     this._emitWillFocus(this.state.routeStack[this.state.presentedIndex]);
   },
@@ -1006,22 +1000,10 @@ var Navigator = React.createClass({
     return this.state.routeStack.slice();
   },
 
-  _handleItemRef: function(itemId, route, ref) {
-    this._itemRefs[itemId] = ref;
-    var itemIndex = this.state.idStack.indexOf(itemId);
-    if (itemIndex === -1) {
-      return;
-    }
-    this.props.onItemRef && this.props.onItemRef(ref, itemIndex, route);
-  },
-
   _cleanScenesPastIndex: function(index) {
     var newStackLength = index + 1;
     // Remove any unneeded rendered routes.
     if (newStackLength < this.state.routeStack.length) {
-      this.state.idStack.slice(newStackLength).map((removingId) => {
-        this._itemRefs[removingId] = null;
-      });
       this.setState({
         sceneConfigStack: this.state.sceneConfigStack.slice(0, newStackLength),
         idStack: this.state.idStack.slice(0, newStackLength),
@@ -1031,38 +1013,22 @@ var Navigator = React.createClass({
   },
 
   _renderScene: function(route, i) {
-    var child = this.props.renderScene(
-      route,
-      this
-    );
     var disabledSceneStyle = null;
     if (i !== this.state.presentedIndex) {
       disabledSceneStyle = styles.disabledScene;
     }
-    var originalRef = child.ref;
-    if (originalRef != null && typeof originalRef !== 'function') {
-      console.warn(
-        'String refs are not supported for navigator scenes. Use a callback ' +
-        'ref instead. Ignoring ref: ' + originalRef
-      );
-      originalRef = null;
-    }
     return (
       <View
-        key={this.state.idStack[i]}
+        key={'scene_' + i}
         ref={'scene_' + i}
         onStartShouldSetResponderCapture={() => {
           return (this.state.transitionFromIndex != null) || (this.state.transitionFromIndex != null);
         }}
         style={[styles.baseScene, this.props.sceneStyle, disabledSceneStyle]}>
-        {React.cloneElement(child, {
-          ref: component => {
-            this._handleItemRef(this.state.idStack[i], route, component);
-            if (originalRef) {
-              originalRef(component);
-            }
-          }
-        })}
+        {this.props.renderScene(
+          route,
+          this
+        )}
       </View>
     );
   },