diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 34e3820..df71028 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,8 +10,12 @@ const SPEC = {
   template: '<input class="name"><button>Go</button>',
   css: ':host { display: block; }',
   events: ['click'],
-  element: { input: 'input.name' }, // refs.input: HTMLInputElement | null
-  elements: { buttons: 'button' }, // refs.buttons: HTMLButtonElement[]
+  element: {
+    input: 'input.name', //                  refs.input: HTMLInputElement | null (from the tag)
+    thing: '.thing', //                      refs.thing: Element | null (no tag to go on)
+    card: ['.card', HTMLElement], //         refs.card: HTMLElement | null (checked with instanceof)
+  },
+  elements: { buttons: 'button' }, //       refs.buttons: HTMLButtonElement[]
   props: {
     userId: number(), //                         user-id        number | undefined
     min: number({ default: 1 }), //              min            number
@@ -41,6 +45,7 @@ ExampleElement.observedAttributes; // readonly ('user-id' | 'min' | 'is-ready' |
 - **Codecs**: `string`, `number`, `enable`, `disable`, `choice([...])`, `json<T>()`, `prop({ default, decode, encode })`.
 - **Shadow DOM**: `shadow` attaches a root and clones `template` into it; `css` is a shared adopted stylesheet. An existing declarative shadow root is used instead (and `shadow`/`template` are ignored). `root` is the shadow root (even when closed) or the element itself.
 - **Light DOM**: `template` is appended on first connect; `css` is added once per element type, as a `<style>` in `<head>` or adopted into the enclosing shadow root.
+- **Refs**: a selector string is typed from its tag (last compound: `'form > button#go'` → `HTMLButtonElement`), falling back to `Element`. `[selector, Class]` types the ref as `Class` and skips matches that aren't instances of it. A key can't be in both `element` and `elements`.
 - **`signal`** aborts on disconnect; a new one is created on each connect. `events` are listened on the host with it.
 - **`base`** extends another autonomous element class; prop names that collide with its members (or `HTMLElement`'s, like `title`/`hidden`) are type errors.
 - Don't declare a subclass field with a prop's name; it would shadow the reflected accessor.
diff --git a/oxlint.config.ts b/oxlint.config.ts
index ccb8e59..0769296 100644
--- a/oxlint.config.ts
+++ b/oxlint.config.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ export default defineConfig({
         // needs its own small class.
         'eslint/max-lines-per-function': 'off',
         'eslint/max-classes-per-file': 'off',
+        // Test files grow with coverage; splitting them by line count doesn't help.
+        'eslint/max-lines': 'off',
       },
     },
   ],
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 06c2d8f..9407f9f 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -19,12 +19,15 @@ export type {
   AttributeMap,
   AttributeOf,
   AttributesOf,
+  ElementClass,
   ElementConstructor,
   ObservedAttributes,
   PropChange,
   PropNameConflict,
   PropValues,
   RefNameConflict,
+  RefElement,
+  RefSpec,
   RefType,
   Refs,
   Spec,
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 435b437..d0b43f2 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ export interface Spec {
   readonly dataPrefix?: boolean;
   /** Host events routed to `handleEvent`, listened with the element's `signal`. */
   readonly events?: readonly (keyof HTMLElementEventMap)[];
-  /** `refs.<name>`: `root.querySelector(selector)`. */
-  readonly element?: Readonly<Record<string, string>>;
-  /** `refs.<name>`: `[...root.querySelectorAll(selector)]`. */
-  readonly elements?: Readonly<Record<string, string>>;
+  /** `refs.<name>`: the first match in `root`, or `null`. See {@link RefSpec}. */
+  readonly element?: Readonly<Record<string, RefSpec>>;
+  /** `refs.<name>`: every match in `root`, as an array. See {@link RefSpec}. */
+  readonly elements?: Readonly<Record<string, RefSpec>>;
   /** Reflected properties, keyed by property name. */
   readonly props?: Readonly<Record<string, AnyPropDef>>;
 }
@@ -48,12 +48,12 @@ export type EventsOf<S> = S extends {
   ? E
   : never;
 type ElementRefsOf<S> = S extends {
-  readonly element: infer E extends Readonly<Record<string, string>>;
+  readonly element: infer E extends Readonly<Record<string, RefSpec>>;
 }
   ? E
   : Empty;
 type ElementsRefsOf<S> = S extends {
-  readonly elements: infer E extends Readonly<Record<string, string>>;
+  readonly elements: infer E extends Readonly<Record<string, RefSpec>>;
 }
   ? E
   : Empty;
@@ -75,9 +75,14 @@ export type AttributeOf<K extends string, D, DataPrefix extends boolean = false>
   : `${DataPrefix extends true ? 'data-' : ''}${D extends { readonly prefix: infer P extends string } ? P : ''}${Kebab<K>}`;
 
 /** Union of every observed attribute name for a spec. */
-export type ObservedAttributes<S> = {
-  [K in keyof PropsOf<S> & string]: AttributeOf<K, PropsOf<S>[K], DataPrefixOf<S>>;
-}[keyof PropsOf<S> & string];
+//
+// Written as `keyof` over a key-remapped mapped type, not the more usual
+// `{ ... }[keyof ...]` lookup: the lookup's union keeps this alias attached,
+// so editors show `ObservedAttributes<{ ...whole spec... }>`, while `keyof`
+// builds a fresh union that displays as `"user-id" | "min" | ...`.
+export type ObservedAttributes<S> = keyof {
+  [K in keyof PropsOf<S> & string as AttributeOf<K, PropsOf<S>[K], DataPrefixOf<S>>]: K;
+};
 
 /** Prop key → attribute name, for a spec. */
 export type AttributeMap<S> = {
@@ -131,11 +136,34 @@ export type RefType<Sel extends string> =
         : Element
     : never;
 
-/** `this.refs` for a spec. */
+/** A class a ref's matches are checked against with `instanceof`. */
+export type ElementClass<T extends Element = Element> = abstract new (...args: never) => T;
+
+/**
+ * One entry in `element` / `elements`:
+ *
+ * - `'input.name'` — a selector; the type comes from its tag via {@link RefType}
+ *   (`HTMLInputElement` here, plain `Element` for a tagless `'.thing'`).
+ * - `['.thing', HTMLElement]` — a selector plus the class its matches must be.
+ *   The ref is typed as that class, and matches that aren't instances of it are
+ *   skipped (`null` for `element`, left out for `elements`).
+ */
+export type RefSpec = string | readonly [selector: string, type: ElementClass];
+
+/** The element type one {@link RefSpec} produces. */
+export type RefElement<R> = R extends readonly [string, ElementClass<infer T>]
+  ? T
+  : R extends string
+    ? RefType<R>
+    : Element;
+
+/** `this.refs` for a spec: `element` keys are `T | null`, `elements` keys are `T[]`. */
 export type Refs<S> = {
-  readonly [K in keyof ElementRefsOf<S>]: RefType<ElementRefsOf<S>[K] & string> | null;
-} & {
-  readonly [K in keyof ElementsRefsOf<S>]: RefType<ElementsRefsOf<S>[K] & string>[];
+  readonly [K in keyof ElementRefsOf<S> | keyof ElementsRefsOf<S>]: K extends keyof ElementRefsOf<S>
+    ? RefElement<ElementRefsOf<S>[K]> | null
+    : K extends keyof ElementsRefsOf<S>
+      ? RefElement<ElementsRefsOf<S>[K]>[]
+      : never;
 };
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -152,7 +180,9 @@ export interface WebComponentMembers<S> {
   /** The element's `ElementInternals` (attached by the mixin; don't call `attachInternals()` again). */
   readonly internals: ElementInternals;
   /** Typed `element` / `elements` lookups, queried live against `root`. */
-  readonly refs: Refs<S>;
+  // Re-mapped inline (not `Refs<S>` directly) so editors show the resolved
+  // `{ input: HTMLInputElement | null; ... }` rather than the alias.
+  readonly refs: { readonly [K in keyof Refs<S>]: Refs<S>[K] };
   /** Receives every event listed in `events`. */
   handleEvent(
     event: [EventsOf<S>] extends [never] ? Event : HTMLElementEventMap[EventsOf<S>],
@@ -180,7 +210,9 @@ export type WebComponentInstance<S> = InstanceType<BaseOf<S>> &
 export interface WebComponentStatics<S> {
   readonly observedAttributes: readonly ObservedAttributes<S>[];
   /** Prop key → attribute name: `El.attributeFor.fetch` is `'disable-fetch'`. */
-  readonly attributeFor: AttributeMap<S>;
+  // Re-mapped inline (not `AttributeMap<S>` directly) so editors show the
+  // resolved `{ fetch: "disable-fetch"; ... }` rather than the alias.
+  readonly attributeFor: { readonly [K in keyof AttributeMap<S>]: AttributeMap<S>[K] };
 }
 
 /** The constructor type {@link WebComponent} returns. */
diff --git a/src/web-component.ts b/src/web-component.ts
index 3871e31..3358fe8 100644
--- a/src/web-component.ts
+++ b/src/web-component.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,19 @@
 import { attributeName, type AnyPropDef } from './props.ts';
-import type { Spec, ValidateSpec, WebComponentConstructor } from './types.ts';
+import type {
+  ElementClass,
+  RefSpec,
+  Spec,
+  ValidateSpec,
+  WebComponentConstructor,
+} from './types.ts';
+
+type ResolvedRef = [name: string, selector: string, type: ElementClass | undefined];
+
+function resolveRefs(refs: Readonly<Record<string, RefSpec>> | undefined): ResolvedRef[] {
+  return Object.entries(refs ?? {}).map(([name, ref]) =>
+    typeof ref === 'string' ? [name, ref, undefined] : [name, ref[0], ref[1]],
+  );
+}
 
 interface ResolvedProp {
   key: string;
@@ -31,8 +45,8 @@ export function WebComponent<const S extends Spec>(
     def,
   }));
   const byAttribute = new Map(resolved.map((prop) => [prop.attribute, prop]));
-  const element: [name: string, selector: string][] = Object.entries(spec.element ?? {});
-  const elements: [name: string, selector: string][] = Object.entries(spec.elements ?? {});
+  const element = resolveRefs(spec.element);
+  const elements = resolveRefs(spec.elements);
   const events = spec.events ?? [];
 
   // Parsed lazily, once per class, so defining the class needs no DOM work.
@@ -230,16 +244,26 @@ export function WebComponent<const S extends Spec>(
       // Getter return types are annotated: `PropertyDescriptor.get` returns
       // `any`, which the query methods would otherwise infer their result from.
       const refs = {};
-      for (const [name, selector] of element) {
+      // With a class given, matches that aren't instances of it are skipped,
+      // so the typed ref never holds the wrong kind of element.
+      for (const [name, selector, type] of element) {
         Object.defineProperty(refs, name, {
           enumerable: true,
-          get: (): Element | null => this.root.querySelector(selector),
+          get: (): Element | null => {
+            if (!type) return this.root.querySelector(selector);
+            return (
+              [...this.root.querySelectorAll(selector)].find((el) => el instanceof type) ?? null
+            );
+          },
         });
       }
-      for (const [name, selector] of elements) {
+      for (const [name, selector, type] of elements) {
         Object.defineProperty(refs, name, {
           enumerable: true,
-          get: (): Element[] => [...this.root.querySelectorAll(selector)],
+          get: (): Element[] => {
+            const all = [...this.root.querySelectorAll(selector)];
+            return type ? all.filter((el) => el instanceof type) : all;
+          },
         });
       }
       return refs;
diff --git a/test/types.test-d.ts b/test/types.test-d.ts
index f0a0219..08e81a0 100644
--- a/test/types.test-d.ts
+++ b/test/types.test-d.ts
@@ -140,6 +140,23 @@ describe('members', () => {
     expectTypeOf<RefType<'input:checked'>>().toEqualTypeOf<HTMLInputElement>();
   });
 
+  test('[selector, Class] refs are typed as the class', () => {
+    class Widget extends HTMLElement {}
+    const El = WebComponent({
+      element: { thing: ['.thing', HTMLElement], widget: ['.w', Widget] },
+      elements: { items: ['.item', HTMLLIElement] },
+    });
+    const { refs } = new El();
+    expectTypeOf(refs.thing).toEqualTypeOf<HTMLElement | null>();
+    expectTypeOf(refs.widget).toEqualTypeOf<Widget | null>();
+    expectTypeOf(refs.items).toEqualTypeOf<HTMLLIElement[]>();
+  });
+
+  test('the class must be an Element class', () => {
+    // @ts-expect-error -- Date isn't an Element
+    WebComponent({ element: { when: ['.when', Date] } });
+  });
+
   test('still an HTMLElement', () => {
     expectTypeOf(new Example()).toExtend<HTMLElement>();
     expectTypeOf(new Example().signal).toEqualTypeOf<AbortSignal>();
@@ -192,6 +209,15 @@ describe('ref conflicts', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  test('the tuple form conflicts too', () => {
+    WebComponent({
+      // @ts-expect-error -- `input` is also in elements
+      element: { input: ['input', HTMLInputElement] },
+      // @ts-expect-error -- `input` is also in element
+      elements: { input: 'textarea' },
+    });
+  });
+
   test('distinct keys are fine', () => {
     const El = WebComponent({ element: { input: 'input' }, elements: { inputs: 'input' } });
     expectTypeOf(new El().refs.input).toEqualTypeOf<HTMLInputElement | null>();
diff --git a/test/web-component.test.ts b/test/web-component.test.ts
index 3d09120..6b4a321 100644
--- a/test/web-component.test.ts
+++ b/test/web-component.test.ts
@@ -280,6 +280,19 @@ describe('refs', () => {
     instance(HTMLUListElement, el.root.querySelector('ul')).append(document.createElement('li'));
     expect(el.refs.items).toHaveLength(3);
   });
+
+  test('[selector, Class] refs skip matches of the wrong class', () => {
+    class El extends WebComponent({
+      shadow: 'open',
+      template: '<div class="x">div</div><p class="x">p</p><p class="x">p2</p>',
+      element: { para: ['.x', HTMLParagraphElement], button: ['.x', HTMLButtonElement] },
+      elements: { paras: ['.x', HTMLParagraphElement] },
+    }) {}
+    const el = new (define(El))();
+    expect(el.refs.para?.textContent).toBe('p');
+    expect(el.refs.button).toBeNull();
+    expect(el.refs.paras.map((p) => p.textContent)).toEqual(['p', 'p2']);
+  });
 });
 
 describe('base', () => {