diff --git a/code/frameworks/nextjs/src/images/next-image.tsx b/code/frameworks/nextjs/src/images/next-image.tsx
index 8fc964785f6b..f2e2d9d1467c 100644
--- a/code/frameworks/nextjs/src/images/next-image.tsx
+++ b/code/frameworks/nextjs/src/images/next-image.tsx
@@ -13,10 +13,21 @@ import { defaultLoader } from './next-image-default-loader';
 
 const ImageContext = ImageContextValue as typeof ImageContextType;
 
-const MockedNextImage = ({ loader, ...props }: _NextImage.ImageProps) => {
-  const imageParameters = React.useContext(ImageContext);
+const MockedNextImage = React.forwardRef<HTMLImageElement, _NextImage.ImageProps>(
+  ({ loader, ...props }, ref) => {
+    const imageParameters = React.useContext(ImageContext);
 
-  return <OriginalNextImage {...imageParameters} {...props} loader={loader ?? defaultLoader} />;
-};
+    return (
+      <OriginalNextImage
+        ref={ref}
+        {...imageParameters}
+        {...props}
+        loader={loader ?? defaultLoader}
+      />
+    );
+  }
+);
+
+MockedNextImage.displayName = 'NextImage';
 
 export default MockedNextImage;
diff --git a/code/frameworks/nextjs/template/stories/Image.stories.jsx b/code/frameworks/nextjs/template/stories/Image.stories.jsx
index 7a8803a6e992..dfb9894e972c 100644
--- a/code/frameworks/nextjs/template/stories/Image.stories.jsx
+++ b/code/frameworks/nextjs/template/stories/Image.stories.jsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React from 'react';
+import React, { useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import Image from 'next/image';
 import { waitFor } from '@storybook/testing-library';
 
@@ -81,3 +81,16 @@ export const Eager = {
     },
   },
 };
+
+export const WithRef = {
+  render() {
+    const [ref, setRef] = useState(null);
+
+    return (
+      <div>
+        <Image src={Accessibility} alt="Accessibility" ref={setRef} />
+        <p>Alt attribute of image: {ref?.alt}</p>
+      </div>
+    );
+  },
+};