diff --git a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/autoFocus.ts b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/autoFocus.ts
index abbca2b5..7c934b80 100644
--- a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/autoFocus.ts
+++ b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/autoFocus.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export const autoFocus$ = /* @__PURE__ */ createEffectAttribute<'autoFocus$', HT
 )
 
 declare module 'nanoviews' {
-  interface EffectAttributeValues {
+  interface EffectAttributeValues<Target extends Element> {
     autoFocus$: ValueOrAccessor<boolean>
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/classList.ts b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/classList.ts
index 59c5889d..03b1fa2c 100644
--- a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/classList.ts
+++ b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/classList.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export const classList$ = /* @__PURE__ */ createEffectAttribute<'classList$', HT
 )
 
 declare module 'nanoviews' {
-  interface EffectAttributeValues {
+  interface EffectAttributeValues<Target extends Element> {
     classList$: ClassList
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/controls.ts b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/controls.ts
index b178e40b..d2b1b209 100644
--- a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/controls.ts
+++ b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/controls.ts
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ export const files$ = /* @__PURE__ */ createEffectAttribute<'files$', FileElemen
 )
 
 declare module 'nanoviews' {
-  interface EffectAttributeValues {
+  interface EffectAttributeValues<Target extends Element> {
     value$: Value
     checked$: Checked
     selected$: Selected
diff --git a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/ref.spec.ts b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/ref.spec.ts
index 975a958d..6c44060b 100644
--- a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/ref.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/ref.spec.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 import {
   describe,
   it,
-  expect
+  expect,
+  expectTypeOf
 } from 'vitest'
 import { render } from '@nanoviews/testing-library'
 import { signal } from 'kida'
-import { button } from './elements.js'
+import {
+  button,
+  input
+} from './elements.js'
 import { ref$ } from './ref.js'
 
 describe('nanoviews', () => {
@@ -20,6 +24,32 @@ describe('nanoviews', () => {
 
         expect(ref()).toBeInstanceOf(HTMLButtonElement)
       })
+
+      it('should take a signal of the element it sits on', () => {
+        const ref = signal<HTMLButtonElement | null>(null)
+
+        render(() => button({
+          [ref$]: ref
+        })('Click me!'))
+
+        // the point of the precise type: no cast to reach the element's own
+        // surface
+        expectTypeOf(ref()).toEqualTypeOf<HTMLButtonElement | null>()
+        expect(ref()!.type).toBe('submit')
+      })
+
+      it('should reject a signal of a different element', () => {
+        const ref = signal<HTMLInputElement | null>(null)
+
+        button({
+          // @ts-expect-error the button is not an input
+          [ref$]: ref
+        })('Click me!')
+
+        input({
+          [ref$]: ref
+        })
+      })
     })
   })
 })
diff --git a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/ref.ts b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/ref.ts
index f6f223b1..69ea2ab2 100644
--- a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/ref.ts
+++ b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/ref.ts
@@ -17,8 +17,14 @@ export const ref$ = /* @__PURE__ */ createEffectAttribute<'ref$', Element, Writa
 )
 
 declare module 'nanoviews' {
-  interface EffectAttributeValues {
-    ref$: WritableSignal<Element | null>
+  interface EffectAttributeValues<Target extends Element> {
+    // A signal is invariant, so every type a ref may be declared with has to
+    // be named: the element itself, the two branches of the tree it belongs
+    // to, and their root
+    ref$: WritableSignal<Target | null>
+      | WritableSignal<HTMLElement | null>
+      | WritableSignal<SVGElement | null>
+      | WritableSignal<Element | null>
   }
 
   interface EffectAttributeTargets {
diff --git a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/style.ts b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/style.ts
index 81d9211e..dbf8962b 100644
--- a/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/style.ts
+++ b/packages/nanoviews/src/elements/style.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export const style$ = /* @__PURE__ */ createEffectAttribute<'style$', HTMLElemen
 )
 
 declare module 'nanoviews' {
-  interface EffectAttributeValues {
+  interface EffectAttributeValues<Target extends Element> {
     style$: StyleProps
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/nanoviews/src/internals/types/effectAttribute.ts b/packages/nanoviews/src/internals/types/effectAttribute.ts
index a042c530..6064007c 100644
--- a/packages/nanoviews/src/internals/types/effectAttribute.ts
+++ b/packages/nanoviews/src/internals/types/effectAttribute.ts
@@ -1,20 +1,26 @@
 import type { UnknownAttributes } from './attributes.js'
 
 declare module 'nanoviews' {
-  interface EffectAttributeValues {
+  // The value an attribute takes may be about the element it sits on, so the
+  // map is asked with the target and answers for it. An attribute that does
+  // not care simply never mentions it
+  interface EffectAttributeValues<Target extends Element> {
   }
 
   interface EffectAttributeTargets {
   }
 }
 
-export type GetEffectAttributeValue<T extends string> = T extends keyof import('nanoviews').EffectAttributeValues
-  ? import('nanoviews').EffectAttributeValues[T]
+export type GetEffectAttributeValue<
+  T extends string,
+  Target extends Element
+> = T extends keyof import('nanoviews').EffectAttributeValues<Target>
+  ? import('nanoviews').EffectAttributeValues<Target>[T]
   : never
 
 export type PickEffectAttributesByTarget<Target extends Element> = {
   [K in keyof import('nanoviews').EffectAttributeTargets]?: Target extends import('nanoviews').EffectAttributeTargets[K]
-    ? GetEffectAttributeValue<K>
+    ? GetEffectAttributeValue<K, Target>
     : never
 }
 
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index 219b7a0e..31e9e3cc 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@
 - for_ duplicate track keys: unsupported by design, must keep failing loudly - the crash lands a step away from the cause, so it needs a clear throw at the point of detection
 - rework return slot$ to look like element/component? fn.prop is faster than {f,p}
 - util to transform static props to signal props?
-- typed effectattrs <T>
 - additional arg for record in for$? as$
 - static index for untracked loop?