diff --git a/packages/react-core/src/components/TextArea/TextArea.tsx b/packages/react-core/src/components/TextArea/TextArea.tsx
index 27599a49fe5..458431d48bd 100644
--- a/packages/react-core/src/components/TextArea/TextArea.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-core/src/components/TextArea/TextArea.tsx
@@ -54,6 +54,21 @@ export class TextAreaBase extends React.Component<TextAreaProps> {
     'aria-label': null as string
   };
 
+  inputRef = React.createRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>();
+
+  private setAutoHeight = (field: HTMLTextAreaElement) => {
+    field.style.setProperty(heightToken.name, 'inherit');
+    const computed = window.getComputedStyle(field);
+    // Calculate the height
+    const height =
+      parseInt(computed.getPropertyValue('border-top-width')) +
+      parseInt(computed.getPropertyValue('padding-top')) +
+      field.scrollHeight +
+      parseInt(computed.getPropertyValue('padding-bottom')) +
+      parseInt(computed.getPropertyValue('border-bottom-width'));
+    field.style.setProperty(heightToken.name, `${height}px`);
+  };
+
   constructor(props: TextAreaProps) {
     super(props);
     if (!props.id && !props['aria-label']) {
@@ -62,20 +77,19 @@ export class TextAreaBase extends React.Component<TextAreaProps> {
     }
   }
 
+  componentDidMount(): void {
+    const inputRef = this.props.innerRef || this.inputRef;
+    if (this.props.autoResize && canUseDOM) {
+      const field = inputRef.current;
+      this.setAutoHeight(field);
+    }
+  }
+
   private handleChange = (event: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => {
     // https://gomakethings.com/automatically-expand-a-textarea-as-the-user-types-using-vanilla-javascript/
     const field = event.currentTarget;
     if (this.props.autoResize && canUseDOM) {
-      field.style.setProperty(heightToken.name, 'inherit');
-      const computed = window.getComputedStyle(field);
-      // Calculate the height
-      const height =
-        parseInt(computed.getPropertyValue('border-top-width')) +
-        parseInt(computed.getPropertyValue('padding-top')) +
-        field.scrollHeight +
-        parseInt(computed.getPropertyValue('padding-bottom')) +
-        parseInt(computed.getPropertyValue('border-bottom-width'));
-      field.style.setProperty(heightToken.name, `${height}px`);
+      this.setAutoHeight(field);
     }
     if (this.props.onChange) {
       this.props.onChange(field.value, event);
@@ -118,14 +132,14 @@ export class TextAreaBase extends React.Component<TextAreaProps> {
         required={isRequired}
         disabled={isDisabled || disabled}
         readOnly={isReadOnly || readOnly}
-        ref={innerRef}
+        ref={innerRef || this.inputRef}
         {...props}
       />
     );
   }
 }
 
-export const TextArea = React.forwardRef<HTMLTextAreaElement, TextAreaProps>((props, ref) => (
+export const TextArea = React.forwardRef((props: TextAreaProps, ref: React.Ref<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => (
   <TextAreaBase {...props} innerRef={ref as React.MutableRefObject<any>} />
 ));
 TextArea.displayName = 'TextArea';
diff --git a/packages/react-core/src/components/TextArea/examples/TextArea.md b/packages/react-core/src/components/TextArea/examples/TextArea.md
index b28228c60ba..892606d3d5d 100644
--- a/packages/react-core/src/components/TextArea/examples/TextArea.md
+++ b/packages/react-core/src/components/TextArea/examples/TextArea.md
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ propComponents: ['TextArea']
 ---
 
 ## Examples
+
 ### Basic
+
 ```js
 import React from 'react';
 import { TextArea } from '@patternfly/react-core';
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ class SimpleTextArea extends React.Component {
 ```
 
 ### Invalid
+
 ```js
 import React from 'react';
 import { TextArea } from '@patternfly/react-core';
@@ -42,7 +45,7 @@ class InvalidTextArea extends React.Component {
     this.state = {
       value: ''
     };
-    
+
     this.handleInvalidTextAreaChange = value => {
       this.setState({ value });
     };
@@ -65,6 +68,7 @@ class InvalidTextArea extends React.Component {
 ```
 
 ### Validated
+
 ```js
 import React from 'react';
 import { Form, FormGroup, TextArea } from '@patternfly/react-core';
@@ -78,28 +82,30 @@ class InvalidTextArea extends React.Component {
       validated: 'default',
       helperText: 'Share your thoughts.'
     };
-    
+
     this.simulateNetworkCall = callback => {
       setTimeout(callback, 2000);
-    }
-    
-    this.handleTextAreaChange = value => {
+    };
 
-      this.setState({
-        value,
-        validated: 'default',
-        helperText: 'Validating...',
-      },
+    this.handleTextAreaChange = value => {
+      this.setState(
+        {
+          value,
+          validated: 'default',
+          helperText: 'Validating...'
+        },
         this.simulateNetworkCall(() => {
           if (value && value.length > 0) {
             if (value.length >= 10) {
-              this.setState({validated: 'success', helperText: 'Thanks for your comments!'});
+              this.setState({ validated: 'success', helperText: 'Thanks for your comments!' });
             } else {
-              this.setState({validated: 'error', invalidText: 'Your being too brief, please enter at least 10 characters.'});
+              this.setState({
+                validated: 'error',
+                invalidText: 'Your being too brief, please enter at least 10 characters.'
+              });
             }
-          }
-          else {
-            this.setState({validated: 'warning', helperText: 'You must have something to say'});
+          } else {
+            this.setState({ validated: 'warning', helperText: 'You must have something to say' });
           }
         })
       );
@@ -134,6 +140,7 @@ class InvalidTextArea extends React.Component {
 ```
 
 ### Vertically resizable text area
+
 ```js
 import React from 'react';
 import { TextArea } from '@patternfly/react-core';
@@ -153,12 +160,20 @@ class VerticalResizeTextArea extends React.Component {
   render() {
     const { value } = this.state;
 
-    return <TextArea value={value} onChange={this.handleTextAreaChange} resizeOrientation='vertical' aria-label="text vertical resize example" />;
+    return (
+      <TextArea
+        value={value}
+        onChange={this.handleTextAreaChange}
+        resizeOrientation="vertical"
+        aria-label="text vertical resize example"
+      />
+    );
   }
 }
 ```
 
 ### Horizontally resizable text area
+
 ```js
 import React from 'react';
 import { TextArea } from '@patternfly/react-core';
@@ -178,33 +193,43 @@ class HorizontalResizeTextArea extends React.Component {
   render() {
     const { value } = this.state;
 
-    return <TextArea value={value} onChange={this.handleTextAreaChange} resizeOrientation='horizontal' aria-label="text horizontal resize example" />;
+    return (
+      <TextArea
+        value={value}
+        onChange={this.handleTextAreaChange}
+        resizeOrientation="horizontal"
+        aria-label="text horizontal resize example"
+      />
+    );
   }
 }
 ```
 
 ### Uncontrolled
+
 ```js
 import React from 'react';
 import { TextArea } from '@patternfly/react-core';
 
-<TextArea defaultValue="default value" aria-label="uncontrolled text area example" />
+<TextArea defaultValue="default value" aria-label="uncontrolled text area example" />;
 ```
 
 ### Disabled
+
 ```js
 import React from 'react';
 import { TextArea } from '@patternfly/react-core';
 
-<TextArea aria-label="disabled text area example" isDisabled />
+<TextArea aria-label="disabled text area example" isDisabled />;
 ```
 
 ### Auto resizing
+
 ```js
 import React from 'react';
 import { TextArea } from '@patternfly/react-core';
 
-<TextArea aria-label="auto resizing text area example" autoResize />
+<TextArea aria-label="auto resizing text area example" autoResize />;
 ```
 
 ### Icon sprite variants
@@ -249,4 +274,5 @@ IconSpriteTextArea = () => {
       />
     </>
   );
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};
+```