diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/componentEmits.spec.ts b/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/componentEmits.spec.ts
index 973099545e0..274fdddbc26 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/componentEmits.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/componentEmits.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Note: emits and listener fallthrough is tested in
 // ./rendererAttrsFallthrough.spec.ts.
 
-import { render, defineComponent, h, nodeOps } from '@vue/runtime-test'
+import { render, defineComponent, ref, h, nodeOps } from '@vue/runtime-test'
 import { isEmitListener } from '../src/componentEmits'
 
 describe('component: emit', () => {
@@ -28,6 +28,49 @@ describe('component: emit', () => {
     expect(onBaz).toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
+  test('trigger handlers by templateRef added', () => {
+    const root = nodeOps.createElement('div')
+    let innerCtx = {} as any
+    const CustomButton = defineComponent({
+      setup(_, ctx) {
+        innerCtx = ctx
+        return {
+          refKey: ref(null)
+        }
+      },
+      emits: ['click'],
+      render() {
+        return h('div')
+      }
+    })
+
+    const button = ref(null)
+    const Wrapper = defineComponent({
+      setup(_, ctx) {
+        innerCtx = ctx
+        return {
+          buttonRef: button
+        }
+      },
+      render() {
+        return h(CustomButton, { ref: 'buttonRef' })
+      }
+    })
+
+    render(h(Wrapper), root)
+    const clickHandler = jest.fn()
+    // @ts-ignore
+    button.value.onClick = clickHandler
+    innerCtx.emit('click')
+    expect(clickHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+    // @ts-ignore
+    button.value.onclick = clickHandler
+    expect(
+      `Attempting to add handler "onclick". but it is neither declared by Component`
+    ).toHaveBeenWarned()
+  })
+
   // for v-model:foo-bar usage in DOM templates
   test('trigger hyphenated events for update:xxx events', () => {
     const Foo = defineComponent({
diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/src/componentPublicInstance.ts b/packages/runtime-core/src/componentPublicInstance.ts
index e0e239a7997..d11bf0531d7 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/src/componentPublicInstance.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/src/componentPublicInstance.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import {
   resolveMergedOptions,
   isInBeforeCreate
 } from './componentOptions'
-import { EmitsOptions, EmitFn } from './componentEmits'
+import { EmitsOptions, EmitFn, isEmitListener } from './componentEmits'
 import { Slots } from './componentSlots'
 import {
   currentRenderingInstance,
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ export const PublicInstanceProxyHandlers: ProxyHandler<any> = {
     key: string,
     value: any
   ): boolean {
-    const { data, setupState, ctx } = instance
+    const { data, setupState, ctx, vnode, emitsOptions } = instance
     if (setupState !== EMPTY_OBJ && hasOwn(setupState, key)) {
       setupState[key] = value
     } else if (data !== EMPTY_OBJ && hasOwn(data, key)) {
@@ -378,6 +378,27 @@ export const PublicInstanceProxyHandlers: ProxyHandler<any> = {
         })
       } else {
         ctx[key] = value
+        /**
+         * #2155: allow add event handler by templateRef
+         * e.g.
+         * buttonRef.value.onClick = clickHandler
+         * listen <el-button ref="buttonRef"> component emitted click event
+         */
+        if (key.indexOf('on') === 0) {
+          if (isEmitListener(emitsOptions, key)) {
+            /* istanbul ignore else */
+            if (vnode.props) {
+              vnode.props[key] = value
+            }
+          } else {
+            __DEV__ &&
+              warn(
+                `Attempting to add handler "${key}". ` +
+                  `but it is neither declared by Component`,
+                instance
+              )
+          }
+        }
       }
     }
     return true