diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/Validation/ValidateNoRefAccessInRender.ts b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/Validation/ValidateNoRefAccessInRender.ts
index abbb7d847698..541ad0dda4b7 100644
--- a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/Validation/ValidateNoRefAccessInRender.ts
+++ b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/Validation/ValidateNoRefAccessInRender.ts
@@ -655,33 +655,15 @@ function validateNoRefAccessInRenderImpl(
             if (instr.value.operator === '!') {
               const value = env.get(instr.value.value.identifier.id);
               const refId =
-                value?.kind === 'RefValue' && value.refId != null
-                  ? value.refId
+                value?.kind === 'RefValue'
+                  ? (value.refId ?? nextRefId())
                   : null;
               if (refId !== null) {
                 /*
-                 * Record an error suggesting the `if (ref.current == null)` pattern,
-                 * but also record the lvalue as a guard so that we don't emit a second
-                 * error for the write to the ref
+                 * Allow !ref.current patterns for ref initialization as they are
+                 * semantically equivalent to ref.current == null checks
                  */
                 env.set(instr.lvalue.identifier.id, {kind: 'Guard', refId});
-                errors.pushDiagnostic(
-                  CompilerDiagnostic.create({
-                    category: ErrorCategory.Refs,
-                    reason: 'Cannot access refs during render',
-                    description: ERROR_DESCRIPTION,
-                  })
-                    .withDetails({
-                      kind: 'error',
-                      loc: instr.value.value.loc,
-                      message: `Cannot access ref value during render`,
-                    })
-                    .withDetails({
-                      kind: 'hint',
-                      message:
-                        'To initialize a ref only once, check that the ref is null with the pattern `if (ref.current == null) { ref.current = ... }`',
-                    }),
-                );
                 break;
               }
             }
@@ -693,18 +675,21 @@ function validateNoRefAccessInRenderImpl(
             const right = env.get(instr.value.right.identifier.id);
             let nullish: boolean = false;
             let refId: RefId | null = null;
-            if (left?.kind === 'RefValue' && left.refId != null) {
-              refId = left.refId;
-            } else if (right?.kind === 'RefValue' && right.refId != null) {
-              refId = right.refId;
+
+            if (left?.kind === 'RefValue') {
+              refId = left.refId ?? nextRefId();
+            } else if (right?.kind === 'RefValue') {
+              refId = right.refId ?? nextRefId();
             }
 
+            // Check for null or undefined values
             if (left?.kind === 'Nullable') {
               nullish = true;
             } else if (right?.kind === 'Nullable') {
               nullish = true;
             }
 
+            // Allow ref comparisons with null/undefined as guards
             if (refId !== null && nullish) {
               env.set(instr.lvalue.identifier.id, {kind: 'Guard', refId});
             } else {
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.invalid-ref-access-render-unary.expect.md b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.invalid-ref-access-render-unary.expect.md
index ce1be800a13b..8093488bb3d3 100644
--- a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.invalid-ref-access-render-unary.expect.md
+++ b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.invalid-ref-access-render-unary.expect.md
@@ -22,21 +22,7 @@ export const FIXTURE_ENTRYPOINT = {
 ## Error
 
 ```
-Found 4 errors:
-
-Error: Cannot access refs during render
-
-React refs are values that are not needed for rendering. Refs should only be accessed outside of render, such as in event handlers or effects. Accessing a ref value (the `current` property) during render can cause your component not to update as expected (https://react.dev/reference/react/useRef).
-
-  4 | component C() {
-  5 |   const r = useRef(null);
-> 6 |   const current = !r.current;
-    |                    ^^^^^^^^^ Cannot access ref value during render
-  7 |   return <div>{current}</div>;
-  8 | }
-  9 |
-
-To initialize a ref only once, check that the ref is null with the pattern `if (ref.current == null) { ref.current = ... }`
+Found 3 errors:
 
 Error: Cannot access refs during render
 
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.invalid-ref-initialization-unary-not.expect.md b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.invalid-ref-initialization-unary-not.expect.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 516d006c205a..000000000000
--- a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.invalid-ref-initialization-unary-not.expect.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,43 +0,0 @@
-
-## Input
-
-```javascript
-//@flow
-import {useRef} from 'react';
-
-component C() {
-  const r = useRef(null);
-  if (!r.current) {
-    r.current = 1;
-  }
-}
-
-export const FIXTURE_ENTRYPOINT = {
-  fn: C,
-  params: [{}],
-};
-
-```
-
-
-## Error
-
-```
-Found 1 error:
-
-Error: Cannot access refs during render
-
-React refs are values that are not needed for rendering. Refs should only be accessed outside of render, such as in event handlers or effects. Accessing a ref value (the `current` property) during render can cause your component not to update as expected (https://react.dev/reference/react/useRef).
-
-  4 | component C() {
-  5 |   const r = useRef(null);
-> 6 |   if (!r.current) {
-    |        ^^^^^^^^^ Cannot access ref value during render
-  7 |     r.current = 1;
-  8 |   }
-  9 | }
-
-To initialize a ref only once, check that the ref is null with the pattern `if (ref.current == null) { ref.current = ... }`
-```
-          
-      
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization-negation.expect.md b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization-negation.expect.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2ea91e8e87af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization-negation.expect.md
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+
+## Input
+
+```javascript
+import {useRef} from 'react';
+
+function Component() {
+  const ref = useRef(undefined);
+  if (!ref.current) {
+    ref.current = "initialized";
+  }
+  return <div>Hello World</div>;
+}
+
+export const FIXTURE_ENTRYPOINT = {
+  fn: Component,
+  params: [{}],
+};
+```
+
+## Code
+
+```javascript
+import { c as _c } from "react/compiler-runtime";
+import { useRef } from "react";
+
+function Component() {
+  const $ = _c(1);
+  const ref = useRef(undefined);
+  if (!ref.current) {
+    ref.current = "initialized";
+  }
+  let t0;
+  if ($[0] === Symbol.for("react.memo_cache_sentinel")) {
+    t0 = <div>Hello World</div>;
+    $[0] = t0;
+  } else {
+    t0 = $[0];
+  }
+  return t0;
+}
+
+export const FIXTURE_ENTRYPOINT = {
+  fn: Component,
+  params: [{}],
+};
+
+```
+      
+### Eval output
+(kind: ok) <div>Hello World</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization-negation.js b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization-negation.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..49cb0da33dc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization-negation.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import {useRef} from 'react';
+
+function Component() {
+  const ref = useRef(undefined);
+  if (!ref.current) {
+    ref.current = 'initialized';
+  }
+  return <div>Hello World</div>;
+}
+
+export const FIXTURE_ENTRYPOINT = {
+  fn: Component,
+  params: [{}],
+};
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization.expect.md b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization.expect.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f9f870449bab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization.expect.md
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+
+## Input
+
+```javascript
+import {useRef} from 'react';
+
+function Component() {
+  const ref = useRef(undefined);
+  if (ref.current === undefined) {
+    ref.current = "initialized";
+  }
+  return <div>Hello World</div>;
+}
+
+export const FIXTURE_ENTRYPOINT = {
+  fn: Component,
+  params: [{}],
+};
+```
+
+## Code
+
+```javascript
+import { c as _c } from "react/compiler-runtime";
+import { useRef } from "react";
+
+function Component() {
+  const $ = _c(1);
+  const ref = useRef(undefined);
+  if (ref.current === undefined) {
+    ref.current = "initialized";
+  }
+  let t0;
+  if ($[0] === Symbol.for("react.memo_cache_sentinel")) {
+    t0 = <div>Hello World</div>;
+    $[0] = t0;
+  } else {
+    t0 = $[0];
+  }
+  return t0;
+}
+
+export const FIXTURE_ENTRYPOINT = {
+  fn: Component,
+  params: [{}],
+};
+
+```
+      
+### Eval output
+(kind: ok) <div>Hello World</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization.js b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..bf7844ad81be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/ref-undefined-initialization.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import {useRef} from 'react';
+
+function Component() {
+  const ref = useRef(undefined);
+  if (ref.current === undefined) {
+    ref.current = 'initialized';
+  }
+  return <div>Hello World</div>;
+}
+
+export const FIXTURE_ENTRYPOINT = {
+  fn: Component,
+  params: [{}],
+};
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/valid-ref-initialization-unary-not.expect.md b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/valid-ref-initialization-unary-not.expect.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4e8d9c4b57a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/valid-ref-initialization-unary-not.expect.md
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+
+## Input
+
+```javascript
+//@flow
+import {useRef} from 'react';
+
+component C() {
+  const r = useRef(null);
+  if (!r.current) {
+    r.current = 1;
+  }
+}
+
+export const FIXTURE_ENTRYPOINT = {
+  fn: C,
+  params: [{}],
+};
+
+```
+
+## Code
+
+```javascript
+import { useRef } from "react";
+
+function C() {
+  const r = useRef(null);
+  if (!r.current) {
+    r.current = 1;
+  }
+}
+
+export const FIXTURE_ENTRYPOINT = {
+  fn: C,
+  params: [{}],
+};
+
+```
+      
+### Eval output
+(kind: ok) 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.invalid-ref-initialization-unary-not.js b/compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/valid-ref-initialization-unary-not.js
similarity index 100%
rename from compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/error.invalid-ref-initialization-unary-not.js
rename to compiler/packages/babel-plugin-react-compiler/src/__tests__/fixtures/compiler/valid-ref-initialization-unary-not.js