diff --git a/src/TreeView/index.tsx b/src/TreeView/index.tsx
index b493243..6ae6761 100644
--- a/src/TreeView/index.tsx
+++ b/src/TreeView/index.tsx
@@ -554,7 +554,8 @@ export interface ITreeViewProps<M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata> {
   focusedId?: NodeId;
 }
 
-function TreeViewInner<M extends IFlatMetadata>(
+const TreeView = React.forwardRef(
+function TreeView<M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata>(
     {
       data,
       selectedIds,
@@ -670,12 +671,9 @@ function TreeViewInner<M extends IFlatMetadata>(
         ))}
       </ul>
     )
-  }
+  })
 
 
-  const TreeView = React.forwardRef(TreeViewInner) as <T extends IFlatMetadata>(
-    props: ITreeViewProps<T> & React.RefAttributes<T>
-  ) => ReturnType<typeof TreeViewInner>;
 
 
 
@@ -981,7 +979,7 @@ const handleKeyDown = ({
   }
 };
 
-//@ts-expect-error type assertion for ts
+
 TreeView.propTypes = {
   /** Tree data*/
   data: PropTypes.array.isRequired,
diff --git a/src/TreeView/node.tsx b/src/TreeView/node.tsx
index 6d825a3..a4f3f1b 100644
--- a/src/TreeView/node.tsx
+++ b/src/TreeView/node.tsx
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import {
 } from "./utils";
 import { baseClassNames, clickActions, treeTypes } from "./constants";
 
-export interface INodeProps<M extends IFlatMetadata> {
+export interface INodeProps<M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata> {
   element: INode<M>;
   dispatch: React.Dispatch<TreeViewAction>;
   data: INode<M>[];
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export interface INodeProps<M extends IFlatMetadata> {
   propagateSelectUpwards: boolean;
 }
 
-export interface INodeGroupProps<M extends IFlatMetadata>
+export interface INodeGroupProps<M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata>
   extends Omit<INodeProps<M>, "setsize" | "posinset"> {
   getClasses: (className: string) => string;
   /** don't send this. The NodeGroup render function, determines it for you */
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ export interface INodeGroupProps<M extends IFlatMetadata>
 /**
  * It's convenient to pass props down to the child, but we don't want to pass everything since it would create incorrect values for setsize and posinset
  */
-const removeIrrelevantGroupProps = <M extends IFlatMetadata,>(
+const removeIrrelevantGroupProps = <M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata,>(
   nodeProps: INodeProps<M>
 ): Omit<INodeGroupProps<M>, "getClasses"> => {
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ const removeIrrelevantGroupProps = <M extends IFlatMetadata,>(
   return rest;
 };
 
-export const Node = <M extends IFlatMetadata>(props: INodeProps<M>) => {
+export const Node = <M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata>(props: INodeProps<M>) => {
   const {
     element,
     dispatch,
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ export const NodeGroup = <M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata>({
           expandedIds={expandedIds}
           baseClassNames={baseClassNames}
           key={`${x}-${typeof x}`}
-          element={getTreeNode(data, x) as INode<M>}
+          element={getTreeNode(data, x)}
           setsize={element.children.length}
           posinset={index + 1}
           level={level + 1}
diff --git a/src/TreeView/types.ts b/src/TreeView/types.ts
index 22ff668..bea0c94 100644
--- a/src/TreeView/types.ts
+++ b/src/TreeView/types.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export type EventCallback = <T, E>(
     metadata?: M;
   }
 
-  export interface INodeRendererProps<M extends IFlatMetadata> {
+  export interface INodeRendererProps<M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata> {
     /** The object that represents the rendered node */
     element: INode<M>;
     /** A function which gives back the props to pass to the node */
diff --git a/src/TreeView/utils.ts b/src/TreeView/utils.ts
index 1375860..a7b53c2 100644
--- a/src/TreeView/utils.ts
+++ b/src/TreeView/utils.ts
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ export type IFlatMetadata = Record<
   string | number | boolean | undefined | null
 >;
 
-interface ITreeNode<M extends IFlatMetadata> {
+interface ITreeNode<M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata> {
   id?: NodeId;
   name: string;
   isBranch?: boolean;
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ interface ITreeNode<M extends IFlatMetadata> {
   metadata?: M;
 }
 
-export const flattenTree = <M extends IFlatMetadata>(
+export const flattenTree = <M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata>(
   tree: ITreeNode<M>
 ): INode<M>[] => {
   let internalCount = 0;
@@ -515,8 +515,8 @@ export const getOnSelectTreeAction = (
   return treeTypes.toggleSelect;
 };
 
-export const getTreeParent = (data: INode[]): INode => {
-  const parentNode: INode | undefined = data.find(
+export const getTreeParent = <M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata>(data: INode<M>[]): INode<M> => {
+  const parentNode: INode<M> | undefined = data.find(
     (node) => node.parent === null
   );
 
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ export const getTreeParent = (data: INode[]): INode => {
   return parentNode;
 };
 
-export const getTreeNode = (data: INode[], id: NodeId): INode => {
+export const getTreeNode = <M extends IFlatMetadata = IFlatMetadata>(data: INode<M>[], id: NodeId): INode<M> => {
   const treeNode = data.find((node) => node.id === id);
 
   if (treeNode == null) {