diff --git a/res/css/structures/_SpacePanel.pcss b/res/css/structures/_SpacePanel.pcss
index 7fdb2500b45..72dbddf75e1 100644
--- a/res/css/structures/_SpacePanel.pcss
+++ b/res/css/structures/_SpacePanel.pcss
@@ -78,10 +78,6 @@ $activeBorderColor: $primary-content;
         margin: 0;
         list-style: none;
         padding: 0;
-
-        > .mx_SpaceItem {
-            padding-left: 16px;
-        }
     }
 
     .mx_SpaceButton_toggleCollapse {
diff --git a/src/components/structures/AutoHideScrollbar.tsx b/src/components/structures/AutoHideScrollbar.tsx
index d2134c33fef..9a6f5b26a0a 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/AutoHideScrollbar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/AutoHideScrollbar.tsx
@@ -15,18 +15,28 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-import React, { HTMLAttributes, WheelEvent } from "react";
+import classNames from "classnames";
+import React, { HTMLAttributes, ReactHTML, WheelEvent } from "react";
 
-interface IProps extends Omit<HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement>, "onScroll"> {
+type DynamicHtmlElementProps<T extends keyof JSX.IntrinsicElements> =
+    JSX.IntrinsicElements[T] extends HTMLAttributes<{}> ? DynamicElementProps<T> : DynamicElementProps<"div">;
+type DynamicElementProps<T extends keyof JSX.IntrinsicElements> = Partial<Omit<JSX.IntrinsicElements[T], 'ref'>>;
+
+export type IProps<T extends keyof JSX.IntrinsicElements> = DynamicHtmlElementProps<T> & {
+    element?: T;
     className?: string;
     onScroll?: (event: Event) => void;
     onWheel?: (event: WheelEvent) => void;
     style?: React.CSSProperties;
     tabIndex?: number;
     wrappedRef?: (ref: HTMLDivElement) => void;
-}
+};
+
+export default class AutoHideScrollbar<T extends keyof JSX.IntrinsicElements> extends React.Component<IProps<T>> {
+    static defaultProps = {
+        element: 'div' as keyof ReactHTML,
+    };
 
-export default class AutoHideScrollbar extends React.Component<IProps> {
     public readonly containerRef: React.RefObject<HTMLDivElement> = React.createRef();
 
     public componentDidMount() {
@@ -36,9 +46,7 @@ export default class AutoHideScrollbar extends React.Component<IProps> {
             this.containerRef.current.addEventListener("scroll", this.props.onScroll, { passive: true });
         }
 
-        if (this.props.wrappedRef) {
-            this.props.wrappedRef(this.containerRef.current);
-        }
+        this.props.wrappedRef?.(this.containerRef.current);
     }
 
     public componentWillUnmount() {
@@ -49,19 +57,15 @@ export default class AutoHideScrollbar extends React.Component<IProps> {
 
     public render() {
         // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
-        const { className, onScroll, onWheel, style, tabIndex, wrappedRef, children, ...otherProps } = this.props;
+        const { element, className, onScroll, tabIndex, wrappedRef, children, ...otherProps } = this.props;
 
-        return (<div
-            {...otherProps}
-            ref={this.containerRef}
-            style={style}
-            className={["mx_AutoHideScrollbar", className].join(" ")}
-            onWheel={onWheel}
+        return React.createElement(element, {
+            ...otherProps,
+            ref: this.containerRef,
+            className: classNames("mx_AutoHideScrollbar", className),
             // Firefox sometimes makes this element focusable due to
             // overflow:scroll;, so force it out of tab order by default.
-            tabIndex={tabIndex ?? -1}
-        >
-            { children }
-        </div>);
+            tabIndex: tabIndex ?? -1,
+        }, children);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/structures/IndicatorScrollbar.tsx b/src/components/structures/IndicatorScrollbar.tsx
index 4b122345b32..ea876f9ae29 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/IndicatorScrollbar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/IndicatorScrollbar.tsx
@@ -14,12 +14,12 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-import React, { ComponentProps, createRef } from "react";
+import React, { createRef } from "react";
 
-import AutoHideScrollbar from "./AutoHideScrollbar";
+import AutoHideScrollbar, { IProps as AutoHideScrollbarProps } from "./AutoHideScrollbar";
 import UIStore, { UI_EVENTS } from "../../stores/UIStore";
 
-interface IProps extends Omit<ComponentProps<typeof AutoHideScrollbar>, "onWheel"> {
+export type IProps<T extends keyof JSX.IntrinsicElements> = Omit<AutoHideScrollbarProps<T>, "onWheel"> & {
     // If true, the scrollbar will append mx_IndicatorScrollbar_leftOverflowIndicator
     // and mx_IndicatorScrollbar_rightOverflowIndicator elements to the list for positioning
     // by the parent element.
@@ -31,21 +31,22 @@ interface IProps extends Omit<ComponentProps<typeof AutoHideScrollbar>, "onWheel
     verticalScrollsHorizontally?: boolean;
 
     children: React.ReactNode;
-    className: string;
-}
+};
 
 interface IState {
     leftIndicatorOffset: string;
     rightIndicatorOffset: string;
 }
 
-export default class IndicatorScrollbar extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
-    private autoHideScrollbar = createRef<AutoHideScrollbar>();
+export default class IndicatorScrollbar<
+    T extends keyof JSX.IntrinsicElements,
+> extends React.Component<IProps<T>, IState> {
+    private autoHideScrollbar = createRef<AutoHideScrollbar<any>>();
     private scrollElement: HTMLDivElement;
     private likelyTrackpadUser: boolean = null;
     private checkAgainForTrackpad = 0; // ts in milliseconds to recheck this._likelyTrackpadUser
 
-    constructor(props: IProps) {
+    constructor(props: IProps<T>) {
         super(props);
 
         this.state = {
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ export default class IndicatorScrollbar extends React.Component<IProps, IState>
         }
     };
 
-    public componentDidUpdate(prevProps: IProps): void {
+    public componentDidUpdate(prevProps: IProps<T>): void {
         const prevLen = React.Children.count(prevProps.children);
         const curLen = React.Children.count(this.props.children);
         // check overflow only if amount of children changes.
diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/AddExistingToSpaceDialog.tsx b/src/components/views/dialogs/AddExistingToSpaceDialog.tsx
index 606f96553d7..6251faee41f 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/AddExistingToSpaceDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/AddExistingToSpaceDialog.tsx
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ export const AddExistingToSpace: React.FC<IAddExistingToSpaceProps> = ({
     const cli = useContext(MatrixClientContext);
     const visibleRooms = useMemo(() => cli.getVisibleRooms().filter(r => r.getMyMembership() === "join"), [cli]);
 
-    const scrollRef = useRef<AutoHideScrollbar>();
+    const scrollRef = useRef<AutoHideScrollbar<"div">>();
     const [scrollState, setScrollState] = useState<IScrollState>({
         // these are estimates which update as soon as it mounts
         scrollTop: 0,
diff --git a/src/components/views/emojipicker/EmojiPicker.tsx b/src/components/views/emojipicker/EmojiPicker.tsx
index e32f20b78b6..c178084826a 100644
--- a/src/components/views/emojipicker/EmojiPicker.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/emojipicker/EmojiPicker.tsx
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class EmojiPicker extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
     private readonly memoizedDataByCategory: Record<CategoryKey, IEmoji[]>;
     private readonly categories: ICategory[];
 
-    private scrollRef = React.createRef<AutoHideScrollbar>();
+    private scrollRef = React.createRef<AutoHideScrollbar<"div">>();
 
     constructor(props: IProps) {
         super(props);
diff --git a/src/components/views/spaces/SpacePanel.tsx b/src/components/views/spaces/SpacePanel.tsx
index e1f62445f74..129e6f3584e 100644
--- a/src/components/views/spaces/SpacePanel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/spaces/SpacePanel.tsx
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ const MetaSpaceButton = ({ selected, isPanelCollapsed, ...props }: IMetaSpaceBut
             "collapsed": isPanelCollapsed,
         })}
         role="treeitem"
+        aria-selected={selected}
     >
         <SpaceButton {...props} selected={selected} isNarrow={isPanelCollapsed} />
     </li>;
@@ -282,6 +283,9 @@ const InnerSpacePanel = React.memo<IInnerSpacePanelProps>(({
         style={isDraggingOver ? {
             pointerEvents: "none",
         } : undefined}
+        element="ul"
+        role="tree"
+        aria-label={_t("Spaces")}
     >
         { metaSpacesSection }
         { invites.map(s => (
@@ -321,7 +325,7 @@ const InnerSpacePanel = React.memo<IInnerSpacePanelProps>(({
 
 const SpacePanel = () => {
     const [isPanelCollapsed, setPanelCollapsed] = useState(true);
-    const ref = useRef<HTMLUListElement>();
+    const ref = useRef<HTMLDivElement>();
     useLayoutEffect(() => {
         UIStore.instance.trackElementDimensions("SpacePanel", ref.current);
         return () => UIStore.instance.stopTrackingElementDimensions("SpacePanel");
@@ -340,11 +344,9 @@ const SpacePanel = () => {
         }}>
             <RovingTabIndexProvider handleHomeEnd handleUpDown>
                 { ({ onKeyDownHandler }) => (
-                    <ul
+                    <div
                         className={classNames("mx_SpacePanel", { collapsed: isPanelCollapsed })}
                         onKeyDown={onKeyDownHandler}
-                        role="tree"
-                        aria-label={_t("Spaces")}
                         ref={ref}
                     >
                         <UserMenu isPanelCollapsed={isPanelCollapsed}>
@@ -381,7 +383,7 @@ const SpacePanel = () => {
                         </Droppable>
 
                         <QuickSettingsButton isPanelCollapsed={isPanelCollapsed} />
-                    </ul>
+                    </div>
                 ) }
             </RovingTabIndexProvider>
         </DragDropContext>
diff --git a/src/components/views/spaces/SpaceTreeLevel.tsx b/src/components/views/spaces/SpaceTreeLevel.tsx
index 80d678d3b61..cab7bc3c76b 100644
--- a/src/components/views/spaces/SpaceTreeLevel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/spaces/SpaceTreeLevel.tsx
@@ -315,6 +315,7 @@ export class SpaceItem extends React.PureComponent<IItemProps, IItemState> {
 
         // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
         const { tabIndex, ...restDragHandleProps } = dragHandleProps || {};
+        const selected = activeSpaces.includes(space.roomId);
 
         return (
             <li
@@ -322,13 +323,14 @@ export class SpaceItem extends React.PureComponent<IItemProps, IItemState> {
                 className={itemClasses}
                 ref={innerRef}
                 aria-expanded={hasChildren ? !collapsed : undefined}
+                aria-selected={selected}
                 role="treeitem"
             >
                 <SpaceButton
                     {...restDragHandleProps}
                     space={space}
                     className={isInvite ? "mx_SpaceButton_invite" : undefined}
-                    selected={activeSpaces.includes(space.roomId)}
+                    selected={selected}
                     label={this.state.name}
                     contextMenuTooltip={_t("Space options")}
                     notificationState={notificationState}