diff --git a/packages/core/_configurable.ts b/packages/core/_configurable.ts
index d361ac0f2ba..fbc1d44fc5c 100644
--- a/packages/core/_configurable.ts
+++ b/packages/core/_configurable.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ export interface ConfigurableDocument {
   document?: Document
 }
 
+export interface ConfigurableDocumentOrShadowRoot {
+  /*
+   * Specify a custom `document` instance or a shadow root, e.g. working with iframes or in testing environments.
+   */
+  document?: DocumentOrShadowRoot
+}
+
 export interface ConfigurableNavigator {
   /*
    * Specify a custom `navigator` instance, e.g. working with iframes or in testing environments.
diff --git a/packages/core/useActiveElement/index.test.ts b/packages/core/useActiveElement/index.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ada9774fe8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/useActiveElement/index.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import { useActiveElement } from '.'
+
+describe('useActiveElement', () => {
+  let shadowHost: HTMLElement
+  let input: HTMLInputElement
+  let shadowInput: HTMLInputElement
+  let shadowRoot: ShadowRoot
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    shadowHost = document.createElement('div')
+    shadowRoot = shadowHost.attachShadow({ mode: 'open' })
+    input = document.createElement('input')
+    shadowInput = input.cloneNode() as HTMLInputElement
+    shadowRoot.appendChild(shadowInput)
+    document.body.appendChild(input)
+    document.body.appendChild(shadowHost)
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    shadowHost.remove()
+    input.remove()
+  })
+
+  it('should be defined', () => {
+    expect(useActiveElement).toBeDefined()
+  })
+
+  it('should initialise correctly', () => {
+    const activeElement = useActiveElement()
+
+    expect(activeElement.value).to.equal(document.body)
+  })
+
+  it('should initialise with already-active element', () => {
+    input.focus()
+
+    const activeElement = useActiveElement()
+
+    expect(activeElement.value).to.equal(input)
+  })
+
+  it('should accept custom document', () => {
+    const activeElement = useActiveElement({ document: shadowRoot })
+
+    shadowInput.focus()
+
+    expect(activeElement.value).to.equal(shadowInput)
+  })
+
+  it('should observe focus/blur events', () => {
+    const activeElement = useActiveElement()
+
+    input.focus()
+
+    expect(activeElement.value).to.equal(input)
+
+    input.blur()
+
+    expect(activeElement.value).to.equal(document.body)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/core/useActiveElement/index.ts b/packages/core/useActiveElement/index.ts
index e9feb5c5f39..4976bfb3448 100644
--- a/packages/core/useActiveElement/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/useActiveElement/index.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,22 @@
 import { computedWithControl } from '@vueuse/shared'
 import { useEventListener } from '../useEventListener'
-import type { ConfigurableWindow } from '../_configurable'
+import type { ConfigurableDocumentOrShadowRoot, ConfigurableWindow } from '../_configurable'
 import { defaultWindow } from '../_configurable'
 
+export interface UseActiveElementOptions extends ConfigurableWindow, ConfigurableDocumentOrShadowRoot {}
+
 /**
  * Reactive `document.activeElement`
  *
  * @see https://vueuse.org/useActiveElement
  * @param options
  */
-export function useActiveElement<T extends HTMLElement>(options: ConfigurableWindow = {}) {
+export function useActiveElement<T extends HTMLElement>(options: UseActiveElementOptions = {}) {
   const { window = defaultWindow } = options
+  const document = options.document ?? window?.document
   const activeElement = computedWithControl(
     () => null,
-    () => window?.document.activeElement as T | null | undefined,
+    () => document?.activeElement as T | null | undefined,
   )
 
   if (window) {
diff --git a/packages/core/useEventListener/index.ts b/packages/core/useEventListener/index.ts
index b2ee006e1c4..6b7bab0e010 100644
--- a/packages/core/useEventListener/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/useEventListener/index.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ export function useEventListener<E extends keyof WindowEventMap>(
  * @param options
  */
 export function useEventListener<E extends keyof DocumentEventMap>(
-  target: Document,
+  target: DocumentOrShadowRoot,
   event: Arrayable<E>,
   listener: Arrayable<(this: Document, ev: DocumentEventMap[E]) => any>,
   options?: boolean | AddEventListenerOptions