diff --git a/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/overlayscrollbars.component.ts b/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/overlayscrollbars.component.ts
index d05d79d..8e2cad3 100644
--- a/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/overlayscrollbars.component.ts
+++ b/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/overlayscrollbars.component.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,10 @@ import {
   ViewChild,
   ElementRef,
   OnDestroy,
-  OnChanges,
   AfterViewInit,
-  SimpleChanges,
-  NgZone,
 } from '@angular/core';
 import { OverlayScrollbars } from 'overlayscrollbars';
+import { OverlayScrollbarsDirective } from '~/overlayscrollbars.directive';
 import type { PartialOptions, EventListeners, EventListenerMap } from 'overlayscrollbars';
 
 const mergeEventListeners = (emits: EventListeners, events: EventListeners) =>
@@ -31,17 +29,19 @@ const mergeEventListeners = (emits: EventListeners, events: EventListeners) =>
   );
 
 @Component({
-  selector: '[overlay-scrollbars]', // https://angular.io/guide/styleguide#component-selectors
+  selector: '[overlay-scrollbars-component]', // https://angular.io/guide/styleguide#component-selectors
   exportAs: 'overlayScrollbars',
   host: { 'data-overlayscrollbars': '' },
-  template: `<div #content><ng-content></ng-content></div>`,
+  template: `<div
+    #content
+    [overlayScrollbarsDirective]
+    [options]="options"
+    [events]="mergeEvents(events)"
+  >
+    <ng-content></ng-content>
+  </div>`,
 })
-export class OverlayScrollbarsComponent implements OnDestroy, OnChanges, AfterViewInit {
-  private instanceRef: OverlayScrollbars | null = null;
-
-  @ViewChild('content')
-  private contentRef?: ElementRef<HTMLDivElement>;
-
+export class OverlayScrollbarsComponent implements OnDestroy, AfterViewInit {
   @Input('options')
   options?: PartialOptions | false | null;
   @Input('events')
@@ -56,9 +56,42 @@ export class OverlayScrollbarsComponent implements OnDestroy, OnChanges, AfterVi
   @Output('osScroll')
   onScroll = new EventEmitter<EventListenerMap['scroll']>();
 
-  constructor(private targetRef: ElementRef<HTMLElement>, private ngZone: NgZone) {}
+  @ViewChild('content')
+  private contentRef?: ElementRef<HTMLDivElement>;
+  @ViewChild('content', { read: OverlayScrollbarsDirective })
+  private osDirective?: OverlayScrollbarsDirective;
 
-  private mergedEvents(originalEvents: OverlayScrollbarsComponent['events']) {
+  constructor(private targetRef: ElementRef<HTMLElement>) {}
+
+  instance(): OverlayScrollbars | null {
+    return this.osDirective!.instance();
+  }
+
+  element(): HTMLElement {
+    return this.targetRef.nativeElement;
+  }
+
+  ngAfterViewInit() {
+    const targetElm = this.element();
+    const contentElm = this.contentRef!.nativeElement;
+
+    /* istanbul ignore else */
+    if (targetElm && contentElm) {
+      this.osDirective!.initialize({
+        target: targetElm,
+        elements: {
+          viewport: contentElm,
+          content: contentElm,
+        },
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  ngOnDestroy() {
+    this.osDirective?.instance()!.destroy();
+  }
+
+  private mergeEvents(originalEvents: OverlayScrollbarsComponent['events']) {
     return mergeEventListeners(
       {
         initialized: (...args) => this.onInitialized.emit(args),
@@ -69,52 +102,4 @@ export class OverlayScrollbarsComponent implements OnDestroy, OnChanges, AfterVi
       originalEvents || {}
     );
   }
-
-  instance(): OverlayScrollbars | null {
-    return this.instanceRef;
-  }
-
-  element(): HTMLElement {
-    return this.targetRef.nativeElement;
-  }
-
-  ngAfterViewInit() {
-    this.ngZone.runOutsideAngular(() => {
-      const targetElm = this.element();
-      const contentElm = this.contentRef!.nativeElement;
-
-      /* istanbul ignore else */
-      if (targetElm && contentElm) {
-        this.instanceRef = OverlayScrollbars(
-          {
-            target: targetElm,
-            elements: {
-              viewport: contentElm,
-              content: contentElm,
-            },
-          },
-          this.options || {},
-          this.mergedEvents(this.events)
-        );
-      }
-    });
-  }
-
-  ngOnDestroy() {
-    this.instanceRef?.destroy();
-  }
-
-  ngOnChanges(changes: SimpleChanges) {
-    const optionsChange = changes.options;
-    const eventsChange = changes.events;
-
-    if (OverlayScrollbars.valid(this.instanceRef)) {
-      if (optionsChange) {
-        this.instanceRef.options(optionsChange.currentValue || {}, true);
-      }
-      if (eventsChange) {
-        this.instanceRef.on(this.mergedEvents(eventsChange.currentValue), true);
-      }
-    }
-  }
 }
diff --git a/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/overlayscrollbars.directive.ts b/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/overlayscrollbars.directive.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8ed30e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/overlayscrollbars.directive.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+/* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/consistent-type-imports */
+import { Directive, Input, OnChanges, SimpleChanges, NgZone } from '@angular/core';
+import { OverlayScrollbars } from 'overlayscrollbars';
+import type { InitializationTarget } from 'overlayscrollbars';
+import type { OverlayScrollbarsComponent } from '~/overlayscrollbars.component';
+
+@Directive({
+  selector: '[overlayScrollbarsDirective]', // https://angular.io/guide/styleguide#component-selectors
+  exportAs: 'overlayScrollbars',
+})
+export class OverlayScrollbarsDirective implements OnChanges {
+  private instanceRef: OverlayScrollbars | null = null;
+
+  @Input('options')
+  options?: OverlayScrollbarsComponent['options'];
+  @Input('events')
+  events?: OverlayScrollbarsComponent['events'];
+
+  constructor(private ngZone: NgZone) {}
+
+  initialize(target: InitializationTarget): OverlayScrollbars {
+    this.ngZone.runOutsideAngular(() => {
+      this.instanceRef = OverlayScrollbars(
+        target,
+        this.options || {},
+        /* istanbul ignore next */
+        this.events || {}
+      );
+    });
+    return this.instanceRef!;
+  }
+
+  instance(): OverlayScrollbars | null {
+    return this.instanceRef;
+  }
+
+  ngOnChanges(changes: SimpleChanges) {
+    const optionsChange = changes.options;
+    const eventsChange = changes.events;
+
+    if (optionsChange) {
+      const curr = optionsChange.currentValue;
+
+      this.options = curr;
+
+      if (OverlayScrollbars.valid(this.instanceRef)) {
+        this.instanceRef.options(curr || {}, true);
+      }
+    }
+    /* istanbul ignore else */
+    if (eventsChange) {
+      const curr = eventsChange.currentValue;
+
+      this.events = curr;
+
+      if (OverlayScrollbars.valid(this.instanceRef)) {
+        this.instanceRef.on(
+          /* istanbul ignore next */
+          curr || {},
+          true
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/overlayscrollbars.module.ts b/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/overlayscrollbars.module.ts
index 2b86978..e9a20aa 100644
--- a/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/overlayscrollbars.module.ts
+++ b/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/overlayscrollbars.module.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import { NgModule } from '@angular/core';
+import { OverlayScrollbarsDirective } from './overlayscrollbars.directive';
 import { OverlayScrollbarsComponent } from './overlayscrollbars.component';
 
 @NgModule({
-  declarations: [OverlayScrollbarsComponent],
-  exports: [OverlayScrollbarsComponent],
+  declarations: [OverlayScrollbarsComponent, OverlayScrollbarsDirective],
+  exports: [OverlayScrollbarsComponent, OverlayScrollbarsDirective],
 })
 export class OverlayscrollbarsModule {}
diff --git a/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/public-api.ts b/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/public-api.ts
index 4657260..735197d 100644
--- a/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/public-api.ts
+++ b/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/src/public-api.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 export * from './overlayscrollbars.component';
+export * from './overlayscrollbars.directive';
 export * from './overlayscrollbars.module';
diff --git a/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/test/overlayscrollbars.component.spec.ts b/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/test/overlayscrollbars.component.spec.ts
index 0e2bf05..9f70eee 100644
--- a/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/test/overlayscrollbars.component.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/overlayscrollbars-ngx/test/overlayscrollbars.component.spec.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 import { Component, ViewChild } from '@angular/core';
 import { TestBed } from '@angular/core/testing';
 import { OverlayScrollbars } from 'overlayscrollbars';
-import { OverlayScrollbarsComponent, OverlayscrollbarsModule } from '~/public-api';
+import {
+  OverlayScrollbarsComponent,
+  OverlayScrollbarsDirective,
+  OverlayscrollbarsModule,
+} from '~/public-api';
 import type { ComponentFixture } from '@angular/core/testing';
 import type { EventListenerMap } from 'overlayscrollbars';
 
 @Component({
   template: `
     <div
-      [overlay-scrollbars]
+      [overlay-scrollbars-component]
       [options]="options"
       [events]="events"
       (osInitialized)="onInitialized($event)"
@@ -17,7 +21,7 @@ import type { EventListenerMap } from 'overlayscrollbars';
       (osScroll)="onScroll($event)"
       [ngClass]="clazz"
       [ngStyle]="style"
-      #ref="overlayScrollbars"
+      #ref
     >
       hello <span>angular</span>
       <div *ngIf="children === 0" id="empty">empty</div>
@@ -73,7 +77,7 @@ describe('OverlayscrollbarsNgxComponent', () => {
   beforeEach(async () => {
     await TestBed.configureTestingModule({
       ...new OverlayscrollbarsModule(),
-      declarations: [OverlayScrollbarsComponent, Test],
+      declarations: [OverlayScrollbarsComponent, OverlayScrollbarsDirective, Test],
     }).compileComponents();
 
     fixture = TestBed.createComponent(OverlayScrollbarsComponent);