diff --git a/site/content/docs/02-template-syntax.md b/site/content/docs/02-template-syntax.md
index 456ea26418..a17314f27f 100644
--- a/site/content/docs/02-template-syntax.md
+++ b/site/content/docs/02-template-syntax.md
@@ -1641,6 +1641,8 @@ The only supported binding is `bind:this`, since the element type specific bindi
 
 If `this` has a nullish value, the element and its children will not be rendered.
 
+If `this` is the name of a void tag (e.g., `br`) and `<svelte:element>` has child elements, a runtime error will be thrown in development mode.
+
 ```sv
 <script>
 	let tag = 'div';
diff --git a/src/compiler/compile/nodes/Element.ts b/src/compiler/compile/nodes/Element.ts
index 5aff966996..735562d627 100644
--- a/src/compiler/compile/nodes/Element.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/compile/nodes/Element.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { is_void } from '../../utils/names';
+import { is_void } from '../../../shared/utils/names';
 import Node from './shared/Node';
 import Attribute from './Attribute';
 import Binding from './Binding';
diff --git a/src/compiler/compile/render_dom/wrappers/Element/index.ts b/src/compiler/compile/render_dom/wrappers/Element/index.ts
index 8114c898f8..8d2661116d 100644
--- a/src/compiler/compile/render_dom/wrappers/Element/index.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/compile/render_dom/wrappers/Element/index.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import Renderer from '../../Renderer';
 import Element from '../../../nodes/Element';
 import Wrapper from '../shared/Wrapper';
 import Block from '../../Block';
-import { is_void } from '../../../../utils/names';
+import { is_void } from '../../../../../shared/utils/names';
 import FragmentWrapper from '../Fragment';
 import { escape_html, string_literal } from '../../../utils/stringify';
 import TextWrapper from '../Text';
@@ -279,6 +279,7 @@ export default class ElementWrapper extends Wrapper {
 
 		block.chunks.init.push(b`
 			${this.renderer.options.dev && b`@validate_dynamic_element(${tag});`}
+			${this.renderer.options.dev && this.node.children.length > 0 && b`@validate_void_dynamic_element(${tag});`}
 			let ${this.var} = ${tag} && ${this.child_dynamic_element_block.name}(#ctx);
 		`);
 
@@ -310,6 +311,7 @@ export default class ElementWrapper extends Wrapper {
 				} else if (${not_equal}(${previous_tag}, ${tag})) {
 					${this.var}.d(1);
 					${this.renderer.options.dev && b`@validate_dynamic_element(${tag});`}
+					${this.renderer.options.dev && this.node.children.length > 0 && b`@validate_void_dynamic_element(${tag});`}
 					${this.var} = ${this.child_dynamic_element_block.name}(#ctx);
 					${this.var}.c();
 					${this.var}.m(${this.get_update_mount_node(anchor)}, ${anchor});
diff --git a/src/compiler/compile/render_ssr/handlers/Element.ts b/src/compiler/compile/render_ssr/handlers/Element.ts
index 5957e1db0d..7f7672349e 100644
--- a/src/compiler/compile/render_ssr/handlers/Element.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/compile/render_ssr/handlers/Element.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { is_void } from '../../../utils/names';
+import { is_void } from '../../../../shared/utils/names';
 import { get_attribute_expression, get_attribute_value, get_class_attribute_value } from './shared/get_attribute_value';
-import { boolean_attributes } from './shared/boolean_attributes';
+import { boolean_attributes } from '../../../../shared/boolean_attributes';
 import Renderer, { RenderOptions } from '../Renderer';
 import Element from '../../nodes/Element';
 import { p, x } from 'code-red';
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import remove_whitespace_children from './utils/remove_whitespace_children';
 import fix_attribute_casing from '../../render_dom/wrappers/Element/fix_attribute_casing';
 import { namespaces } from '../../../utils/namespaces';
 import { start_newline } from '../../../utils/patterns';
-import { Expression as ESExpression } from 'estree';
+import { Node, Expression as ESExpression } from 'estree';
 
 export default function (node: Element, renderer: Renderer, options: RenderOptions) {
 
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ export default function (node: Element, renderer: Renderer, options: RenderOptio
 		node.attributes.some((attribute) => attribute.name === 'contenteditable')
 	);
 
+	if (node.is_dynamic_element) {
+		renderer.push();
+	}
+
 	renderer.add_string('<');
 	add_tag_name();
 
@@ -192,16 +196,34 @@ export default function (node: Element, renderer: Renderer, options: RenderOptio
 				renderer.add_string('\n');
 			}
 		}
+		if (node.is_dynamic_element) renderer.push();
 		renderer.render(children, options);
+		if (node.is_dynamic_element) {
+			const children = renderer.pop();
+			renderer.add_expression(x`@is_void(#tag) ? '' : ${children}`);
+		}
 		add_close_tag();
 	}
 
+	if (node.is_dynamic_element) {
+		let content: Node = renderer.pop();
+		if (options.dev && node.children.length > 0) content = x`(() => { @validate_void_dynamic_element(#tag); return ${content}; })()`;
+		renderer.add_expression(x`((#tag) => {
+			${options.dev && x`@validate_dynamic_element(#tag)`}
+			return #tag ? ${content} : '';
+		})(${node.tag_expr.node})`);
+	}
+
 	function add_close_tag() {
-		if (!is_void(node.name)) {
-			renderer.add_string('</');
-			add_tag_name();
-			renderer.add_string('>');
+		if (node.tag_expr.node.type === 'Literal') {
+			if (!is_void(node.tag_expr.node.value as string)) {
+				renderer.add_string('</');
+				add_tag_name();
+				renderer.add_string('>');
+			}
+			return;
 		}
+		renderer.add_expression(x`@is_void(#tag) ? '' : \`</\${#tag}>\``);
 	}
 
 	function add_tag_name() {
diff --git a/src/compiler/parse/state/tag.ts b/src/compiler/parse/state/tag.ts
index 46e6e2f83a..efce375b7e 100644
--- a/src/compiler/parse/state/tag.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/parse/state/tag.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Directive, DirectiveType, TemplateNode, Text } from '../../interfaces';
 import { extract_svelte_ignore } from '../../utils/extract_svelte_ignore';
 import fuzzymatch from '../../utils/fuzzymatch';
-import { is_void } from '../../utils/names';
+import { is_void } from '../../../shared/utils/names';
 import parser_errors from '../errors';
 import { Parser } from '../index';
 import read_expression from '../read/expression';
diff --git a/src/compiler/utils/names.ts b/src/compiler/utils/names.ts
index b701d7c025..e091edb19e 100644
--- a/src/compiler/utils/names.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/utils/names.ts
@@ -117,12 +117,6 @@ export const reserved = new Set([
 	'yield'
 ]);
 
-const void_element_names = /^(?:area|base|br|col|command|embed|hr|img|input|keygen|link|meta|param|source|track|wbr)$/;
-
-export function is_void(name: string) {
-	return void_element_names.test(name) || name.toLowerCase() === '!doctype';
-}
-
 export function is_valid(str: string): boolean {
 	let i = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/internal/dev.ts b/src/runtime/internal/dev.ts
index 0ba47f7e86..3144911672 100644
--- a/src/runtime/internal/dev.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/internal/dev.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { custom_event, append, append_hydration, insert, insert_hydration, detach, listen, attr } from './dom';
 import { SvelteComponent } from './Component';
+import { is_void } from '../../shared/utils/names';
 
 export function dispatch_dev<T=any>(type: string, detail?: T) {
 	document.dispatchEvent(custom_event(type, { version: '__VERSION__', ...detail }, { bubbles: true }));
@@ -108,11 +109,18 @@ export function validate_slots(name, slot, keys) {
 }
 
 export function validate_dynamic_element(tag: unknown) {
-	if (tag && typeof tag !== 'string') {
+	const is_string = typeof tag === 'string';
+	if (tag && !is_string) {
 		throw new Error('<svelte:element> expects "this" attribute to be a string.');
 	}
 }
 
+export function validate_void_dynamic_element(tag: undefined | string) {
+	if (tag && is_void(tag)) {
+		throw new Error(`<svelte:element this="${tag}"> is self-closing and cannot have content.`);
+	}
+}
+
 type Props = Record<string, any>;
 export interface SvelteComponentDev {
 	$set(props?: Props): void;
diff --git a/src/runtime/internal/ssr.ts b/src/runtime/internal/ssr.ts
index 9588f806f9..bb1b1b8f73 100644
--- a/src/runtime/internal/ssr.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/internal/ssr.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { set_current_component, current_component } from './lifecycle';
 import { run_all, blank_object } from './utils';
-import { boolean_attributes } from '../../compiler/compile/render_ssr/handlers/shared/boolean_attributes';
+import { boolean_attributes } from '../../shared/boolean_attributes';
+export { is_void } from '../../shared/utils/names';
 
 export const invalid_attribute_name_character = /[\s'">/=\u{FDD0}-\u{FDEF}\u{FFFE}\u{FFFF}\u{1FFFE}\u{1FFFF}\u{2FFFE}\u{2FFFF}\u{3FFFE}\u{3FFFF}\u{4FFFE}\u{4FFFF}\u{5FFFE}\u{5FFFF}\u{6FFFE}\u{6FFFF}\u{7FFFE}\u{7FFFF}\u{8FFFE}\u{8FFFF}\u{9FFFE}\u{9FFFF}\u{AFFFE}\u{AFFFF}\u{BFFFE}\u{BFFFF}\u{CFFFE}\u{CFFFF}\u{DFFFE}\u{DFFFF}\u{EFFFE}\u{EFFFF}\u{FFFFE}\u{FFFFF}\u{10FFFE}\u{10FFFF}]/u;
 // https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/syntax.html#attributes-2
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ export function spread(args, attrs_to_add) {
 				attributes.class += ' ' + classes_to_add;
 			}
 		}
-		
+
 		if (styles_to_add) {
 			if (attributes.style == null) {
 				attributes.style = style_object_to_string(styles_to_add);
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ export function merge_ssr_styles(style_attribute, style_directive) {
 		if (!name) continue;
 		style_object[name] = value;
 	}
-	
+
 	for (const name in style_directive) {
 		const value = style_directive[name];
 		if (value) {
diff --git a/src/compiler/compile/render_ssr/handlers/shared/boolean_attributes.ts b/src/shared/boolean_attributes.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from src/compiler/compile/render_ssr/handlers/shared/boolean_attributes.ts
rename to src/shared/boolean_attributes.ts
diff --git a/src/shared/utils/names.ts b/src/shared/utils/names.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5e13e6cd87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shared/utils/names.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+const void_element_names = /^(?:area|base|br|col|command|embed|hr|img|input|keygen|link|meta|param|source|track|wbr)$/;
+
+export function is_void(name: string) {
+	return void_element_names.test(name) || name.toLowerCase() === '!doctype';
+}
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-tag/_config.js b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-tag/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..60b97e973d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-tag/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+export default {
+	props: {
+		propTag: 'hr'
+	},
+	html: '<h1></h1><col><img><hr><input><br>',
+
+	test({ assert, component, target }) {
+		assert.htmlEqual(target.innerHTML, '<h1></h1><col><img><hr><input><br>');
+		component.propTag = 'link';
+		assert.htmlEqual(target.innerHTML, '<h1></h1><col><img><link><input><br>');
+	}
+};
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-tag/main.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-tag/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..792008aca6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-tag/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+<script>
+	export let propTag;
+	const static_tag = 'input';
+	const func_tag = () => 'br';
+</script>
+
+<h1></h1>
+<svelte:element this="{'col'}"></svelte:element>
+<svelte:element this="img"></svelte:element>
+<svelte:element this="{propTag}"></svelte:element>
+<svelte:element this="{static_tag}"></svelte:element>
+<svelte:element this="{func_tag()}"></svelte:element>
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-1/_config.js b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-1/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4016725e21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-1/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+export default {
+	compileOptions: {
+		dev: true
+	},
+	props: {
+		tag: 'br'
+	},
+	error: '<svelte:element this="br"> is self-closing and cannot have content.'
+};
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-1/main.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-1/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bcf3fed2c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-1/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<script>
+	export let tag;
+</script>
+
+<svelte:element this='{tag}'>foo</svelte:element>
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-2/_config.js b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-2/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4016725e21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-2/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+export default {
+	compileOptions: {
+		dev: true
+	},
+	props: {
+		tag: 'br'
+	},
+	error: '<svelte:element this="br"> is self-closing and cannot have content.'
+};
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-2/main.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-2/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0225654545
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-2/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<script>
+	export let tag;
+</script>
+
+<svelte:element this='{tag}'><div>bar</div></svelte:element>
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-3/Nested.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-3/Nested.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e62294a135
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-3/Nested.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div>This is nested</div>
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-3/_config.js b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-3/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4016725e21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-3/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+export default {
+	compileOptions: {
+		dev: true
+	},
+	props: {
+		tag: 'br'
+	},
+	error: '<svelte:element this="br"> is self-closing and cannot have content.'
+};
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-3/main.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-3/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..97045e1766
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-3/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+<script>
+	import Nested from './Nested.svelte';
+	export let tag;
+</script>
+
+<svelte:element this='{tag}'><Nested/></svelte:element>
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-4/Nested.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-4/Nested.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e62294a135
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-4/Nested.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<div>This is nested</div>
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-4/_config.js b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-4/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4b2a279aaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-4/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+export default {
+	props: {
+		tag: 'br'
+	},
+	html: '<br>'
+};
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-4/main.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-4/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..97045e1766
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/dynamic-element-void-with-content-4/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+<script>
+	import Nested from './Nested.svelte';
+	export let tag;
+</script>
+
+<svelte:element this='{tag}'><Nested/></svelte:element>