diff --git a/compiler/generate/visitors/Text.js b/compiler/generate/visitors/Text.js
index 074946288b..21ab063b19 100644
--- a/compiler/generate/visitors/Text.js
+++ b/compiler/generate/visitors/Text.js
@@ -2,8 +2,21 @@ import deindent from '../utils/deindent.js';
 
 export default {
 	enter ( generator, node ) {
-		generator.current.initStatements.push( deindent`
-			${generator.current.target}.appendChild( document.createTextNode( ${JSON.stringify( node.data )} ) );
-		` );
+		if ( generator.elementDepth > 1 ) {
+			generator.current.initStatements.push( deindent`
+				${generator.current.target}.appendChild( document.createTextNode( ${JSON.stringify( node.data )} ) );
+			` );
+		} else {
+			const name = generator.current.counter( `text` );
+
+			generator.current.initStatements.push( deindent`
+				var ${name} = document.createTextNode( ${JSON.stringify( node.data )} );
+				${generator.current.target}.appendChild( ${name} );
+			` );
+
+			generator.current.teardownStatements.push( deindent`
+				${name}.parentNode.removeChild( ${name} );
+			` );
+		}
 	}
 };
diff --git a/test/compiler/text-node-top-level/_config.js b/test/compiler/text-node-top-level/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0241f32d22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/compiler/text-node-top-level/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export default {
+	html: 'text'
+};
diff --git a/test/compiler/text-node-top-level/main.html b/test/compiler/text-node-top-level/main.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8e27be7d61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/compiler/text-node-top-level/main.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+text