diff --git a/packages/html2/src/index.ts b/packages/html2/src/index.ts
index 08ff25d..27a23f9 100644
--- a/packages/html2/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/html2/src/index.ts
@@ -34,14 +34,17 @@ export class Widget implements EventTarget {
     constructor (arg0: ChildNode | NodeGenerator | string | HTMLTemplateElement, data?: object) {
         let nodeGenerator: NodeGenerator;
 
-        if (data === void 0) {
+        if (typeof data === 'object') {
+            nodeGenerator = templateGenerator(arg0 as (string | HTMLTemplateElement), data);
+        } else {
+            // `data` is either undefined or "garbage" e.g. a string given to us by
+            // ValueWidget's constructor.
+
             if (typeof arg0 === 'function') {
                 nodeGenerator = arg0 as NodeGenerator;
             } else {
                 nodeGenerator = () => [arg0 as ChildNode];
             }
-        } else {
-            nodeGenerator = templateGenerator(arg0 as (string | HTMLTemplateElement), data);
         }
 
         this.facet = Turn.activeFacet;