diff --git a/shared/static/wasm/sx/adapter-dom.sx b/shared/static/wasm/sx/adapter-dom.sx
index 1f2b43a6..2c23bae4 100644
--- a/shared/static/wasm/sx/adapter-dom.sx
+++ b/shared/static/wasm/sx/adapter-dom.sx
@@ -75,8 +75,10 @@
                         (scope-emit! "element-attrs" (spread-attrs expr)))
                       expr)
 
-      ;; Dict → empty
-      "dict"      (create-fragment)
+      ;; Dict → check for host DOM node, else empty fragment
+      "dict"      (if (has-key? expr "__host_handle")
+                    expr  ;; Host DOM node (text node, element, etc.) — pass through
+                    (create-fragment))
 
       ;; List → dispatch
       "list"
diff --git a/web/adapter-dom.sx b/web/adapter-dom.sx
index 1f2b43a6..2c23bae4 100644
--- a/web/adapter-dom.sx
+++ b/web/adapter-dom.sx
@@ -75,8 +75,10 @@
                         (scope-emit! "element-attrs" (spread-attrs expr)))
                       expr)
 
-      ;; Dict → empty
-      "dict"      (create-fragment)
+      ;; Dict → check for host DOM node, else empty fragment
+      "dict"      (if (has-key? expr "__host_handle")
+                    expr  ;; Host DOM node (text node, element, etc.) — pass through
+                    (create-fragment))
 
       ;; List → dispatch
       "list"