diff --git a/src/compiler.js b/src/compiler.js
index 610a950..8b395b2 100644
--- a/src/compiler.js
+++ b/src/compiler.js
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ export function create(options = {}) {
 
     if (rule.classNames)
       fns.push(
-        failText(({ props: { className }}) => {
+        failText(({ props }) => {
+          let className = props && props.className
           return rule.classNames.every(clsName =>
             className && className.indexOf(clsName) !== -1)
         })
diff --git a/src/node.js b/src/node.js
index e4cba5d..734f2c3 100644
--- a/src/node.js
+++ b/src/node.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import isPlainObject from 'lodash/lang/isPlainObject';
 import { create as createCompiler, parse } from './compiler';
 import {
     anyParent, directParent
-  , isDomElement, isCompositeElement
+  , isDomElement, isCompositeElement, isTextElement
   , isReactInstance, isDOMComponent, isCompositeComponent } from './utils';
 
 export function eachChild(subject, fn) {
@@ -22,15 +22,18 @@ export function eachChild(subject, fn) {
     publicInst = inst.getPublicInstance()
 
   if (isDOMComponent(publicInst)) {
-    let renderedChildren = inst._renderedChildren || {}
+    let renderedChildren = inst._renderedChildren
       , child = element && element.props.children;
 
-    if (child != null && !isPlainObject(child) && !Array.isArray(child) && !isReactInstance(child))
+    // in cases where there is a single child
+    // renderedChildren will be null if that child is a non-element
+    // renderable thing, like a string or number.
+    if (renderedChildren != null)
+      Object.keys(renderedChildren || {}).forEach(
+        key => fn(renderedChildren[key])
+      );
+    else if (child != null && isTextElement(child))
       fn(child)
-
-    Object.keys(renderedChildren).forEach(
-      key => fn(renderedChildren[key])
-    );
   }
   else if (isCompositeComponent(publicInst) && inst._renderedComponent != null) {
     fn(inst._renderedComponent);
diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index 7fd7d1c..7d6f42f 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 import has from 'lodash/object/has';
 import React from 'react';
 
-let isValidPlainElement = element => typeof element === 'object' && element != null;
+export let isValidPlainElement =
+  element => typeof element === 'object' && element != null && has(element, 'type');
 
 export let isTextElement =
-  element => !isValidPlainElement(element) && element !== false
+  element => !isValidPlainElement(element) && element !== false && element != null
 
 export let isDomElement =
   element => !isTextElement(element) && typeof element.type === 'string' && element.type.toLowerCase() === element.type
diff --git a/test/compiler.js b/test/compiler.js
index 65dd2a4..dad635d 100644
--- a/test/compiler.js
+++ b/test/compiler.js
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { create } from '../src/compiler';
+import { isTextElement } from '../src/utils';
 
-let { compile, selector: s } = create()
 
 chai.use(require('sinon-chai'))
 
 describe('create compiler', ()=> {
+  let compile, s, registerPseudo;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    ({ compile, registerPseudo, selector: s } = create())
+  })
 
   it('should return a function', ()=>{
     let result = compile('a.foo')
@@ -35,10 +40,26 @@ describe('create compiler', ()=> {
     }).should.equal(false)
   })
 
+  it('should handle non element values', ()=> {
+    registerPseudo('text', ()=> element => isTextElement(element))
+    let result = compile(':text')
+
+    result({}).should.equal(true)
+    result('hello').should.equal(true)
+    result(500).should.equal(true)
+    result(/regex/).should.equal(true)
+    result([1, 2, 3]).should.equal(true)
+    result(new Date()).should.equal(true)
+    result(true).should.equal(true)
+    result(false).should.equal(false)
+    result(null).should.equal(false)
+  })
+
   it('should match props', ()=>{
     let result = compile('[foo="5"]')
 
     result({
+      type: 'p',
       props: {
         foo: 5
       }
@@ -49,6 +70,7 @@ describe('create compiler', ()=> {
     let result = compile('[foo]')
 
     result({
+      type: 'p',
       props: {
         foo: true
       }
diff --git a/test/traversal.js b/test/traversal.js
index 28854e5..a6f6f07 100644
--- a/test/traversal.js
+++ b/test/traversal.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ let renderIntoDocument = (elements) =>
 
 let c = fn => React.createClass({ render(){ return fn(this.props, this.context) } })
 
-describe.only('instance tree traversal', () => {
+describe('instance tree traversal', () => {
   it('should find all text nodes', ()=> {
     let Example = c(()=> <div className="foo"><span className="bar">textme!</span></div>)
     let inst = renderIntoDocument(<Example />);