diff --git a/render/render.js b/render/render.js
index 38aec09d..dfcd7bf3 100644
--- a/render/render.js
+++ b/render/render.js
@@ -248,6 +248,10 @@ module.exports = function($window) {
 			vnode.dom = vnode.instance.dom
 			vnode.domSize = vnode.instance.domSize
 		}
+		else if (old.instance != null) {
+			removeNode(parent, old.instance, null, false)
+			vnode.dom = vnode.domSize = undefined
+		}
 	}
 	function isRecyclable(old, vnodes) {
 		if (old.pool != null && Math.abs(old.pool.length - vnodes.length) <= Math.abs(old.length - vnodes.length)) {
diff --git a/render/tests/test-component.js b/render/tests/test-component.js
index 559da03e..828585c7 100644
--- a/render/tests/test-component.js
+++ b/render/tests/test-component.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ o.spec("component", function() {
 			o(root.firstChild.attributes["id"].nodeValue).equals("c")
 			o(root.firstChild.firstChild.nodeValue).equals("d")
 		})
-		o("updates from null", function() {
+		o("updates root from null", function() {
 			var visible = false
 			var component = {
 				view: function(vnode) {
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ o.spec("component", function() {
 
 			o(root.firstChild.nodeName).equals("DIV")
 		})
-		o("updates from primitive", function() {
+		o("updates root from primitive", function() {
 			var visible = false
 			var component = {
 				view: function(vnode) {
@@ -80,6 +80,43 @@ o.spec("component", function() {
 
 			o(root.firstChild.nodeName).equals("DIV")
 		})
+		o("updates root to null", function() {
+			var visible = true
+			var component = {
+				view: function(vnode) {
+					return visible ? {tag: "div"} : null
+				}
+			}
+			render(root, [{tag: component}])
+			visible = false
+			render(root, [{tag: component}])
+
+			o(root.childNodes.length).equals(0)
+		})
+		o("updates root to primitive", function() {
+			var visible = true
+			var component = {
+				view: function(vnode) {
+					return visible ? {tag: "div"} : false
+				}
+			}
+			render(root, [{tag: component}])
+			visible = false
+			render(root, [{tag: component}])
+
+			o(root.firstChild.nodeValue).equals("false")
+		})
+		o("updates root from null to null", function() {
+			var component = {
+				view: function(vnode) {
+					return null
+				}
+			}
+			render(root, [{tag: component}])
+			render(root, [{tag: component}])
+
+			o(root.childNodes.length).equals(0)
+		})
 		o("removes", function() {
 			var component = {
 				view: function(vnode) {