diff --git a/lib/api/utils.js b/lib/api/utils.js
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/api/utils.js
+++ b/lib/api/utils.js
@@ -262,7 +262,8 @@ var load = exports.load = function(html, options) {
 };
 
 var html = exports.html = function(dom) {
-  if (dom !== undefined) {
+  if (dom) {
+    dom = (type(dom) === 'string') ? this(dom) : dom;
     return $.render(dom);
   } else if (this._root && this._root.children) {
     return $.render(this._root.children);
@@ -270,7 +271,6 @@ var html = exports.html = function(dom) {
     return '';
   }
 };
-
 // TODO: Add me to .html above
 var tidy = exports.tidy = function(dom) {
   if (dom !== undefined) {
$.html(selector) now works to select outer html