diff --git a/djx/src/main/ts/NlsBundle.ts b/djx/src/main/ts/NlsBundle.ts
--- a/djx/src/main/ts/NlsBundle.ts
+++ b/djx/src/main/ts/NlsBundle.ts
@@ -9,8 +9,14 @@ function when<T, T2>(value: PromiseOrVal
         cb(value);
 }
 
-const chainObjects = <T extends object, T2 extends object>(o1: T, o2: T2) =>
-    mixin(Object.create(o1) as T, o2);
+const loadPackage = <T extends object>(localeData: LocaleProvider<Partial<T>> | undefined) => 
+    localeData ?
+        when(localeData(), data => data && "default" in data ? data.default : data) :
+        undefined;
+
+const chainObjects = <T extends object>(o1: T, o2: Partial<T> | undefined): T =>
+    o2 ? mixin(Object.create(o1) as T, o2) : o1;
+
 export class NlsBundle<T extends object> {
     private readonly _locales: MapOf<LocaleProvider<Partial<T>>>;
 
@@ -44,15 +50,11 @@ export class NlsBundle<T extends object>
         if (this._cache[locale])
             return this._cache[locale];
 
-        const data = this._loadPackage(this._locales[locale]);
+        const data = loadPackage(this._locales[locale]);
         const parent = this._resolveLocale(locales);
 
         return this._cache[locale] = when(data, x => {
             return when(parent, y => this._cache[locale] = chainObjects(y, x));
         });
     }
-
-    _loadPackage(localeData: LocaleProvider<Partial<T>>) {
-        return when(localeData(), data => data && "default" in data ? data.default : data);
-    }
 }
diff --git a/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/DjxFragment.ts b/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/DjxFragment.ts
--- a/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/DjxFragment.ts
+++ b/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/DjxFragment.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
+import { FunctionRendition } from "./FunctionRendition";
+import { getItemDom } from "./render";
+
 /** Special functional component used to create a document fragment */
-export function DjxFragment({ children }: { children?: Node | Node[] }) {
-    const fragment = document.createDocumentFragment();
-    if (children)
-        (children instanceof Array ? children : [children]).forEach(child => fragment.appendChild(child));
-    return fragment;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+export const DjxFragment = ({ children }: { children?: unknown | unknown[] }) =>
+    new FunctionRendition(() => {
+        const fragment = document.createDocumentFragment();
+        if (children)
+            (children instanceof Array ? children : [children]).map(getItemDom).forEach(child => fragment.appendChild(child));
+        return fragment;
+    });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/DjxWidgetBase.ts b/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/DjxWidgetBase.ts
--- a/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/DjxWidgetBase.ts
+++ b/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/DjxWidgetBase.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import { djbase, djclass } from "../declare";
 import _WidgetBase = require("dijit/_WidgetBase");
 import _AttachMixin = require("dijit/_AttachMixin");
-import { Rendition, isNode, isElementNode } from "./traits";
+import { isNode, isElementNode } from "./traits";
 import registry = require("dijit/registry");
 import on = require("dojo/on");
 import { Scope } from "./Scope";
 import { render } from "./render";
+import { isNull } from "@implab/core-amd/safe";
 
 // type Handle = dojo.Handle;
 
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ export abstract class DjxWidgetBase<Attr
         }
     }
 
-    abstract render(): Rendition;
+    abstract render(): JSX.Element;
 
     private _connectEventHandlers() {
         if (this._eventHandlers)
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ export abstract class DjxWidgetBase<Attr
 
     _processTemplateNode<T extends (Element | Node | _WidgetBase)>(
         baseNode: T,
-        getAttrFunc: (baseNode: T, attr: string) => string,
+        getAttrFunc: (baseNode: T, attr: string) => string | undefined,
         // tslint:disable-next-line: ban-types
         attachFunc: (node: T, type: string, func?: (...args: unknown[]) => unknown) => dojo.Handle
     ): boolean {
@@ -92,7 +93,10 @@ export abstract class DjxWidgetBase<Attr
             if (w) {
                 // from dijit/_WidgetsInTemplateMixin
                 this._processTemplateNode(w,
-                    (n, p) => String(n.get(p as keyof typeof n)), // callback to get a property of a widget
+                    (n, p) => {
+                        const v = n.get(p as keyof typeof n);
+                        return isNull(v) ? undefined : String(v);
+                    }, // callback to get a property of a widget
                     (widget, type, callback) => {
                         if (!callback)
                             throw new Error("The callback must be specified");
@@ -112,7 +116,7 @@ export abstract class DjxWidgetBase<Attr
             }
         }
         // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-types
-        return super._processTemplateNode(baseNode, getAttrFunc, attachFunc as (node: T, type: string, func?: Function) => dojo.Handle);
+        return super._processTemplateNode(baseNode, getAttrFunc as (baseNode: T, attr: string) => string, attachFunc as (node: T, type: string, func?: Function) => dojo.Handle);
     }
 
     /** Starts current widget and all its supporting widgets (placed outside
diff --git a/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/RenditionBase.ts b/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/RenditionBase.ts
--- a/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/RenditionBase.ts
+++ b/djx/src/main/ts/tsx/RenditionBase.ts
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export abstract class RenditionBase<TNod
 
         placeAt(domNode, refNode, position);
 
-        if (isMounted(startupPending[0]))
+        if (startupPending.length && isMounted(startupPending[0]))
             startupPending.forEach(n => startupWidgets(n));
 
     }
diff --git a/playground/package-lock.json b/playground/package-lock.json
--- a/playground/package-lock.json
+++ b/playground/package-lock.json
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
         },
         "../djx/build/npm/package": {
             "name": "@implab/djx",
+            "version": "1.4.4",
             "dev": true,
             "license": "BSD-2-Clause",
             "peerDependencies": {