diff --git a/examples/timeline/other/usingReact.html b/examples/timeline/other/usingReact.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f6d1e1f71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/timeline/other/usingReact.html
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+<!DOCTYPE HTML>
+<html>
+  <head>
+    <meta charset="utf-8">
+    <title>React Components in templates</title>
+  </head>
+  <body>
+
+    <div id='root'></div>
+    
+    <!--
+    For ease of use, we are including the React, ReactDOM and Babel CDN
+    builds to make getting started as fast as possible.
+    
+    In production, you'll want to instead look at using something 
+    like Gulp, Grunt or WebPack (my personal recommendation) 
+    to compile JSX into JavaScript. Also, check out:
+    http://facebook.github.io/react/docs/tooling-integration.html
+    -->
+    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/react/15.3.2/react.js"></script>
+    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/react/15.3.2/react-dom.js"></script>
+    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/babel-core/5.8.23/browser.min.js"></script>
+
+    <script src="../../../dist/vis.js"></script>
+    <link href="../../../dist/vis.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
+    
+    <!--
+    This is where you link to your React code. Can be .js or .jsx 
+    extension, doesn't really matter.
+    -->
+    <script type="text/babel">
+        var timeline;
+
+        // create groups
+        var numberOfGroups = 25; 
+        var groups = new vis.DataSet()
+        for (var i = 0; i < numberOfGroups; i++) {
+            groups.add({
+              id: i,
+              content: 'Truck ' + i
+            })
+        }
+          
+        // create items
+        var numberOfItems = 1000;
+        var items = new vis.DataSet();
+        var itemsPerGroup = Math.round(numberOfItems/numberOfGroups);
+        for (var truck = 0; truck < numberOfGroups; truck++) {
+            var date = new Date();
+            for (var order = 0; order < itemsPerGroup; order++) {
+              date.setHours(date.getHours() +  4 * (Math.random() < 0.2));
+              var start = new Date(date);
+              date.setHours(date.getHours() + 2 + Math.floor(Math.random()*4));
+              var end = new Date(date);
+              items.add({
+                id: order + itemsPerGroup * truck,
+                group: truck,
+                start: start,
+                end: end,
+                content: 'Order ' + order
+              });
+            }
+        }
+
+        var GroupTemplate = React.createClass({
+          render: function() {
+            var { group } = this.props;
+            return <div>
+                <label>{group.content}</label>
+            </div>
+          }
+        })
+
+        var ItemTemplate = React.createClass({
+          render: function() {
+            var { item } = this.props;
+            return <div>
+                <label>{item.content}</label>
+            </div>
+          }
+        })
+
+        // specify options
+        var options = {
+            orientation: 'top',
+            maxHeight: 400,
+            start: new Date(),
+            end: new Date(1000*60*60*24 + (new Date()).valueOf()),
+            editable: true,
+            template: function (item, element) {
+                ReactDOM.unmountComponentAtNode(element);
+                return ReactDOM.render(<ItemTemplate item={item} />, element);
+            },
+            groupTemplate: function (group, element) {
+                ReactDOM.unmountComponentAtNode(element);
+                return ReactDOM.render(<GroupTemplate group={group} />, element);
+            }
+        }
+     
+
+        var VisTimeline = React.createClass({
+            componentDidMount: function() {
+                return initTimeline();
+            },
+            render: function() {
+                return <div>
+                    <h1>Vis timline with React</h1>
+                    <h2>Using react components for items and group templates</h2>      
+
+                    <div id="mytimeline"></div>
+                </div>
+            }
+        });
+
+        function initTimeline() {
+            var container = document.getElementById('mytimeline');
+            timeline = new vis.Timeline(container, items, groups, options);
+        } 
+
+        ReactDOM.render(<VisTimeline />, document.getElementById('root'));
+    </script>
+  </body>
+</html>
diff --git a/lib/timeline/component/Group.js b/lib/timeline/component/Group.js
index f522fd82e..691d24b16 100644
--- a/lib/timeline/component/Group.js
+++ b/lib/timeline/component/Group.js
@@ -87,10 +87,12 @@ Group.prototype._create = function() {
 Group.prototype.setData = function(data) {
   // update contents
   var content;
+  var templateFunction;
+
   if (this.itemSet.options && this.itemSet.options.groupTemplate) {
-    content = this.itemSet.options.groupTemplate(data, this.dom.inner);
-  }
-  else {
+    templateFunction = this.itemSet.options.groupTemplate.bind(this);
+    content = templateFunction(data, this.dom.inner);
+  } else {
     content = data && data.content;
   }
 
@@ -100,11 +102,11 @@ Group.prototype.setData = function(data) {
       this.dom.inner.removeChild(this.dom.inner.firstChild);
     }
     this.dom.inner.appendChild(content);
-  }
-  else if (content !== undefined && content !== null) {
+  } else if (content instanceof Object) {
+    templateFunction(data, this.dom.inner);
+  } else if (content !== undefined && content !== null) {
     this.dom.inner.innerHTML = content;
-  }
-  else {
+  } else {
     this.dom.inner.innerHTML = this.groupId || ''; // groupId can be null
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/timeline/component/item/Item.js b/lib/timeline/component/item/Item.js
index e50918a8d..c70cc0a4f 100644
--- a/lib/timeline/component/item/Item.js
+++ b/lib/timeline/component/item/Item.js
@@ -187,31 +187,37 @@ Item.prototype._repaintDeleteButton = function (anchor) {
  */
 Item.prototype._updateContents = function (element) {
   var content;
+  var templateFunction;
+
   if (this.options.template) {
     var itemData = this.parent.itemSet.itemsData.get(this.id); // get a clone of the data from the dataset
-    content = this.options.template(itemData, element);
-  }
-  else {
+    templateFunction = this.options.template.bind(this);
+    content = templateFunction(itemData, element);
+  } else {
     content = this.data.content;
   }
 
-  var changed = this._contentToString(this.content) !== this._contentToString(content);
-  if (changed) {
-    // only replace the content when changed
-    if (content instanceof Element) {
-      element.innerHTML = '';
-      element.appendChild(content);
-    }
-    else if (content != undefined) {
-      element.innerHTML = content;
-    }
-    else {
-      if (!(this.data.type == 'background' && this.data.content === undefined)) {
-        throw new Error('Property "content" missing in item ' + this.id);
+  if (content instanceof Object) {
+    templateFunction(itemData, element)
+  } else {
+    var changed = this._contentToString(this.content) !== this._contentToString(content);
+    if (changed) {
+      // only replace the content when changed
+      if (content instanceof Element) {
+        element.innerHTML = '';
+        element.appendChild(content);
+      }
+      else if (content != undefined) {
+        element.innerHTML = content;
+      }
+      else {
+        if (!(this.data.type == 'background' && this.data.content === undefined)) {
+          throw new Error('Property "content" missing in item ' + this.id);
+        }
       }
-    }
 
-    this.content = content;
+      this.content = content;
+    }
   }
 };
 
