diff --git a/src/MountedTraversal.js b/src/MountedTraversal.js
index 7bc7fb3e6..914dbf909 100644
--- a/src/MountedTraversal.js
+++ b/src/MountedTraversal.js
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ export function childrenOfInstInternal(inst) {
       if (REACT013 && !node.getPublicInstance) {
         return false;
       }
+      if (typeof node._stringText !== 'undefined') {
+        return false;
+      }
       return true;
     }).map((node) => {
       if (!REACT013 && typeof node._currentElement.type === 'function') {
diff --git a/test/ReactWrapper-spec.jsx b/test/ReactWrapper-spec.jsx
index 6723551cd..77d468686 100644
--- a/test/ReactWrapper-spec.jsx
+++ b/test/ReactWrapper-spec.jsx
@@ -1910,6 +1910,12 @@ describeWithDOM('mount', () => {
       expect(children.at(1).hasClass('baz')).to.equal(true);
     });
 
+    it('should not attempt to get an instance for text nodes', () => {
+      const wrapper = mount(<div>B<span />C</div>);
+      const children = wrapper.children();
+      expect(children.length).to.equal(1);
+    });
+
     describeIf(!REACT013, 'stateless function components', () => {
       it('should handle mixed children with and without arrays', () => {
         const Foo = props => (