diff --git a/src/components/Template.js b/src/components/Template.js
index 1dd2593028..9af81c7676 100644
--- a/src/components/Template.js
+++ b/src/components/Template.js
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 import React from 'react';
+import hogan from 'hogan.js';
 
 import curry from 'lodash/curry';
 import cloneDeep from 'lodash/cloneDeep';
 import mapValues from 'lodash/mapValues';
-
-import hogan from 'hogan.js';
-
 import isEqual from 'lodash/isEqual';
 
+import {isReactElement} from '../lib/utils.js';
+
 export class PureTemplate extends React.Component {
   shouldComponentUpdate(nextProps) {
     return !isEqual(this.props.data, nextProps.data) || this.props.templateKey !== nextProps.templateKey;
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ export class PureTemplate extends React.Component {
       return null;
     }
 
-    if (React.isValidElement(content)) {
-      return <div {...this.props.rootProps}>{content}</div>;
+    if (isReactElement(content)) {
+      throw new Error('Support for templates as React elements has been removed, please use react-instantsearch');
     }
 
     return <div {...this.props.rootProps} dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{__html: content}} />;
diff --git a/src/components/__tests__/Template-test.js b/src/components/__tests__/Template-test.js
index 6067c90bd7..9ddd4a4ec8 100644
--- a/src/components/__tests__/Template-test.js
+++ b/src/components/__tests__/Template-test.js
@@ -28,15 +28,14 @@ describe('Template', () => {
       expect(tree).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
 
-    it('supports templates as functions returning a React element', () => {
+    it('throws an error when templates as functions returning a React element', () => {
       const props = getProps({
-        templates: {test: templateData => <p>it also works with {templateData.type}</p>},
+        templates: {test: templateData => <p>it doesnt works with {templateData.type}</p>},
         data: {type: 'functions'},
       });
-      const tree = renderer.create(
+      expect(() => renderer.create(
         <PureTemplate {...props} />
-      ).toJSON();
-      expect(tree).toMatchSnapshot();
+      )).toThrow();
     });
 
     it('can configure compilation options', () => {
diff --git a/src/components/__tests__/__snapshots__/Template-test.js.snap b/src/components/__tests__/__snapshots__/Template-test.js.snap
index 3520b70481..cdc28bdd76 100644
--- a/src/components/__tests__/__snapshots__/Template-test.js.snap
+++ b/src/components/__tests__/__snapshots__/Template-test.js.snap
@@ -82,15 +82,6 @@ exports[`Template without helpers can configure compilation options 1`] = `
 />
 `;
 
-exports[`Template without helpers supports templates as functions returning a React element 1`] = `
-<div>
-  <p>
-    it also works with 
-    functions
-  </p>
-</div>
-`;
-
 exports[`Template without helpers supports templates as functions returning a string 1`] = `
 <div
   dangerouslySetInnerHTML={
diff --git a/src/lib/utils.js b/src/lib/utils.js
index 6654ae5cba..021b665eba 100644
--- a/src/lib/utils.js
+++ b/src/lib/utils.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export {
   escapeRefinement,
   unescapeRefinement,
   checkRendering,
+  isReactElement,
 };
 
 /**
@@ -264,3 +265,9 @@ function checkRendering(rendering, usage) {
     throw new Error(usage);
   }
 }
+
+const REACT_ELEMENT_TYPE = typeof Symbol === 'function' && Symbol.for && Symbol.for('react.element') || 0xeac7;
+
+function isReactElement(object) {
+  return typeof object === 'object' && object !== null && object.$$typeof === REACT_ELEMENT_TYPE;
+}