diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget.js
index 7850d3f6f..2e4892e2b 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget.js
@@ -390,15 +390,12 @@ define(["widgets/js/manager",
             }
         },
 
-        typeset: function(element){
+        typeset: function(text, $el){
             // check if MathJax is available, and if so use it to
-            // typeset some DOM
+            // typeset some jQuery selection
+            $el.text(text);
             if(!window.MathJax){ return; }
-            return MathJax.Hub.Queue([
-                "Typeset",
-                MathJax.Hub,
-                element
-            ]);
+            return MathJax.Hub.Queue(["Typeset", MathJax.Hub, $el.get(0)]);
         }
     });
 
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js
index 1a8e94af4..f9986f086 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js
@@ -62,8 +62,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.trim().length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.$label.text(description);
-                    this.typeset(this.$label.get(0));
+                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_box.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_box.js
index 7fc31f7a4..5da898f59 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_box.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_box.js
@@ -319,8 +319,7 @@ define([
             if (description.trim().length === 0) {
                 this.$title.html(" "); // Preserve title height
             } else {
-                this.$title.text(description);
-                this.typeset(this.$title.get(0));
+                this.typeset(description, this.$title);
             }
             
             var button_text = this.model.get('button_text');
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_int.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_int.js
index 0ef415f3c..7d53d7a8f 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_int.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_int.js
@@ -155,8 +155,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.$label.text(description);
-                    this.typeset(this.$label.get(0));
+                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
                 
@@ -323,8 +322,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.$label.text(description);
-                    this.typeset(this.$label.get(0));
+                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
@@ -443,8 +441,7 @@ define([
             if (description.length === 0) {
                 this.$label.hide();
             } else {
-                this.$label.text(description);
-                this.typeset(this.$label.get(0));
+                this.typeset(description, this.$label);
                 this.$label.show();
             }
             return ProgressView.__super__.update.apply(this);
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_selection.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_selection.js
index d364772f4..4ad1960e3 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_selection.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_selection.js
@@ -97,8 +97,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.$label.text(description);
-                    this.typeset(this.$label.get(0));
+                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
@@ -231,7 +230,7 @@ define([
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
                     this.$label.text(description);
-                   this.typeset(this.$label.get(0));
+                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
@@ -345,8 +344,8 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.$label.text(description);
-                    this.typeset(this.$label.get(0));
+                    this.$label.text();
+                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
@@ -468,8 +467,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.$label.text(description);
-                    this.typeset(this.$label.get(0));
+                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_string.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_string.js
index c26120abc..5b85ee354 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_string.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_string.js
@@ -43,8 +43,7 @@ define([
              * Called when the model is changed.  The model may have been 
              * changed by another view or by a state update from the back-end.
              */
-            this.$el.text(this.model.get('value'));
-            this.typeset(this.$el.get(0));
+            this.typeset(this.model.get('value'), this.$el);
             return LatexView.__super__.update.apply(this);
         }, 
     });
@@ -115,8 +114,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.$label.text(description);
-                    this.typeset(this.$label.get(0));
+                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
@@ -199,8 +197,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.$label.text(description);
-                    this.typeset(this.$label.get(0));
+                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }