diff --git a/.changeset/chubby-hounds-itch.md b/.changeset/chubby-hounds-itch.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2991835cfd85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/chubby-hounds-itch.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@gradio/highlightedtext": patch
+"gradio": patch
+---
+
+fix:Ensure `HighlightedText` with `merge_elements` loads without a value 
diff --git a/js/highlightedtext/interactive/InteractiveHighlightedText.svelte b/js/highlightedtext/interactive/InteractiveHighlightedText.svelte
index 521e9e52271f..07f4460dcbdb 100644
--- a/js/highlightedtext/interactive/InteractiveHighlightedText.svelte
+++ b/js/highlightedtext/interactive/InteractiveHighlightedText.svelte
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 	export let loading_status: LoadingStatus;
 
-	$: if (combine_adjacent) {
+	$: if (value && combine_adjacent) {
 		value = merge_elements(value, "equal");
 	}
 </script>
diff --git a/js/highlightedtext/static/StaticHighlightedtext.svelte b/js/highlightedtext/static/StaticHighlightedtext.svelte
index b55dc2345c18..81ea139d1193 100644
--- a/js/highlightedtext/static/StaticHighlightedtext.svelte
+++ b/js/highlightedtext/static/StaticHighlightedtext.svelte
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	$: if (combine_adjacent) {
+	if (value && combine_adjacent) {
 		value = merge_elements(value, "equal");
 	}
 </script>