diff --git a/test/__tests__/create-element-to-jsx-test.js b/test/__tests__/create-element-to-jsx-test.js
index 874f5a25..cca4b2e5 100644
--- a/test/__tests__/create-element-to-jsx-test.js
+++ b/test/__tests__/create-element-to-jsx-test.js
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ describe('create-element-to-jsx', () => {
 
     test('create-element-to-jsx', 'create-element-to-jsx-children-map');
 
+    test('create-element-to-jsx', 'create-element-to-jsx-children-mixed-empty-string');
+
     test('create-element-to-jsx', 'create-element-to-jsx-spread');
 
     test('create-element-to-jsx', 'create-element-to-jsx-no-react');
diff --git a/test/create-element-to-jsx-children-mixed-empty-string.js b/test/create-element-to-jsx-children-mixed-empty-string.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0e521fef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/create-element-to-jsx-children-mixed-empty-string.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+var React = require('react');
+
+a = 'foo';
+
+React.createElement(
+  'div',
+  null,
+  a,
+  ' ',
+  a
+);
diff --git a/test/create-element-to-jsx-children-mixed-empty-string.output.js b/test/create-element-to-jsx-children-mixed-empty-string.output.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b664238
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/create-element-to-jsx-children-mixed-empty-string.output.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+var React = require('react');
+
+a = 'foo';
+
+<div>{a} {a}</div>;
diff --git a/transforms/create-element-to-jsx.js b/transforms/create-element-to-jsx.js
index 9a946ce0..5562f7e4 100644
--- a/transforms/create-element-to-jsx.js
+++ b/transforms/create-element-to-jsx.js
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ module.exports = function(file, api, options) {
     const attributes = convertObjectExpressionToJSXAttributes(props);
 
     const children = node.value.arguments.slice(2).map((child, index) => {
-      if (child.type === 'Literal') {
-        return j.literal(child.value);
+      if (child.type === 'Literal' && typeof child.value === 'string') {
+        return j.jsxText(child.value);
       } else if (child.type === 'CallExpression' &&
         child.callee.object.name === 'React' &&
         child.callee.property.name === 'createElement') {