diff --git a/src/browser/Frame.zig b/src/browser/Frame.zig
index 870db179..f22513a0 100644
--- a/src/browser/Frame.zig
+++ b/src/browser/Frame.zig
@@ -3644,10 +3644,16 @@ pub fn parseHtmlAsChildren(self: *Frame, node: *Node, html: []const u8) !void {
     var parser = Parser.init(self.call_arena, node, self);
     parser.parseFragment(html);
 
-    // https://github.com/servo/html5ever/issues/583
+    // html5ever wraps fragment output in an <html> element; unwrap so its
+    // children land directly on `node`. See https://github.com/servo/html5ever/issues/583.
+    // Because of custom element callbacks, the structure might not be what
+    // we expect, and nodes might be altogether removed. We deal with this in a
+    // few different places, but always the same way: leave it as-is.
     const children = node._children orelse return;
-    const first = children.one;
-    lp.assert(first.is(Element.Html.Html) != null, "Frame.parseHtmlAsChildren root", .{ .type = first._type });
+    const first = children.first();
+    if (first.is(Element.Html.Html) == null) {
+        return;
+    }
     node._children = first._children;
 
     if (self.hasMutationObservers()) {
diff --git a/src/browser/tests/custom_elements/parser_wrapper_removed.html b/src/browser/tests/custom_elements/parser_wrapper_removed.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..77c637eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/browser/tests/custom_elements/parser_wrapper_removed.html
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<body>
+<script src="../testing.js"></script>
+
+<!-- Frame.parseHtmlAsChildren extracts children from the temporary
+     <html> element the fragment parser leaves at the top of the parse
+     result. A custom element's connectedCallback fires synchronously
+     during that parse, so it can reach two levels up (this.parentNode is
+     the temporary <html>; this.parentNode.parentNode is the original
+     element receiving innerHTML) and replace the temporary wrapper with
+     a text node before the post-parse step inspects the result. -->
+<script id="connected_callback_replaces_wrapper">
+{
+    class WrapperReplacer extends HTMLElement {
+        connectedCallback() {
+            const wrapper = this.parentNode;
+            if (!wrapper) return;
+            const host = wrapper.parentNode;
+            if (!host) return;
+            host.removeChild(wrapper);
+            host.appendChild(document.createTextNode(''));
+        }
+    }
+    customElements.define('wrapper-replacer-1', WrapperReplacer);
+
+    const host = document.createElement('div');
+    document.body.appendChild(host);
+    host.innerHTML = '<wrapper-replacer-1></wrapper-replacer-1>';
+
+    // The point of this test is to reach this line without aborting.
+    testing.expectTrue(host.firstChild !== null);
+}
+</script>
+</body>
+</html>
+
