diff --git a/packages/core/src/declarations/stencil-public-runtime.ts b/packages/core/src/declarations/stencil-public-runtime.ts
index 0e398459fe9..1ac83590a07 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/declarations/stencil-public-runtime.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/declarations/stencil-public-runtime.ts
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ export interface FunctionalUtilities {
 }
 
 export interface FunctionalComponent<T = {}> {
-  (props: T, children: VNode[], utils: FunctionalUtilities): VNode | VNode[] | null;
+  (props: T, children: VNode[], utils: FunctionalUtilities): VNode | null;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -873,12 +873,12 @@ export interface ChildNode {
  *
  * For further information: https://stenciljs.com/docs/host-element
  */
-export declare const Host: FunctionalComponent<HostAttributes>;
+export declare const Host: (props: HostAttributes) => VNode;
 
 /**
  * Fragment
  */
-export declare const Fragment: FunctionalComponent<{}>;
+export declare const Fragment: (props: {}) => VNode;
 
 /* eslint-disable jsdoc/require-param, jsdoc/require-returns -- we don't want to JSDoc these overloads at this time */
 /**
@@ -905,6 +905,7 @@ export declare namespace h {
   ): VNode;
 
   export namespace JSX {
+    type Element = VNode;
     interface IntrinsicElements extends LocalJSX.IntrinsicElements, JSXBase.IntrinsicElements {
       [tagName: string]: any;
     }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/_test_/jsx.spec.tsx b/packages/core/src/runtime/_test_/jsx.spec.tsx
index 5dc95f60fbd..60291aa9395 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/_test_/jsx.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/_test_/jsx.spec.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { Component, Fragment, h, Host, Prop, State } from '@stencil/core';
-import { FunctionalComponent } from '@stencil/core';
 import { newSpecPage } from '@stencil/core/testing';
 import { expect, describe, it } from '@stencil/vitest';
 
@@ -65,10 +64,7 @@ describe('jsx', () => {
       first?: string;
       last?: string;
     }
-    const FunctionalCmp: FunctionalComponent<FunctionalCmpProps> = ({
-      first = 'Kim',
-      last = 'Doe',
-    }) => (
+    const FunctionalCmp = ({ first = 'Kim', last = 'Doe' }: FunctionalCmpProps) => (
       <div>
         Hi, my name is {first} {last}.
       </div>
@@ -77,7 +73,11 @@ describe('jsx', () => {
     @Component({ tag: 'cmp-a' })
     class CmpA {
       render() {
-        return <FunctionalCmp />;
+        return (
+          <>
+            <FunctionalCmp />
+          </>
+        );
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/_test_/render-vdom.spec.tsx b/packages/core/src/runtime/_test_/render-vdom.spec.tsx
index b514834cef2..d0d5fbe3c39 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/_test_/render-vdom.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/_test_/render-vdom.spec.tsx
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ describe('render-vdom', () => {
       class CmpA {
         render() {
           const H = () => {
-            return;
+            return null;
           };
           return <H />;
         }
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ describe('render-vdom', () => {
         render() {
           const Tunnel = {
             Provider: () => {
-              return;
+              return null;
             },
           };
           return <Tunnel.Provider />;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/vdom/_test_/h.spec.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/vdom/_test_/h.spec.ts
index 672d8e4ef04..23fbac553f8 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/vdom/_test_/h.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/vdom/_test_/h.spec.ts
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ describe('h()', () => {
     });
 
     it('replaceAttributes should return the attributes for the node', () => {
-      const FunctionalCmp: d.FunctionalComponent = (_nodeData, children, util) => {
+      const FunctionalCmp = (_nodeData: any, children: d.VNode[], util: d.FunctionalUtilities) => {
         return util.map(children, (child) => {
           return {
             ...child,
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ describe('h()', () => {
       const ReplacementCmp: d.FunctionalComponent = (nodeData, children) => {
         return h('article', nodeData, h('p', null, ...children));
       };
-      const FunctionalCmp: d.FunctionalComponent = (_nodeData, children, util) => {
+      const FunctionalCmp = (_nodeData, children, util) => {
         return util.map(children, (child) => {
           return {
             ...child,