diff --git a/src/renderers/shared/reconciler/ReactCompositeComponent.js b/src/renderers/shared/reconciler/ReactCompositeComponent.js
index 617aa91ed8..de2530637d 100644
--- a/src/renderers/shared/reconciler/ReactCompositeComponent.js
+++ b/src/renderers/shared/reconciler/ReactCompositeComponent.js
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ function getDeclarationErrorAddendum(component) {
   return '';
 }
 
+function StatelessComponent(Component) {
+}
+StatelessComponent.prototype.render = function() {
+  var Component = ReactInstanceMap.get(this)._currentElement.type;
+  return new Component(this.props, this.context, this.updater);
+};
+
 /**
  * ------------------ The Life-Cycle of a Composite Component ------------------
  *
@@ -126,7 +133,24 @@ var ReactCompositeComponentMixin = {
     var Component = this._currentElement.type;
 
     // Initialize the public class
-    var inst = new Component(publicProps, publicContext, ReactUpdateQueue);
+    var inst;
+    var renderedElement;
+
+    if (__DEV__) {
+      ReactCurrentOwner.current = this;
+      try {
+        inst = new Component(publicProps, publicContext, ReactUpdateQueue);
+      } finally {
+        ReactCurrentOwner.current = null;
+      }
+    } else {
+      inst = new Component(publicProps, publicContext, ReactUpdateQueue);
+    }
+
+    if (inst === null || inst === false || ReactElement.isValidElement(inst)) {
+      renderedElement = inst;
+      inst = new StatelessComponent(Component);
+    }
 
     if (__DEV__) {
       // This will throw later in _renderValidatedComponent, but add an early
@@ -231,7 +255,10 @@ var ReactCompositeComponentMixin = {
       }
     }
 
-    var renderedElement = this._renderValidatedComponent();
+    // If not a stateless component, we now render
+    if (renderedElement === undefined) {
+      renderedElement = this._renderValidatedComponent();
+    }
 
     this._renderedComponent = this._instantiateReactComponent(
       renderedElement
@@ -265,6 +292,7 @@ var ReactCompositeComponentMixin = {
 
     ReactReconciler.unmountComponent(this._renderedComponent);
     this._renderedComponent = null;
+    this._instance = null;
 
     // Reset pending fields
     // Even if this component is scheduled for another update in ReactUpdates,
@@ -759,6 +787,7 @@ var ReactCompositeComponentMixin = {
    */
   attachRef: function(ref, component) {
     var inst = this.getPublicInstance();
+    invariant(inst != null, 'Stateless function components cannot have refs.');
     var refs = inst.refs === emptyObject ? (inst.refs = {}) : inst.refs;
     refs[ref] = component.getPublicInstance();
   },
@@ -800,7 +829,11 @@ var ReactCompositeComponentMixin = {
    * @internal
    */
   getPublicInstance: function() {
-    return this._instance;
+    var inst = this._instance;
+    if (inst instanceof StatelessComponent) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    return inst;
   },
 
   // Stub
diff --git a/src/renderers/shared/reconciler/ReactUpdateQueue.js b/src/renderers/shared/reconciler/ReactUpdateQueue.js
index d406fe20df..0c5e325a8d 100644
--- a/src/renderers/shared/reconciler/ReactUpdateQueue.js
+++ b/src/renderers/shared/reconciler/ReactUpdateQueue.js
@@ -25,16 +25,6 @@ function enqueueUpdate(internalInstance) {
 }
 
 function getInternalInstanceReadyForUpdate(publicInstance, callerName) {
-  if (__DEV__) {
-    warning(
-      ReactCurrentOwner.current == null,
-      '%s(...): Cannot update during an existing state transition ' +
-      '(such as within `render`). Render methods should be a pure function ' +
-      'of props and state.',
-      callerName
-    );
-  }
-
   var internalInstance = ReactInstanceMap.get(publicInstance);
   if (!internalInstance) {
     if (__DEV__) {
@@ -54,6 +44,16 @@ function getInternalInstanceReadyForUpdate(publicInstance, callerName) {
     return null;
   }
 
+  if (__DEV__) {
+    warning(
+      ReactCurrentOwner.current == null,
+      '%s(...): Cannot update during an existing state transition ' +
+      '(such as within `render`). Render methods should be a pure function ' +
+      'of props and state.',
+      callerName
+    );
+  }
+
   return internalInstance;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/renderers/shared/reconciler/__tests__/ReactStatelessComponent-test.js b/src/renderers/shared/reconciler/__tests__/ReactStatelessComponent-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..772d7cdff4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderers/shared/reconciler/__tests__/ReactStatelessComponent-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright 2013-2015, Facebook, Inc.
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the BSD-style license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree. An additional grant
+ * of patent rights can be found in the PATENTS file in the same directory.
+ *
+ * @emails react-core
+ */
+
+'use strict';
+
+var React;
+var ReactTestUtils;
+
+function StatelessComponent(props) {
+  return <div>{props.name}</div>;
+}
+
+describe('ReactStatelessComponent', function() {
+
+  beforeEach(function() {
+    React = require('React');
+    ReactTestUtils = require('ReactTestUtils');
+  });
+
+  it('should render stateless component', function() {
+    var el = document.createElement('div');
+    React.render(<StatelessComponent name="A" />, el);
+
+    expect(el.textContent).toBe('A');
+  });
+
+  it('should update stateless component', function() {
+    var Parent = React.createClass({
+      render() {
+        return <StatelessComponent {...this.props} />;
+      },
+    });
+
+    var el = document.createElement('div');
+    React.render(<Parent name="A" />, el);
+    expect(el.textContent).toBe('A');
+
+    React.render(<Parent name="B" />, el);
+    expect(el.textContent).toBe('B');
+  });
+
+  it('should unmount stateless component', function() {
+    var container = document.createElement('div');
+
+    React.render(<StatelessComponent name="A" />, container);
+    expect(container.textContent).toBe('A');
+
+    React.unmountComponentAtNode(container);
+    expect(container.textContent).toBe('');
+  });
+
+  it('should pass context thru stateless component', function() {
+    var Child = React.createClass({
+      contextTypes: {
+        test: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+      },
+
+      render: function() {
+        return <div>{this.context.test}</div>;
+      },
+    });
+
+    function Parent() {
+      return <Child />;
+    }
+
+    var GrandParent = React.createClass({
+      childContextTypes: {
+        test: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+      },
+
+      getChildContext() {
+        return {test: this.props.test};
+      },
+
+      render: function() {
+        return <Parent />;
+      },
+    });
+
+    var el = document.createElement('div');
+    React.render(<GrandParent test="test" />, el);
+
+    expect(el.textContent).toBe('test');
+
+    React.render(<GrandParent test="mest" />, el);
+
+    expect(el.textContent).toBe('mest');
+  });
+
+  it('should support module pattern components', function() {
+    function Child({test}) {
+      return {
+        render() {
+          return <div>{test}</div>;
+        },
+      };
+    }
+
+    var el = document.createElement('div');
+    React.render(<Child test="test" />, el);
+
+    expect(el.textContent).toBe('test');
+  });
+
+  it('should throw on string refs in pure functions', function() {
+    function Child() {
+      return <div ref="me" />;
+    }
+
+    expect(function() {
+      ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<Child test="test" />);
+    }).toThrow(
+      'Invariant Violation: Stateless function components cannot have refs.'
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should provide a null ref', function() {
+    function Child() {
+      return <div />;
+    }
+
+    var comp = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<Child />);
+    expect(comp).toBe(null);
+  });
+
+  it('should use correct name in key warning', function() {
+    function Child() {
+      return <div>{[<span />]}</div>;
+    }
+
+    spyOn(console, 'error');
+    ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<Child />);
+    expect(console.error.argsForCall.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(console.error.argsForCall[0][0]).toContain('a unique "key" prop');
+    expect(console.error.argsForCall[0][0]).toContain('Child');
+  });
+
+  it('should support default props and prop types', function() {
+    function Child(props) {
+      return <div>{props.test}</div>;
+    }
+    Child.defaultProps = {test: 2};
+    Child.propTypes = {test: React.PropTypes.string};
+
+    spyOn(console, 'error');
+    ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(<Child />);
+    expect(console.error.argsForCall.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(console.error.argsForCall[0][0]).toBe(
+      'Warning: Failed propType: Invalid prop `test` of type `number` ' +
+      'supplied to `Child`, expected `string`.'
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should receive context', function() {
+    var Parent = React.createClass({
+      childContextTypes: {
+        lang: React.PropTypes.string,
+      },
+      getChildContext: function() {
+        return {lang: 'en'};
+      },
+      render: function() {
+        return <Child />;
+      },
+    });
+    function Child(props, context) {
+      return <div>{context.lang}</div>;
+    }
+    Child.contextTypes = {lang: React.PropTypes.string};
+
+    var el = document.createElement('div');
+    React.render(<Parent />, el);
+    expect(el.textContent).toBe('en');
+  });
+});