diff --git a/packages/server-renderer/__tests__/render.spec.ts b/packages/server-renderer/__tests__/render.spec.ts
index d0a5223b2ff..ad5fd01d1f1 100644
--- a/packages/server-renderer/__tests__/render.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server-renderer/__tests__/render.spec.ts
@@ -1229,5 +1229,16 @@ function testRender(type: string, render: typeof renderToString) {
       // during the render phase
       expect(getterSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
     })
+
+    test('manually using the h function (return a HTMLElement)', async () => {
+      const MyNode = h('div', { id: 'aaaa' })
+      const app = createSSRApp({
+        ssrRender(_ctx, push, parent) {
+          push(ssrRenderComponent(MyNode, null, null, parent))
+        },
+      })
+      const html = await render(app)
+      expect(html).toBe(`<div id="aaaa"></div>`)
+    })
   })
 }
diff --git a/packages/server-renderer/src/render.ts b/packages/server-renderer/src/render.ts
index f04080b9c31..b261bb06795 100644
--- a/packages/server-renderer/src/render.ts
+++ b/packages/server-renderer/src/render.ts
@@ -93,6 +93,13 @@ export function renderComponentVNode(
   parentComponent: ComponentInternalInstance | null = null,
   slotScopeId?: string,
 ): SSRBuffer | Promise<SSRBuffer> {
+  // vnode may be an ELEMENT
+  if (vnode.shapeFlag & ShapeFlags.ELEMENT) {
+    const { getBuffer, push } = createBuffer()
+    renderElementVNode(push, vnode, parentComponent!, slotScopeId)
+    return getBuffer()
+  }
+
   const instance = (vnode.component = createComponentInstance(
     vnode,
     parentComponent,