diff --git a/context.go b/context.go
index 3bc77ef..a220dbc 100644
--- a/context.go
+++ b/context.go
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 package html
 
-import i18n "dappco.re/go/core/i18n"
+// Translator provides Text() lookups for a rendering context.
+//
+// The default server build uses go-i18n. Alternate builds, including WASM,
+// can provide any implementation with the same T() method.
+type Translator interface {
+	T(key string, args ...any) string
+}
 
 // Context carries rendering state through the node tree.
 type Context struct {
@@ -8,7 +14,7 @@ type Context struct {
 	Locale       string
 	Entitlements func(feature string) bool
 	Data         map[string]any
-	service      *i18n.Service
+	service      Translator
 }
 
 // NewContext creates a new rendering context with sensible defaults.
@@ -18,8 +24,8 @@ func NewContext() *Context {
 	}
 }
 
-// NewContextWithService creates a rendering context backed by a specific i18n service.
-func NewContextWithService(svc *i18n.Service) *Context {
+// NewContextWithService creates a rendering context backed by a specific translator.
+func NewContextWithService(svc Translator) *Context {
 	return &Context{
 		Data:    make(map[string]any),
 		service: svc,
diff --git a/docs/architecture.md b/docs/architecture.md
index a78bad6..7ecd934 100644
--- a/docs/architecture.md
+++ b/docs/architecture.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ All concrete node types are unexported structs with exported constructor functio
 |-------------|-----------|
 | `El(tag, ...Node)` | HTML element with children. Void elements (`br`, `img`, `input`, etc.) never emit a closing tag. |
 | `Attr(Node, key, value)` | Sets an attribute on an `El` node. Traverses through `If`, `Unless`, and `Entitled` wrappers. Returns the node for chaining. |
-| `Text(key, ...any)` | Translated text via `go-i18n`. Output is always HTML-escaped. |
+| `Text(key, ...any)` | Translated text via the active context translator. Server builds fall back to global `go-i18n`; JS builds fall back to the key. Output is always HTML-escaped. |
 | `Raw(content)` | Unescaped trusted content. Explicit escape hatch. |
 | `If(cond, Node)` | Renders the child only when the condition function returns true. |
 | `Unless(cond, Node)` | Renders the child only when the condition function returns false. |
@@ -50,16 +50,16 @@ type Context struct {
     Locale       string                     // BCP 47 locale string
     Entitlements func(feature string) bool  // feature gate callback
     Data         map[string]any             // arbitrary per-request data
-    service      *i18n.Service              // unexported; set via constructor
+    service      Translator                 // unexported; set via constructor
 }
 ```
 
 Two constructors are provided:
 
 - `NewContext()` creates a context with sensible defaults and an empty `Data` map.
-- `NewContextWithService(svc)` creates a context backed by a specific `i18n.Service` instance.
+- `NewContextWithService(svc)` creates a context backed by any translator implementing `T(key, ...any) string` such as `*i18n.Service`.
 
-The `service` field is intentionally unexported. When nil, `Text` nodes fall back to the global `i18n.T()` default. This prevents callers from setting the service inconsistently after construction.
+The `service` field is intentionally unexported. When nil, server builds fall back to the global `i18n.T()` default while JS builds render the key unchanged. This prevents callers from setting the service inconsistently after construction while keeping the WASM import graph lean.
 
 ## HLCRF Layout
 
diff --git a/docs/development.md b/docs/development.md
index c5c6838..55af80b 100644
--- a/docs/development.md
+++ b/docs/development.md
@@ -291,6 +291,6 @@ func TestGenerateClass_ValidTag(t *testing.T) {
 
 - `NewLayout("XYZ")` silently produces empty output for unrecognised slot letters. Valid letters are `H`, `L`, `C`, `R`, `F`. There is no error or warning.
 - `Responsive.Variant()` accepts only `*Layout`, not arbitrary `Node` values. Arbitrary subtrees must be wrapped in a single-slot layout first.
-- `Context.service` is unexported. Custom i18n service injection requires `NewContextWithService()`. There is no way to swap the service after construction.
+- `Context.service` is unexported. Custom translation injection requires `NewContextWithService()`. There is no way to swap the translator after construction.
 - The WASM module has no integration test for the JavaScript exports. `size_test.go` tests binary size only; it does not exercise `renderToString` behaviour from JavaScript.
 - `codegen.GenerateBundle()` iterates a `map`, so the order of class definitions in the output is non-deterministic. This does not affect correctness but may cause cosmetic diffs between runs.
diff --git a/node.go b/node.go
index f47ee36..d5d6be2 100644
--- a/node.go
+++ b/node.go
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"maps"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
-
-	i18n "dappco.re/go/core/i18n"
 )
 
 // Node is anything renderable.
@@ -152,13 +150,7 @@ func Text(key string, args ...any) Node {
 }
 
 func (n *textNode) Render(ctx *Context) string {
-	var text string
-	if ctx != nil && ctx.service != nil {
-		text = ctx.service.T(n.key, n.args...)
-	} else {
-		text = i18n.T(n.key, n.args...)
-	}
-	return escapeHTML(text)
+	return escapeHTML(translateText(ctx, n.key, n.args...))
 }
 
 // --- ifNode ---
diff --git a/text_translate.go b/text_translate.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e3ee8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/text_translate.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// SPDX-Licence-Identifier: EUPL-1.2
+
+package html
+
+func translateText(ctx *Context, key string, args ...any) string {
+	if ctx != nil && ctx.service != nil {
+		return ctx.service.T(key, args...)
+	}
+
+	return translateDefault(key, args...)
+}
diff --git a/text_translate_default.go b/text_translate_default.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3bb280c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/text_translate_default.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+//go:build !js
+
+// SPDX-Licence-Identifier: EUPL-1.2
+
+package html
+
+import i18n "dappco.re/go/core/i18n"
+
+func translateDefault(key string, args ...any) string {
+	return i18n.T(key, args...)
+}
diff --git a/text_translate_js.go b/text_translate_js.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..692e4c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/text_translate_js.go
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+//go:build js
+
+// SPDX-Licence-Identifier: EUPL-1.2
+
+package html
+
+func translateDefault(key string, _ ...any) string {
+	return key
+}