diff --git a/context.go b/context.go
index 8de487c..16242f4 100644
--- a/context.go
+++ b/context.go
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 package html
 
-import i18n "dappco.re/go/core/i18n"
-
 // context.go: Translator provides Text() lookups for a rendering context.
 // Example: a locale-aware service can satisfy T(key, args...).
 type Translator interface {
@@ -62,11 +60,10 @@ func normaliseContext(ctx *Context) *Context {
 func NewContext(locale ...string) *Context {
 	ctx := &Context{
 		Data:    make(map[string]any),
-		service: &i18n.Service{},
+		service: newDefaultTranslator(),
 	}
 	if len(locale) > 0 {
-		ctx.Locale = locale[0]
-		applyLocaleToService(ctx.service, ctx.Locale)
+		ctx.SetLocale(locale[0])
 	}
 	return ctx
 }
diff --git a/context_test.go b/context_test.go
index f09aea8..e306f9d 100644
--- a/context_test.go
+++ b/context_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,12 @@
 
 package html
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	i18n "dappco.re/go/core/i18n"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
 
 type localeTranslator struct {
 	language string
@@ -87,3 +92,15 @@ func TestContext_SetService_AppliesCurrentLocale(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("SetService() should apply current locale to translator, got %q", svc.language)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestText_RenderFallsBackToDefaultTranslator(t *testing.T) {
+	svc, _ := i18n.New()
+	i18n.SetDefault(svc)
+	require.NoError(t, svc.SetLanguage("fr"))
+
+	ctx := &Context{}
+
+	if got := Text("prompt.yes").Render(ctx); got != "o" {
+		t.Fatalf("Text() fallback translation = %q, want %q", got, "o")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/default_translator_default.go b/default_translator_default.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b1efea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/default_translator_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 newDefaultTranslator() Translator {
+	return &i18n.Service{}
+}
diff --git a/default_translator_js.go b/default_translator_js.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8bbb8d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/default_translator_js.go
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+//go:build js
+
+// SPDX-Licence-Identifier: EUPL-1.2
+
+package html
+
+type defaultTranslator struct {
+	language string
+}
+
+func (t *defaultTranslator) T(key string, args ...any) string {
+	_ = t.language
+	if len(args) == 0 {
+		return key
+	}
+	return key
+}
+
+func (t *defaultTranslator) SetLanguage(language string) error {
+	if t == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	t.language = language
+	return nil
+}
+
+func newDefaultTranslator() Translator {
+	return &defaultTranslator{}
+}
diff --git a/node.go b/node.go
index 93aae39..77ed6cf 100644
--- a/node.go
+++ b/node.go
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
-
-	i18n "dappco.re/go/core/i18n"
 )
 
 // node.go: Node is anything renderable.
@@ -440,14 +438,7 @@ func (n *textNode) Render(ctx *Context) string {
 		return ""
 	}
 	ctx = normaliseContext(ctx)
-
-	var text string
-	if 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
+}