diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/text.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/text.ts
index de06ce514b..a76e4bae18 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/text.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/instructions/text.ts
@@ -5,15 +5,13 @@
  * Use of this source code is governed by an MIT-style license that can be
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
-import {assertDataInRange, assertDefined, assertEqual} from '../../util/assert';
+import {assertDataInRange, assertEqual} from '../../util/assert';
 import {TNodeType} from '../interfaces/node';
-import {RText, isProceduralRenderer} from '../interfaces/renderer';
-import {BINDING_INDEX, HEADER_OFFSET, LView, RENDERER, TVIEW, T_HOST} from '../interfaces/view';
+import {BINDING_INDEX, HEADER_OFFSET, RENDERER, TVIEW, T_HOST} from '../interfaces/view';
 import {appendChild, createTextNode} from '../node_manipulation';
 import {getLView, getSelectedIndex, setIsNotParent} from '../state';
 import {NO_CHANGE} from '../tokens';
 import {renderStringify} from '../util/misc_utils';
-import {getNativeByIndex} from '../util/view_utils';
 
 import {bind} from './property';
 import {getOrCreateTNode, textBindingInternal} from './shared';
@@ -24,19 +22,17 @@ import {getOrCreateTNode, textBindingInternal} from './shared';
  * Create static text node
  *
  * @param index Index of the node in the data array
- * @param value Value to write. This value will be stringified.
+ * @param value Static string value to write.
  *
  * @codeGenApi
  */
-export function ɵɵtext(index: number, value?: any): void {
+export function ɵɵtext(index: number, value: string = ''): void {
   const lView = getLView();
   ngDevMode && assertEqual(
                    lView[BINDING_INDEX], lView[TVIEW].bindingStartIndex,
                    'text nodes should be created before any bindings');
-  ngDevMode && ngDevMode.rendererCreateTextNode++;
   ngDevMode && assertDataInRange(lView, index + HEADER_OFFSET);
   const textNative = lView[index + HEADER_OFFSET] = createTextNode(value, lView[RENDERER]);
-  ngDevMode && ngDevMode.rendererSetText++;
   const tNode = getOrCreateTNode(lView[TVIEW], lView[T_HOST], index, TNodeType.Element, null, null);
 
   // Text nodes are self closing.
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
index e6cafe1127..17528fdc35 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/node_manipulation.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import {ProceduralRenderer3, RElement, RNode, RText, Renderer3, isProceduralRend
 import {isLContainer, isLView, isRootView} from './interfaces/type_checks';
 import {CHILD_HEAD, CLEANUP, DECLARATION_LCONTAINER, FLAGS, HOST, HookData, LView, LViewFlags, NEXT, PARENT, QUERIES, RENDERER, TVIEW, T_HOST, unusedValueExportToPlacateAjd as unused5} from './interfaces/view';
 import {assertNodeOfPossibleTypes, assertNodeType} from './node_assert';
-import {renderStringify} from './util/misc_utils';
 import {findComponentView, getLViewParent} from './util/view_traversal_utils';
 import {getNativeByTNode, getNativeByTNodeOrNull, unwrapRNode} from './util/view_utils';
 
@@ -116,9 +115,11 @@ function applyToElementOrContainer(
   }
 }
 
-export function createTextNode(value: any, renderer: Renderer3): RText {
-  return isProceduralRenderer(renderer) ? renderer.createText(renderStringify(value)) :
-                                          renderer.createTextNode(renderStringify(value));
+export function createTextNode(value: string, renderer: Renderer3): RText {
+  ngDevMode && ngDevMode.rendererCreateTextNode++;
+  ngDevMode && ngDevMode.rendererSetText++;
+  return isProceduralRenderer(renderer) ? renderer.createText(value) :
+                                          renderer.createTextNode(value);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/core/core.d.ts b/tools/public_api_guard/core/core.d.ts
index 75f77ba707..a552de6b55 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/core/core.d.ts
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/core/core.d.ts
@@ -1086,7 +1086,7 @@ export declare function ɵɵtemplate(index: number, templateFn: ComponentTemplat
 
 export declare function ɵɵtemplateRefExtractor(tNode: TNode, currentView: LView): ViewEngine_TemplateRef<unknown> | null;
 
-export declare function ɵɵtext(index: number, value?: any): void;
+export declare function ɵɵtext(index: number, value?: string): void;
 
 export declare function ɵɵtextBinding<T>(value: T | NO_CHANGE): void;