diff --git a/src/nodeElement/folderElement.ts b/src/nodeElement/folderElement.ts
index aa9b4e32..6e51596e 100644
--- a/src/nodeElement/folderElement.ts
+++ b/src/nodeElement/folderElement.ts
@@ -14,19 +14,19 @@ class FolderElement extends NodeElement {
     private triggerEvent: TriggerEvent;
 
     constructor({
-        $treeElement,
         closedIconElement,
         getScrollLeft,
         node,
         openedIconElement,
         tabIndex,
+        treeElement,
         triggerEvent,
     }: FolderElementParams) {
         super({
-            $treeElement,
             getScrollLeft,
             node,
             tabIndex,
+            treeElement,
         });
 
         this.closedIconElement = closedIconElement;
diff --git a/src/nodeElement/index.ts b/src/nodeElement/index.ts
index 5c275bcd..52ca1c35 100644
--- a/src/nodeElement/index.ts
+++ b/src/nodeElement/index.ts
@@ -6,28 +6,28 @@ import BorderDropHint from "./borderDropHint";
 import GhostDropHint from "./ghostDropHint";
 
 export interface NodeElementParams {
-    $treeElement: JQuery;
     getScrollLeft: GetScrollLeft;
     node: Node;
     tabIndex?: number;
+    treeElement: HTMLElement;
 }
 
 class NodeElement {
-    private $treeElement: JQuery;
     private getScrollLeft: GetScrollLeft;
     private tabIndex?: number;
+    private treeElement: HTMLElement;
     public element: HTMLElement;
     public node: Node;
 
     constructor({
-        $treeElement,
         getScrollLeft,
         node,
         tabIndex,
+        treeElement,
     }: NodeElementParams) {
         this.getScrollLeft = getScrollLeft;
         this.tabIndex = tabIndex;
-        this.$treeElement = $treeElement;
+        this.treeElement = treeElement;
 
         this.init(node);
     }
@@ -68,16 +68,10 @@ class NodeElement {
         this.node = node;
 
         if (!node.element) {
-            const element = this.$treeElement.get(0);
-
-            if (element) {
-                node.element = element;
-            }
+            node.element = this.treeElement;
         }
 
-        if (node.element) {
-            this.element = node.element;
-        }
+        this.element = node.element;
     }
 
     public select(mustSetFocus: boolean): void {
diff --git a/src/test/nodeElement/borderDropHint.test.ts b/src/test/nodeElement/borderDropHint.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5c6088a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/nodeElement/borderDropHint.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import BorderDropHint from "../../nodeElement/borderDropHint";
+
+it("creates an element", () => {
+    const element = document.createElement("div");
+
+    const jqTreeElement = document.createElement("div");
+    jqTreeElement.classList.add("jqtree-element");
+    element.append(jqTreeElement);
+
+    new BorderDropHint(element, 0);
+
+    expect(jqTreeElement.children.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(jqTreeElement.children[0]).toHaveClass("jqtree-border");
+});
+
+it("doesn't create an element if the node doesn't have a jqtree-element child", () => {
+    const element = document.createElement("div");
+
+    new BorderDropHint(element, 0);
+
+    expect(element.children).toBeEmpty();
+});
diff --git a/src/test/nodeElement/index.test.ts b/src/test/nodeElement/index.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a2eddf67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/nodeElement/index.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { Node } from "../../node";
+import NodeElement from "../../nodeElement";
+
+it("sets the element to the element of the node", () => {
+    const treeElement = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.append(treeElement);
+
+    const element = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.append(element);
+
+    const node = new Node();
+    node.element = element;
+
+    const getScrollLeft = () => 0;
+
+    const nodeElement = new NodeElement({ getScrollLeft, node, treeElement });
+    expect(nodeElement.element).toEqual(element);
+});
+
+it("sets the element to the tree element when the node doesn't have an element", () => {
+    const treeElement = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.append(treeElement);
+
+    const node = new Node();
+    const getScrollLeft = () => 0;
+
+    const nodeElement = new NodeElement({ getScrollLeft, node, treeElement });
+    expect(nodeElement.element).toEqual(treeElement);
+});
diff --git a/src/tree.jquery.ts b/src/tree.jquery.ts
index 135687a7..e040b802 100644
--- a/src/tree.jquery.ts
+++ b/src/tree.jquery.ts
@@ -250,16 +250,16 @@ export class JqTreeWidget extends SimpleWidget<JQTreeOptions> {
         );
         const openedIconElement = this.renderer.openedIconElement;
         const tabIndex = this.options.tabIndex;
-        const $treeElement = this.element;
+        const treeElement = this.element.get(0) as HTMLElement;
         const triggerEvent = this.triggerEvent.bind(this);
 
         return new FolderElement({
-            $treeElement,
             closedIconElement,
             getScrollLeft,
             node,
             openedIconElement,
             tabIndex,
+            treeElement,
             triggerEvent,
         });
     }
@@ -269,13 +269,13 @@ export class JqTreeWidget extends SimpleWidget<JQTreeOptions> {
             this.scrollHandler,
         );
         const tabIndex = this.options.tabIndex;
-        const $treeElement = this.element;
+        const treeElement = this.element.get(0) as HTMLElement;
 
         return new NodeElement({
-            $treeElement,
             getScrollLeft,
             node,
             tabIndex,
+            treeElement,
         });
     }