diff --git a/lib/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content-evaluate.js b/lib/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content-evaluate.js
index 907e32ee29..27824fc4f4 100644
--- a/lib/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content-evaluate.js
+++ b/lib/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content-evaluate.js
@@ -1,5 +1,34 @@
 import isFocusable from '../../commons/dom/is-focusable';
 
+export default function noFocusableContentEvaluate(node, options, virtualNode) {
+  if (!virtualNode.children) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const focusableDescendants = getFocusableDescendants(virtualNode);
+
+    if (!focusableDescendants.length) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    const notHiddenElements = focusableDescendants.filter(
+      usesUnreliableHidingStrategy
+    );
+
+    if (notHiddenElements.length > 0) {
+      this.data({ messageKey: 'notHidden' });
+      this.relatedNodes(notHiddenElements);
+    } else {
+      this.relatedNodes(focusableDescendants);
+    }
+
+    return false;
+  } catch (e) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
 function getFocusableDescendants(vNode) {
   if (!vNode.children) {
     if (vNode.props.nodeType === 1) {
@@ -11,7 +40,7 @@ function getFocusableDescendants(vNode) {
 
   const retVal = [];
   vNode.children.forEach(child => {
-    if(isFocusable(child)) {
+    if (isFocusable(child)) {
       retVal.push(child);
     } else {
       retVal.push(...getFocusableDescendants(child));
@@ -24,24 +53,3 @@ function usesUnreliableHidingStrategy(vNode) {
   const tabIndex = parseInt(vNode.attr('tabindex'), 10);
   return !isNaN(tabIndex) && tabIndex < 0;
 }
-
-function noFocusableContentEvaluate(node, options, virtualNode) {
-  if (!virtualNode.children) {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-  try {
-    const focusableDescendants = getFocusableDescendants(virtualNode);
-    if(focusableDescendants.length > 0) {
-      const notHiddenElements = focusableDescendants.filter(usesUnreliableHidingStrategy);
-      if(notHiddenElements.length > 0) {
-        this.data({ messageKey: 'notHidden' });
-        this.relatedNodes(notHiddenElements);
-      }
-    }
-    return focusableDescendants.length === 0;
-  } catch (e) {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-}
-
-export default noFocusableContentEvaluate;
diff --git a/lib/core/utils/check-helper.js b/lib/core/utils/check-helper.js
index 54bd539eb1..68e39f6a4b 100644
--- a/lib/core/utils/check-helper.js
+++ b/lib/core/utils/check-helper.js
@@ -25,7 +25,18 @@ function checkHelper(checkResult, options, resolve, reject) {
       checkResult.data = data;
     },
     relatedNodes(nodes) {
+      if (!window.Node) {
+        return;
+      }
+
       nodes = nodes instanceof window.Node ? [nodes] : toArray(nodes);
+
+      if (
+        !nodes.every(node => node instanceof window.Node || node.actualNode)
+      ) {
+        return;
+      }
+
       checkResult.relatedNodes = nodes.map(element => {
         return new DqElement(element, options);
       });
diff --git a/test/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content.js b/test/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content.js
index 8c84f7da81..1389e0241a 100644
--- a/test/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content.js
+++ b/test/checks/keyboard/no-focusable-content.js
@@ -29,19 +29,38 @@ describe('no-focusable-content tests', function() {
   });
 
   it('should return false if element has focusable content', function() {
-    var vNode = queryFixture(
+    var params = checkSetup(
       '<button id="target"><span tabindex="0">Hello</span></button>'
     );
-    assert.isFalse(noFocusableContent(null, null, vNode));
+
+    assert.isFalse(noFocusableContent.apply(checkContext, params));
+    assert.deepEqual(checkContext._data, null);
+    assert.deepEqual(checkContext._relatedNodes, [params[2].children[0]]);
   });
 
   it('should return false if element has natively focusable content', function() {
-    var vNode = queryFixture(
+    var params = checkSetup(
       '<button id="target"><a href="foo.html">Hello</a></button>'
     );
-    assert.isFalse(noFocusableContent(null, null, vNode));
+
+    assert.isFalse(noFocusableContent.apply(checkContext, params));
+    assert.deepEqual(checkContext._data, null);
+    assert.deepEqual(checkContext._relatedNodes, [params[2].children[0]]);
   });
-  
+
+  it('should add each focusable child as related nodes', function() {
+    var params = checkSetup(
+      '<button id="target"><span tabindex="0">Hello</span><a href="foo.html">Hello</a></button>'
+    );
+
+    assert.isFalse(noFocusableContent.apply(checkContext, params));
+    assert.deepEqual(checkContext._data, null);
+    assert.deepEqual(checkContext._relatedNodes, [
+      params[2].children[0],
+      params[2].children[1]
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it('should return false if element has natively focusable content with negative tabindex', function() {
     var params = checkSetup(
       '<button id="target"><a href="foo.html" tabindex="-1">Hello</a></button>'
@@ -49,6 +68,6 @@ describe('no-focusable-content tests', function() {
     axe.utils.getFlattenedTree(document.documentElement);
     assert.isFalse(check.evaluate.apply(checkContext, params));
     assert.deepEqual(checkContext._data, { messageKey: 'notHidden' });
+    assert.deepEqual(checkContext._relatedNodes, [params[2].children[0]]);
   });
-
 });
diff --git a/test/core/utils/check-helper.js b/test/core/utils/check-helper.js
index a198ed23bb..a5c37b83b2 100644
--- a/test/core/utils/check-helper.js
+++ b/test/core/utils/check-helper.js
@@ -115,6 +115,17 @@ describe('axe.utils.checkHelper', function() {
         assert.equal(target.relatedNodes[0].element, fixture.children[0]);
         assert.equal(target.relatedNodes[1].element, fixture.children[1]);
       });
+      it('should noop for non-node-like objects', function() {
+        var target = {},
+          helper = axe.utils.checkHelper(target, noop);
+        var nodes = new axe.SerialVirtualNode({
+          nodeName: 'div'
+        });
+        assert.doesNotThrow(function() {
+          helper.relatedNodes(nodes);
+        });
+        assert.lengthOf(target.relatedNodes, 0);
+      });
     });
   });
 });