diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget.js
index 2e4892e..23fa385 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget.js
@@ -390,11 +390,15 @@ define(["widgets/js/manager",
             }
         },
 
-        typeset: function(text, $el){
-            // check if MathJax is available, and if so use it to
-            // typeset some jQuery selection
-            $el.text(text);
-            if(!window.MathJax){ return; }
+        typeset: function($el, text){
+            // after (optionally) updating a selection's text, check if 
+            // MathJax is available and typeset it
+            if(arguments.length > 1){
+                $el.text(text);
+            }
+            if(!window.MathJax){
+                return;
+            }
             return MathJax.Hub.Queue(["Typeset", MathJax.Hub, $el.get(0)]);
         }
     });
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js
index f9986f0..9b84118 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.trim().length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
+                    this.typeset(this.$label, description);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_box.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_box.js
index 5da898f..e7850ce 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_box.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_box.js
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ define([
             if (description.trim().length === 0) {
                 this.$title.html(" "); // Preserve title height
             } else {
-                this.typeset(description, this.$title);
+                this.typeset(this.$title, description);
             }
             
             var button_text = this.model.get('button_text');
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_int.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_int.js
index 7d53d7a..4b10705 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_int.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_int.js
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
+                    this.typeset(this.$label, description);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
                 
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
+                    this.typeset(this.$label, description);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ define([
             if (description.length === 0) {
                 this.$label.hide();
             } else {
-                this.typeset(description, this.$label);
+                this.typeset(this.$label, description);
                 this.$label.show();
             }
             return ProgressView.__super__.update.apply(this);
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_selection.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_selection.js
index 4ad1960..52742ae 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_selection.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_selection.js
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
+                    this.typeset(this.$label, description);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ define([
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
                     this.$label.text(description);
-                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
+                    this.typeset(this.$label, description);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ define([
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
                     this.$label.text();
-                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
+                    this.typeset(this.$label, description);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
+                    this.typeset(this.$label, description);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_string.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_string.js
index 5b85ee3..eb1d783 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_string.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_string.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ define([
              * Called when the model is changed.  The model may have been 
              * changed by another view or by a state update from the back-end.
              */
-            this.typeset(this.model.get('value'), this.$el);
+            this.typeset(this.$el, this.model.get('value'));
             return LatexView.__super__.update.apply(this);
         }, 
     });
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
+                    this.typeset(this.$label, description);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ define([
                 if (description.length === 0) {
                     this.$label.hide();
                 } else {
-                    this.typeset(description, this.$label);
+                    this.typeset(this.$label, description);
                     this.$label.show();
                 }
             }