diff --git a/core/misc/ajax.js b/core/misc/ajax.js
index fefe9f3031..433da90f3c 100644
--- a/core/misc/ajax.js
+++ b/core/misc/ajax.js
@@ -1027,8 +1027,6 @@
       // $(response.data) as new HTML rather than a CSS selector. Also, if
       // response.data contains top-level text nodes, they get lost with either
       // $(response.data) or $('<div></div>').replaceWith(response.data).
-      var $new_content_wrapped = $('<div></div>').html(response.data);
-      var $new_content = $new_content_wrapped.contents();
 
       // For legacy reasons, the effects processing code assumes that
       // $new_content consists of a single top-level element. Also, it has not
@@ -1041,9 +1039,14 @@
       // of a single top-level element, and only use the container <div> created
       // above when it doesn't. For more information, please see
       // https://www.drupal.org/node/736066.
-      if ($new_content.length !== 1 || $new_content.get(0).nodeType !== 1) {
-        $new_content = $new_content_wrapped;
-      }
+
+      var $responseDataWrapped = $('<div></div>').html(response.data);
+      var $new_content = $responseDataWrapped.contents()
+        .filter(function (index, value) {
+          return value.nodeType === 1;
+        }).length === 1 && $responseDataWrapped.contents().length === 1 ?
+          $responseDataWrapped.children() :
+          $('<div></div>').html(response.data);
 
       // If removing content from the wrapper, detach behaviors first.
       switch (method) {
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/ajax_test.libraries.yml b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/ajax_test.libraries.yml
index f1c73064bd..772a05f734 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/ajax_test.libraries.yml
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/ajax_test.libraries.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+ajax_insert:
+  js:
+    js/insert-ajax.js: {}
+  dependencies:
+    - core/drupal.ajax
 order:
  drupalSettings:
    ajax: test
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/ajax_test.routing.yml b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/ajax_test.routing.yml
index e8d06c0a9f..89191a1c63 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/ajax_test.routing.yml
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/ajax_test.routing.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ ajax_test.dialog_contents:
   requirements:
     _access: 'TRUE'
 
+ajax_test.ajax_render_types:
+  path: '/ajax-test/dialog-contents-types/{type}'
+  defaults:
+    _title: 'AJAX Dialog contents routing'
+    _controller: '\Drupal\ajax_test\Controller\AjaxTestController::renderTypes'
+  requirements:
+    _access: 'TRUE'
+
 ajax_test.dialog_form:
   path: '/ajax-test/dialog-form'
   defaults:
@@ -21,6 +29,13 @@ ajax_test.dialog:
   requirements:
     _access: 'TRUE'
 
+ajax_test.insert_links:
+  path: '/ajax-test/insert'
+  defaults:
+    _controller: '\Drupal\ajax_test\Controller\AjaxTestController::insertLinks'
+  requirements:
+    _access: 'TRUE'
+
 ajax_test.dialog_close:
   path: '/ajax-test/dialog-close'
   defaults:
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/js/insert-ajax.js b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/js/insert-ajax.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d4cde4d2cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/js/insert-ajax.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Provides method to test ajax requests.
+ */
+
+(function ($, window, Drupal, drupalSettings) {
+  'use strict';
+
+  Drupal.behaviors.insertTest = {
+    attach: function (context, settings) {
+      $('.ajax-insert').once('ajax-insert').on('click', function (event) {
+        event.preventDefault();
+        var ajaxSettings = {
+          url: event.currentTarget.getAttribute('href'),
+          wrapper: 'ajax-target',
+          base: false,
+          element: false
+        };
+        var myAjaxObject = Drupal.ajax(ajaxSettings);
+        myAjaxObject.execute();
+      });
+    }
+  };
+})(jQuery, window, Drupal, drupalSettings);
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/src/Controller/AjaxTestController.php b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/src/Controller/AjaxTestController.php
index 63cc0abf16..a4e757c9e4 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/src/Controller/AjaxTestController.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/ajax_test/src/Controller/AjaxTestController.php
@@ -43,6 +43,83 @@ public static function dialogContents() {
   }
 
   /**
+   * Example content for testing whether response should be wrapped in div.
+   *
+   * @param string $type
+   *   Type of response. Either 'pre-wrapped', 'not-wrapped', 'mixed'.
+   *
+   * @return array
+   *   Renderable array of AJAX response contents.
+   */
+  public static function renderTypes($type) {
+    // This is a regular render array; the keys do not have special meaning.
+    switch ($type) {
+      case 'pre-wrapped':
+        $markup = '<div>wrapped</div>';
+        break;
+
+      case 'not-wrapped':
+        $markup = 'not-wrapped';
+        break;
+
+      case 'mixed':
+        $markup = 'outside<div>inside</div>';
+        break;
+    }
+    $content = [
+      '#title' => '<em>AJAX Dialog & contents</em>',
+      'content' => [
+        '#markup' => $markup,
+      ],
+    ];
+
+    return $content;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns a render array of links that directly Drupal.ajax().
+   */
+  public function insertLinks() {
+    $build['links'] = [
+      'ajax_target' => [
+        '#markup' => '<div id="ajax-target">Target</div>',
+      ],
+      'links' => [
+        '#theme' => 'links',
+        '#links' => [
+          'link1' => [
+            'title' => 'Link 1 (pre-wrapped)',
+            'url' => Url::fromRoute('ajax_test.ajax_render_types', ['type' => 'pre-wrapped']),
+            'attributes' => [
+              'class' => ['ajax-insert'],
+            ],
+            '#attached' => ['library' => ['ajax_test/ajax_insert']],
+          ],
+          'link2' => [
+            'title' => 'Link 2 (not wrapped)',
+            'url' => Url::fromRoute('ajax_test.ajax_render_types', ['type' => 'not-wrapped']),
+            'attributes' => [
+              'class' => ['ajax-insert'],
+            ],
+            '#attached' => ['library' => ['ajax_test/ajax_insert']],
+          ],
+          'link3' => [
+            'title' => 'Link 3 (mixed)',
+            'url' => Url::fromRoute('ajax_test.ajax_render_types', ['type' => 'mixed']),
+            'attributes' => [
+              'class' => ['ajax-insert'],
+            ],
+            '#attached' => ['library' => ['ajax_test/ajax_insert']],
+          ],
+        ],
+        '#attached' => ['library' => ['ajax_test/ajax_insert']],
+      ],
+    ];
+
+    return $build;
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Returns a render array that will be rendered by AjaxRenderer.
    *
    * Verifies that the response incorporates JavaScript settings generated
diff --git a/core/tests/Drupal/FunctionalJavascriptTests/Ajax/AjaxTest.php b/core/tests/Drupal/FunctionalJavascriptTests/Ajax/AjaxTest.php
index e05940537c..d3a84ff4ce 100644
--- a/core/tests/Drupal/FunctionalJavascriptTests/Ajax/AjaxTest.php
+++ b/core/tests/Drupal/FunctionalJavascriptTests/Ajax/AjaxTest.php
@@ -82,4 +82,30 @@ public function testDrupalSettingsCachingRegression() {
     $this->assertNotContains($fake_library, $libraries);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Tests how various responses are wrapped in divs when using Drupal.ajax().
+   *
+   * @todo These tests pass now but should the correct behavior be?
+   */
+  public function testDivWrap() {
+    $assert = $this->assertSession();
+    $this->drupalGet('ajax-test/insert');
+    $this->clickLink('Link 1 (pre-wrapped)');
+    $assert->assertWaitOnAjaxRequest();
+    $assert->responseContains('<div>wrapped</div>');
+
+    $this->drupalGet('ajax-test/insert');
+    $this->clickLink('Link 2 (not wrapped)');
+    $assert->assertWaitOnAjaxRequest();
+    $assert->responseContains('not-wrapped');
+    $assert->responseContains('<div>not-wrapped</div>');
+
+    $this->drupalGet('ajax-test/insert');
+    $this->clickLink('Link 3 (mixed)');
+    $assert->assertWaitOnAjaxRequest();
+    $assert->responseContains('not-wrapped');
+    $assert->responseContains('<div>outside<div>inside</div></div>');
+
+  }
+
 }
