diff --git a/packages/controls/src/widget_description.ts b/packages/controls/src/widget_description.ts
index 2b0ccdcf7f..afc6556f6e 100644
--- a/packages/controls/src/widget_description.ts
+++ b/packages/controls/src/widget_description.ts
@@ -67,9 +67,6 @@ export class DescriptionView extends DOMWidgetView {
 
   typeset(element: HTMLElement, text?: string): void {
     this.displayed.then(() => {
-      if ((window as any).MathJax?.Hub?.Queue) {
-        return typeset(element, text);
-      }
       const widget_manager: any = this.model.widget_manager;
       const latexTypesetter = widget_manager._rendermime?.latexTypesetter;
       if (latexTypesetter) {
@@ -77,6 +74,8 @@ export class DescriptionView extends DOMWidgetView {
           element.textContent = text;
         }
         latexTypesetter.typeset(element);
+      } else {
+        return typeset(element, text);
       }
     });
   }