diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 751e7c26..d2e6f61d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ The containing DOM node of your rendered React Element (rendered using
 
 The containing DOM node where your React Element is rendered in the container.
 If you don't specify the `baseElement` in the options of `render`, it will
-default to `documentElement`.
+default to `document.body`.
 
 This is useful when the component you want to test renders something outside the
 container div, e.g. when you want to snapshot test your portal component which
@@ -977,7 +977,7 @@ Thanks goes to these people ([emoji key][emojis]):
 | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/2224291?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Maddi Joyce</b></sub>](http://www.maddijoyce.com)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=maddijoyce "Code") | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/10080111?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Ryan Vice</b></sub>](http://www.vicesoftware.com)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=RyanAtViceSoftware "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars1.githubusercontent.com/u/7942604?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Ian Wilson</b></sub>](https://ianwilson.io)<br />[📝](#blog-iwilsonq "Blogposts") [✅](#tutorial-iwilsonq "Tutorials") | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/1635491?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Daniel</b></sub>](https://github.com/InExtremaRes)<br />[🐛](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/issues?q=author%3AInExtremaRes "Bug reports") [💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=InExtremaRes "Code") | [<img src="https://avatars0.githubusercontent.com/u/767959?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Giorgio Polvara</b></sub>](https://twitter.com/Gpx)<br />[🐛](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/issues?q=author%3AGpx "Bug reports") [🤔](#ideas-Gpx "Ideas, Planning, & Feedback") | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/132233?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>John Gozde</b></sub>](https://github.com/jgoz)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=jgoz "Code") | [<img src="https://avatars0.githubusercontent.com/u/8203211?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Sam Horton</b></sub>](https://twitter.com/SavePointSam)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=SavePointSam "Documentation") [💡](#example-SavePointSam "Examples") [🤔](#ideas-SavePointSam "Ideas, Planning, & Feedback") |
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 | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/5286559?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Mark Pollmann</b></sub>](https://markpollmann.com/)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=MarkPollmann "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars1.githubusercontent.com/u/1213123?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Ehtesham Kafeel</b></sub>](https://github.com/ehteshamkafeel)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=ehteshamkafeel "Code") [📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=ehteshamkafeel "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/1493505?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Julio Pavón</b></sub>](http://jpavon.com)<br />[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=jpavon "Code") | [<img src="https://avatars3.githubusercontent.com/u/1765048?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Duncan L</b></sub>](http://www.duncanleung.com/)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=duncanleung "Documentation") [💡](#example-duncanleung "Examples") | [<img src="https://avatars1.githubusercontent.com/u/700778?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Tiago Almeida</b></sub>](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyagow/?locale=en_US)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=tyagow "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/4982001?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Robert Smith</b></sub>](http://rbrtsmith.com/)<br />[🐛](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/issues?q=author%3Arbrtsmith "Bug reports") | [<img src="https://avatars0.githubusercontent.com/u/1700355?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Zach Green</b></sub>](https://offbyone.tech)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=zgreen "Documentation") |
-| [<img src="https://avatars3.githubusercontent.com/u/881986?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>dadamssg</b></sub>](https://github.com/dadamssg)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=dadamssg "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars0.githubusercontent.com/u/8734097?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Yazan Aabed</b></sub>](https://www.yaabed.com/)<br />[📝](#blog-YazanAabeed "Blogposts") |
+| [<img src="https://avatars3.githubusercontent.com/u/881986?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>dadamssg</b></sub>](https://github.com/dadamssg)<br />[📖](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=dadamssg "Documentation") | [<img src="https://avatars0.githubusercontent.com/u/8734097?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Yazan Aabed</b></sub>](https://www.yaabed.com/)<br />[📝](#blog-YazanAabeed "Blogposts") | [<img src="https://avatars1.githubusercontent.com/u/556258?v=4" width="100px;"/><br /><sub><b>Tim Hansen</b></sub>](https://github.com/timbonicus)<br />[🐛](https://github.com/kentcdodds/dom-testing-library/issues?q=author=timbonicus)[💻](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=timbonicus "Code")[⚠️](https://github.com/kentcdodds/react-testing-library/commits?author=timbonicus "Tests") |
 
 <!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-LIST:END -->
 
diff --git a/src/__tests__/render.js b/src/__tests__/render.js
index b5c09b90..464b8fc2 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/render.js
+++ b/src/__tests__/render.js
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ test('works great with react portals', () => {
   expect(document.body.contains(portalNode)).toBe(false)
 })
 
-test('returns baseElement which defaults to document.documentElement', () => {
+test('returns baseElement which defaults to document.body', () => {
   const {baseElement} = render(<div />)
-  expect(baseElement).toBe(document.documentElement)
+  expect(baseElement).toBe(document.body)
 })
 
 it('cleansup document', () => {
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 8993e012..b5e238aa 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ const mountedContainers = new Set()
 
 function render(ui, {container, baseElement = container} = {}) {
   if (!container) {
-    baseElement = document.documentElement
+    // default to document.body instead of documentElement to avoid output of potentially-large
+    // head elements (such as JSS style blocks) in debug output
+    baseElement = document.body
     container = document.body.appendChild(document.createElement('div'))
   }