diff --git a/types/d3-transition/d3-transition-tests.ts b/types/d3-transition/d3-transition-tests.ts
index 9ea659ac010868..bbc14982ac8000 100644
--- a/types/d3-transition/d3-transition-tests.ts
+++ b/types/d3-transition/d3-transition-tests.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 import {
     ArrayLike,
+    BaseType,
     selection,
     select,
     selectAll,
@@ -520,7 +521,7 @@ exitTransition = exitTransition
 
 // transition(...) ----------------------------------------------------------
 
-let topTransition: d3Transition.Transition<HTMLElement, any, null, undefined>;
+let topTransition: d3Transition.Transition<BaseType, any, null, undefined>;
 topTransition = d3Transition.transition('top');
 
 // test creation from existing transition
@@ -530,7 +531,7 @@ topTransition = d3Transition.transition(enterTransition);
 // tests with pre-existing datum (typed as string)
 // set datum with a type of string
 select('html').datum('test');
-let topTransition2: d3Transition.Transition<HTMLElement, string, null, undefined>;
+let topTransition2: d3Transition.Transition<BaseType, string, null, undefined>;
 topTransition2 = d3Transition.transition<string>('top');
 topTransition2 = d3Transition.transition<string>(enterTransition);
 
diff --git a/types/d3-transition/index.d.ts b/types/d3-transition/index.d.ts
index 41e2b1c934026c..1fdaeef00b1320 100644
--- a/types/d3-transition/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/d3-transition/index.d.ts
@@ -623,21 +623,21 @@ export type SelectionOrTransition<GElement extends BaseType, Datum, PElement ext
  * Returns a new transition with the specified name. If a name is not specified, null is used.
  * The new transition is only exclusive with other transitions of the same name.
  *
- * The generic "OldDatum" refers to the type of a previously-set datum of the selected HTML element in the Transition.
+ * The generic "OldDatum" refers to the type of a previously-set datum of the selected element in the Transition.
  *
  * @param name Name of the transition.
  */
 // tslint:disable-next-line:no-unnecessary-generics
-export function transition<OldDatum>(name?: string): Transition<HTMLElement, OldDatum, null, undefined>;
+export function transition<OldDatum>(name?: string): Transition<BaseType, OldDatum, null, undefined>;
 
 /**
  * Returns a new transition from an existing transition.
  *
  * When using a transition instance, the returned transition has the same id and name as the specified transition.
  *
- * The generic "OldDatum" refers to the type of a previously-set datum of the selected HTML element in the Transition.
+ * The generic "OldDatum" refers to the type of a previously-set datum of the selected element in the Transition.
  *
  * @param transition A transition instance.
  */
 // tslint:disable-next-line:no-unnecessary-generics
-export function transition<OldDatum>(transition: Transition<BaseType, any, BaseType, any>): Transition<HTMLElement, OldDatum, null, undefined>;
+export function transition<OldDatum>(transition: Transition<BaseType, any, BaseType, any>): Transition<BaseType, OldDatum, null, undefined>;