diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/general/TemplateView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/general/TemplateView.js
index 14cb53ac..6b016b9b 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/general/TemplateView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/general/TemplateView.js
@@ -296,11 +296,6 @@ class TemplateBuilder {
         return root;
     }
 
-    // sugar
-    createTemplate(render) {
-        return vm => new TemplateView(vm, render);
-    }
-
     // map a value to a view, every time the value changes
     mapView(mapFn, viewCreator) {
         return this._addReplaceNodeBinding(mapFn, (prevNode) => {
@@ -321,13 +316,29 @@ class TemplateBuilder {
         });
     }
 
-    // creates a conditional subtemplate
-    if(fn, viewCreator) {
+    // Special case of mapView for a TemplateView.
+    // Always creates a TemplateView, if this is optional depending
+    // on mappedValue, use `if` or `mapView`
+    map(mapFn, renderFn) {
+        return this.mapView(mapFn, mappedValue => {
+            return new TemplateView(this._value, (t, vm) => {
+                return renderFn(mappedValue, t, vm);
+            });
+        });
+    }
+
+    ifView(predicate, viewCreator) {
         return this.mapView(
-            value => !!fn(value),
+            value => !!predicate(value),
             enabled => enabled ? viewCreator(this._value) : null
         );
     }
+
+    // creates a conditional subtemplate
+    // use mapView if you need to map to a different view class
+    if(predicate, renderFn) {
+        return this.ifView(predicate, vm => new TemplateView(vm, renderFn));
+    }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/login/LoginView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/login/LoginView.js
index 48dbcdf1..0b15d42a 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/login/LoginView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/login/LoginView.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export class LoginView extends TemplateView {
             t.div({className: "logo"}),
             t.div({className: "LoginView form"}, [
                 t.h1([vm.i18n`Sign In`]),
-                t.if(vm => vm.error, t.createTemplate(t => t.div({className: "error"}, vm => vm.error))),
+                t.if(vm => vm.error, t => t.div({className: "error"}, vm => vm.error)),
                 t.form({
                     onSubmit: evnt => {
                         evnt.preventDefault();
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/login/SessionPickerView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/login/SessionPickerView.js
index 279135ac..4bb69ee2 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/login/SessionPickerView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/login/SessionPickerView.js
@@ -70,14 +70,14 @@ class SessionPickerItemView extends TemplateView {
             disabled: vm => vm.isClearing,
             onClick: () => vm.export(),
         }, "Export");
-        const downloadExport = t.if(vm => vm.exportDataUrl, t.createTemplate((t, vm) => {
+        const downloadExport = t.if(vm => vm.exportDataUrl, (t, vm) => {
             return t.a({
                 href: vm.exportDataUrl,
                 download: `brawl-session-${vm.id}.json`,
                 onClick: () => setTimeout(() => vm.clearExport(), 100),
             }, "Download");
-        }));
-        const errorMessage = t.if(vm => vm.error, t.createTemplate(t => t.p({className: "error"}, vm => vm.error)));
+        });
+        const errorMessage = t.if(vm => vm.error, t => t.p({className: "error"}, vm => vm.error));
         return t.li([
             t.a({className: "session-info", href: vm.openUrl}, [
                 t.div({className: `avatar usercolor${vm.avatarColorNumber}`}, vm => vm.avatarInitials),
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ export class SessionPickerView extends TemplateView {
                         href: vm.cancelUrl
                     }, vm.i18n`Sign In`)
                 ]),
-                t.if(vm => vm.loadViewModel, vm => new SessionLoadStatusView(vm.loadViewModel)),
+                t.ifView(vm => vm.loadViewModel, () => new SessionLoadStatusView(vm.loadViewModel)),
                 t.p(hydrogenGithubLink(t))
             ])
         ]);
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/session/SessionStatusView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/session/SessionStatusView.js
index 6a123ea9..fff25453 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/session/SessionStatusView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/session/SessionStatusView.js
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ export class SessionStatusView extends TemplateView {
         }}, [
             spinner(t, {hidden: vm => !vm.isWaiting}),
             t.p(vm => vm.statusLabel),
-            t.if(vm => vm.isConnectNowShown, t.createTemplate(t => t.button({className: "link", onClick: () => vm.connectNow()}, "Retry now"))),
-            t.if(vm => vm.isSecretStorageShown, t.createTemplate(t => t.a({href: vm.setupSessionBackupUrl}, "Go to settings"))),
-            t.if(vm => vm.canDismiss, t.createTemplate(t => t.div({className: "end"}, t.button({className: "dismiss", onClick: () => vm.dismiss()})))),
+            t.if(vm => vm.isConnectNowShown, t => t.button({className: "link", onClick: () => vm.connectNow()}, "Retry now")),
+            t.if(vm => vm.isSecretStorageShown, t => t.a({href: vm.setupSessionBackupUrl}, "Go to settings")),
+            t.if(vm => vm.canDismiss, t => t.div({className: "end"}, t.button({className: "dismiss", onClick: () => vm.dismiss()}))),
         ]);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/BaseMediaView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/BaseMediaView.js
index 7dc538e6..b5b0ed4b 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/BaseMediaView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/BaseMediaView.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export class BaseMediaView extends TemplateView {
         }
         return renderMessage(t, vm, [
             t.div({className: "media", style: `max-width: ${vm.width}px`}, children),
-            t.if(vm => vm.error, t.createTemplate((t, vm) => t.p({className: "error"}, vm.error)))
+            t.if(vm => vm.error, t => t.p({className: "error"}, vm.error))
         ]);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/GapView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/GapView.js
index 2b23ae3c..1e6e0af0 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/GapView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/session/room/timeline/GapView.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export class GapView extends TemplateView {
         return t.li({className}, [
             spinner(t),
             t.div(vm.i18n`Loading more messages …`),
-            t.if(vm => vm.error, t.createTemplate(t => t.strong(vm => vm.error)))
+            t.if(vm => vm.error, t => t.strong(vm => vm.error))
         ]);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/session/settings/SessionBackupSettingsView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/session/settings/SessionBackupSettingsView.js
index c1c0e455..3c4f60ed 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/session/settings/SessionBackupSettingsView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/session/settings/SessionBackupSettingsView.js
@@ -67,11 +67,11 @@ function renderEnableFieldRow(t, vm, label, callback) {
 }
 
 function renderError(t) {
-    return t.if(vm => vm.error, t.createTemplate((t, vm) => {
+    return t.if(vm => vm.error, (t, vm) => {
         return t.div([
             t.p({className: "error"}, vm => vm.i18n`Could not enable session backup: ${vm.error}.`),
             t.p(vm.i18n`Try double checking that you did not mix up your security key, security phrase and login password as explained above.`)
         ])
-    }));
+    });
 }