diff --git a/.changeset/spicy-turtles-travel.md b/.changeset/spicy-turtles-travel.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f93748df5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/spicy-turtles-travel.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"marko": patch
+---
+
+Improve compatibility of legacy Marko widgets loading a template compiled as esm.
diff --git a/packages/marko/src/node_modules/@internal/components-define-widget-legacy/index-browser.js b/packages/marko/src/node_modules/@internal/components-define-widget-legacy/index-browser.js
index 6c5ac364b0..4a2648853f 100644
--- a/packages/marko/src/node_modules/@internal/components-define-widget-legacy/index-browser.js
+++ b/packages/marko/src/node_modules/@internal/components-define-widget-legacy/index-browser.js
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ module.exports = function defineWidget(def, renderer) {
       template = req(template);
     }
 
-    registry.r(template.___typeName, function () {
+    registry.r((template.default || template).___typeName, function () {
       return Component;
     });
   }