diff --git a/src/text/template/exec.go b/src/text/template/exec.go
index 20d8f98f28..4c899b1c79 100644
--- a/src/text/template/exec.go
+++ b/src/text/template/exec.go
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ func (s *state) evalPipeline(dot reflect.Value, pipe *parse.PipeNode) (value ref
 		value = s.evalCommand(dot, cmd, value) // previous value is this one's final arg.
 		// If the object has type interface{}, dig down one level to the thing inside.
 		if value.Kind() == reflect.Interface && value.Type().NumMethod() == 0 {
-			value = reflect.ValueOf(value.Interface()) // lovely!
+			value = value.Elem()
 		}
 	}
 	for _, variable := range pipe.Decl {