diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/utils.js b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/utils.js
index 4a01b1804b9dd..169623a1633a9 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/utils.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/backend/utils.js
@@ -181,8 +181,9 @@ export function formatWithStyles(
     inputArgs === undefined ||
     inputArgs === null ||
     inputArgs.length === 0 ||
+    typeof inputArgs[0] !== 'string' ||
     // Matches any of %c but not %%c
-    (typeof inputArgs[0] === 'string' && inputArgs[0].match(/([^%]|^)(%c)/g)) ||
+    inputArgs[0].match(/([^%]|^)(%c)/g) ||
     style === undefined
   ) {
     return inputArgs;
diff --git a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/hook.js b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/hook.js
index 8250bebc9354e..d41ea4559159a 100644
--- a/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/hook.js
+++ b/packages/react-devtools-shared/src/hook.js
@@ -180,9 +180,9 @@ export function installHook(target: any): DevToolsHook | null {
       inputArgs === undefined ||
       inputArgs === null ||
       inputArgs.length === 0 ||
+      typeof inputArgs[0] !== 'string' ||
       // Matches any of %c but not %%c
-      (typeof inputArgs[0] === 'string' &&
-        inputArgs[0].match(/([^%]|^)(%c)/g)) ||
+      inputArgs[0].match(/([^%]|^)(%c)/g) ||
       style === undefined
     ) {
       return inputArgs;