diff --git a/src/main/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory/AppiumFieldDecorator.java b/src/main/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory/AppiumFieldDecorator.java
index ccbed8fac..792932cd4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory/AppiumFieldDecorator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory/AppiumFieldDecorator.java
@@ -193,8 +193,8 @@ protected boolean isDecoratableList(Field field) {
      * @return a field value or null.
      */
     public Object decorate(ClassLoader ignored, Field field) {
-        Object result = defaultElementFieldDecorator.decorate(ignored, field);
-        return result == null ? decorateWidget(field) : result;
+        Object result = decorateWidget(field);
+        return result == null ? defaultElementFieldDecorator.decorate(ignored, field) : result;
     }
 
     @Nullable
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/DesktopBrowserCompatibilityTest.java b/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/DesktopBrowserCompatibilityTest.java
index 40c672ae7..911fefc02 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/DesktopBrowserCompatibilityTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/DesktopBrowserCompatibilityTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import io.appium.java_client.pagefactory.AndroidFindBy;
 import io.appium.java_client.pagefactory.AppiumFieldDecorator;
 import io.appium.java_client.pagefactory.HowToUseLocators;
+import io.appium.java_client.pagefactory.Widget;
 import io.appium.java_client.pagefactory.iOSXCUITFindBy;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeAll;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@
 import static io.appium.java_client.pagefactory.LocatorGroupStrategy.ALL_POSSIBLE;
 import static io.github.bonigarcia.wdm.WebDriverManager.chromedriver;
 import static java.time.Duration.ofSeconds;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
 
@@ -69,6 +71,7 @@ public class DesktopBrowserCompatibilityTest {
             assertNotEquals(0, main.size());
             assertNull(trap1);
             assertNull(trap2);
+            foundLinks.forEach(element -> assertFalse(Widget.class.isAssignableFrom(element.getClass())));
         } finally {
             driver.quit();
         }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/widget/tests/DefaultStubWidget.java b/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/widget/tests/DefaultStubWidget.java
index 5977646d7..7de8cf327 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/widget/tests/DefaultStubWidget.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/widget/tests/DefaultStubWidget.java
@@ -1,11 +1,17 @@
 package io.appium.java_client.pagefactory_tests.widget.tests;
 
 import io.appium.java_client.pagefactory.Widget;
+import org.jspecify.annotations.Nullable;
+import org.openqa.selenium.Dimension;
+import org.openqa.selenium.OutputType;
+import org.openqa.selenium.Point;
+import org.openqa.selenium.Rectangle;
+import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriverException;
 import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
-public class DefaultStubWidget extends Widget {
+public class DefaultStubWidget extends Widget implements WebElement {
     protected DefaultStubWidget(WebElement element) {
         super(element);
     }
@@ -22,4 +28,79 @@ public <T extends Widget> List<T> getSubWidgets() {
     public String toString() {
         return getWrappedElement().toString();
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public void click() {
+        getWrappedElement().click();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void submit() {
+        getWrappedElement().submit();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void sendKeys(CharSequence... keysToSend) {
+        getWrappedElement().sendKeys(keysToSend);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void clear() {
+        getWrappedElement().clear();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getTagName() {
+        return getWrappedElement().getTagName();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public @Nullable String getAttribute(String name) {
+        return getWrappedElement().getAttribute(name);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean isSelected() {
+        return getWrappedElement().isSelected();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean isEnabled() {
+        return getWrappedElement().isEnabled();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getText() {
+        return getWrappedElement().getText();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean isDisplayed() {
+        return getWrappedElement().isDisplayed();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Point getLocation() {
+        return getWrappedElement().getLocation();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Dimension getSize() {
+        return getWrappedElement().getSize();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Rectangle getRect() {
+        return getWrappedElement().getRect();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getCssValue(String propertyName) {
+        return getWrappedElement().getCssValue(propertyName);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public <X> X getScreenshotAs(OutputType<X> target) throws WebDriverException {
+        return getWrappedElement().getScreenshotAs(target);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/widget/tests/combined/CombinedAppTest.java b/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/widget/tests/combined/CombinedAppTest.java
index c3ee905fb..c7e50ef5f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/widget/tests/combined/CombinedAppTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/appium/java_client/pagefactory_tests/widget/tests/combined/CombinedAppTest.java
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@
 import io.appium.java_client.pagefactory_tests.widget.tests.AbstractStubWebDriver;
 import io.appium.java_client.pagefactory_tests.widget.tests.DefaultStubWidget;
 import io.appium.java_client.pagefactory_tests.widget.tests.android.DefaultAndroidWidget;
+import org.hamcrest.Matchers;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.Arguments;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.MethodSource;
 import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
+import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
 
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
@@ -58,6 +60,8 @@ void checkThatWidgetsAreCreatedCorrectly(AbstractApp app, WebDriver driver,
         assertThat("Expected widget class was " + widgetClass.getName(),
                 app.getWidget().getSelfReference().getClass(),
                 equalTo(widgetClass));
+        assertThat(app.getWidget().getSelfReference(),
+                Matchers.instanceOf(WebElement.class));
 
         List<Class<?>> classes = app.getWidgets().stream().map(abstractWidget -> abstractWidget
                 .getSelfReference().getClass())